News 18,000 cows killed in Texas explosion. Next: The massive, messy task of disposing of them April 14, 2023 Rick Jervis, USA TODAY Comments Off on 18,000 cows killed in Texas explosion. Next: The massive, messy task of disposing of them Environmental officials are on scene. A host of regulations applies. But an expert tells USA TODAY disposing of 18,000 cows is almost unfathomable.