Tianjin Co. Had No Permit for Chemicals

Rui Hai International Logistics, the Chinese company whose facilities exploded in the massive Tianjin blast this month, started handling chemical materials before getting a permit, a New York Times article revealed Sunday. At least five local agencies gave the company licenses without proper reviews of the operations. Nearly 3,000 tons of hazardous materials were kept in the storage facilities on the night of the explosion, including 1,300 tons of fertilizer nitrates—about 500 times more than what was used in the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995. Two dozen local officials and employees of the company have been detained or put under investigation in connection with the port city disaster.