FEMA Approves Recovery Aid for Texas Fertilizer Plant Blast

Reverses a previous decision

The Federal Emergency Management Agency reversed its earlier decision Friday and approved additional funding to help rebuild the small Texas town where an April fertilizer plant explosion leveled homes, damaged buildings and killed 15 people.

Gov. Rick Perry confirmed that FEMA had approved Texas' appeal of its initial decision in June to deny major disaster declaration funding.

FEMA already has provided millions of dollars in aid to West and its residents, but the original denial had prevented them from getting some of the widespread assistance typically available to victims of tornadoes, hurricanes and other natural disasters. It also had slowed the effort to rebuild schools and other municipal structures.