Third largest refinery in the US explosion.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050323/us_nm/bp_refinery_explosion_dc_1

TEXAS CITY, Texas (Reuters) - An explosion rocked BP's huge refinery in Texas City, Texas, on Wednesday, the company said, and local television reported that four people were killed in the blast.



Another 10 people were rushed to the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston, according to the televised report.

The BP refinery, the third largest refinery in the country, has a throughput of 470,000 barrels per day.

"Our firemen are on scene assessing the situation and we have no further information at this time," said a spokeswoman for the Texas City Fire Department.

Clouds of black smoke were billowing from several fires at the plant. One refinery expert said the site appeared to be part of the refinery used to make gasoline. <snip>


Fill up, your gas tanks prices will rise if they can't get this place back on-line right away.

[Just Me]

1. Was it an act of terra,...or an accident,...or a negligent act?

:shrug:

[Lone_Star_Dem]

4. I'm betting negligence or accident.

It's not uncommon for these things to happen and the same plant had an explosion just last year.

[salin]

19. Safety isn't exactly

the priority - in terms of investment - that it once was.... negiligence or an accident wouldn't be a surprise.

My condolences to the families of those who died... and wishes for peace for all who are effected.

I will hold off on cynical, snide comments about rationale for further raising the price of gas for the moment. Oh, guess I couldn't quite curb it.

But that is a knock at corporate... I still feel for those who are effected by the horror of such an explosion.

[elehhhhna]

30. Yep. Not like we have OSHA enforcement in Texas, other than cheap fines.

[Finder]

11. Well if it is not called a terrorist act...

then it isn't. As most of the refinery "accidents" it will not be focused on in the media.

Last time, the FBI memo alerting refineries to an attack was publicized as well as the event a few days later. Because the meme/talking point of the election was that Buah has protected us from further "terra" and all that, it never got further than Texas local news or a soundbite. There were more important issues like viet cong fighters in loin cloths 30+ years ago to focus on.

[DireStrike]

2. ..... Shadow-war? Or, maybe just an accident...

Either way, this sucks, both for us oil-eaters, and for anybody hurt or killed in the blast.

[Bluebear]

3. Sorry, they don't need to exploit the terror angle today

Move along, there's souls that need to be saved. :crazy:

[Lone_Star_Dem]

9. With the record these plants have I'm not sure they would even try.

The same plant had an explosion just last year. I'm thinking negligence but it could be an accident.

[Just Me]

28. I was wondering about that. So, it is the same plant?

Good grief!!!

Whatever has caused this terrible disaster,...should be exposed.

[Bouncy Ball]

5. I've been keeping one wary eye on

those oil refineries on the coast of Texas for months. They are not protected and wide open to attack.

:scared:

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

10. Every year prior to summer a refinery explodes somewhere

gas goes up..the refiner comes offline...insurance pays the refinery and you and I pay up the ass for gas due to refineries being offline...every fucking year...GOOGLE it.

[pacalo]

20. After hearing the Enron tapes, it wouldn't surprise me if it was MIHOP.

After all, we have the most corrupt "president" ever in our history & his main purpose is to help his corporate cabal members.

[BrotherBuzz]

21. Yep, but this one could be the perfect storm

Short reserves and record high crude oil costs are going to play havoc with the market. I see this playing out much like the Enron energy scam in California. It's going to be big - the story du jour - and Bush* will use it to his advantage to do something stupid, like invade another damn country, or something.. It could be the perfect storm.

[Bridget Burke]

18. The Houston Ship Channel flows through a massive collection....

Of petrochemical plants. Buffalo Bayou was widened to create the Channel, which ends at the Port of Houston north of downtown. Many container ships come through--with very few containers inspected.

A recent Texas Monthly published a projection of how a terrorist attack could happen here. A ship with a dirty bomb in a container, coordinated with terrorists loosing chlorine gas from a small plant nearby. A fair amount of damage & a huge amount of terror....

(The neighborhoods near the Channel are NOT the ones where Bushes & Lays live.)

[greenbriar]

6. oh great now gas will be 6 buck s agallon

will this shit ever end

[Javaman]

27. Nope.

[notadmblnd]

7. How many expolsions of refineries in Texas has this been

in the last year or so? If I was an insurance adjuster, I'd be suspecting fraud right about now.

