The Trump Administration has proposed eliminating the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB), the entity responsible for investigating major chemical disasters, such as the BP Texas City refinery explosion that killed 15 workers in 2005.
The CSB was established in 1990, under the Clean Air Act. The Board has a well-regarded reputation for getting to the bottom of catastrophic chemical explosions and issuing recommendations aimed at preventing similar disasters. The CSB consists of five board members and fewer than 50 staff. It operates on an annual budget of less than $12 million.
According to Bloomberg.com, the CSB is not able to issue new regulations or impose penalties. However, even industry groups agree that its work has helped to make plants and refineries safer.
CSB and the BP Texas City Refinery Explosion
The BP Texas City refinery, located just outside of Galveston, is the third largest oil refinery in the U.S. On March 23, 2005, a series of explosions rocked the plant while workers were restarting a hydrocarbon isomerization unit that had been down for repairs. Fifteen workers died and 180 were injured.
The disaster was the most serious refinery accident ever investigated by the CSB, and the Board’s findings led to “landmark” changes in industry practice and safety. For example, after the CSB determined that most of those killed or injured in the BP Texas City refinery explosion were in or around work trailers located near an atmospheric vent stack, these trailers were required to be relocated at plants and refineries across the country.
The investigation into the BP Texas City refinery explosion is just one example where the work of the CSB resulted in industry-wide changes that have potentially saved an untold number of lives.
“It’s a vitally important agency that has an outsize impact for a very small budget,” Glenn Ruskin, communications director for the American Chemical Society, told Bloomberg.com “The safety board is an honest broker at identifying problems, and industry appreciates having that.”
Undefeated Plant Explosion Lawyers Recover Millions for Injured BP Texas Refinery Workers
The undefeated plant and refinery explosion attorneys at Zehl & Associates have recovered more than $1 Billion for clients injured and killed in plant and pipeline explosions, including those injured in the BP Texas City refinery explosion.
Our Plant Explosion Lawyers have also successfully represented clients in connection with nearly every major industrial explosion in the past 10 years, including the:
- BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig Explosion
- Imperial Sugar Refinery Explosion
- Industrial Paper Mill Explosion
- Williams Olefins Petrochemical Plant Explosion
Our industrial accident lawyers always commit whatever resources are necessary to ensure our clients and their families are fully compensated for their injuries and losses. We prepare aggressively for trial and, though many of our cases are favorably resolved through settlement before trial, will never agree to a settlement unless it fully and fairly compensates our clients and their families.
All consultations are free and since our attorneys work on a contingency basis, you won’t pay any fees unless we win your case.
To contact our Undefeated Explosion Lawyers for a Free Consultation, click here or call 1-888-603-3636.