[slor]

8. This ought to boost profits...

for the oil thugs.

[Mr.Green93]

12. These ancient refineries

need to be shut down and inspected by the EPA.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

15. George decreed Texas didn't need no stinking EPA

It cuts into the profits to make these places clean and safe.

[tanyev]

16. It's now just the A.

EPA To Drop 'E,' 'P' From Name
WASHINGTON, DC—Days after unveiling new power-plant pollution regulations that rely on an industry-favored market-trading approach to cutting mercury emissions, EPA Acting Administrator Stephen Johnson announced that the agency will remove the "E" and "P" from its name. "We're not really 'environmental' anymore, and we certainly aren't 'protecting' anything," Johnson said. "'The Agency' is a name that reflects our current agenda and encapsulates our new function as a government-funded body devoted to handling documents, scheduling meetings, and fielding phone calls." The change comes on the heels of the Department of Health and Human Services' January decision to shorten its name to the Department of Services.
www.theonion.com

:D

[ghardy68]

13. better buy

It's time to ask China to donate some bikes for us!:nuke:

[Democrats_win]

14. Before explosion prices increasing Hourly. Now...

The "experts" have been warning that if there is a "supply disruption" prices could go even higher.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

17. Rainbow4321 posted in LBN

That this plant supplies 30% of BP's gas supply and 3% of the US gas supply.

I'm not sure that will have an effect on price hikes, however.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

22. Good..it's about time the southern states started seeing what people

west of Houston pay for gas every day.

California supplies 90% of our own oil and we've had very few days where gas was under 2 bucks a gallon..yet in the south where NO OIL is refined I paid 1.40 for gas last time I drove there.

[Ilsa]

24. Spokesman on NBC Houston said we can expect to see prices

rise over the next few days as supplies are squeezed. I think the govt ought to cap them until this disaster settles down. My husband thinks they should keep rising until people get the message that the free ride is over.

[Ilsa]

23. Explosion of the Equinox is how my sister referred to it.

She lives close enough and says that these things seem to happen more in the fall and spring with large variances in temperature. It had gotten warm, then cooled off again last night into the forties here. We wonder if there isn't wrong with a seal or gasket or something.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

25. Do you remember what caused the one last year at this plant?

I've been racking my brain but don't recall.

[Cuban_Liberal]

26. ABC Radio News confirms.

Explosion heard 'miles away'. Unknown how many injured or dead. "Full-scale response" by Texas City and nearby fire departments...

[Javaman]

29. I find it interesting that these explosions always seem to happen...

just when the price of oil/gas is going up. Then the admin* can use the excuse of the destruction of the plant as the reason behind the short supply. Something like this happened last year.
I'm not a tinfoil hat type of guy, but I find the coincidences very interesting, much along the lines of when morons* ratings would go down, yet another terror alert would happen.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

31. Update on casualties and Homeland Security getting on board.

March 23, 2005, 5:10PM
Deadly blast rocks Texas City
By RUTH RENDON, ZEKE MINAYA and STEVE MCVICKER
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/3099477
<snip>
University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston is treating 23 patients from the explosion, said medical director Joan Richardson. Four are in critical condition with broken bones, cuts, concussions and in one case, severe burns. Ten are in serious condition, and nine are in fair condition. She confirmed four people died at the plant site.

Mainland Medical Center reported receiving 15 plant workers as well as residents who walked in for treatment. Clear Lake Regional Medical Center was also treating walk-in patients. Some were complaining of ringing in their ears and blood in the ears.

Confirming only "multiple" fatalities and injuries, a BP spokesman said that with 1,800 workers, it's "a little confusing" to account for everyone, but that's the top priority. Rescuers continue to look for survivors in the debris strewn across the plant site, and families can call xxx-xxx-xxxx if they haven't heard from someone who works at the BP plant.

<snip>

The U.S. Homeland Security agency said the Coast Guard will be looking to rule out the possibility of terrorism. In addition, a team of chemical safety investigators are on their way from Washington D.C. to conduct a preliminary probe of the explosion.

<snip>

It goes on to say a person 5 miles away had their truck skip a few inches on the ground when the explosion happened.

This was big.

I've also read where they had a problem in this same plant earlier in the month and had to shut down. I'm looking for details on that now.