Several government agencies are investigating a fatal accident that tragically killed a worker at the Valero Refinery in Port Arthur, Texas, last Friday afternoon.
Victim ID’d as 61-Year-Old Beaumont Man
The contractor was injured on February 20th while working on the site of Diamond Green Diesel 3, a renewable diesel plant under construction adjacent to the Valero Port Arthur Refinery. The worker was taken to a nearby hospital, where the 61-year-old Beaumont, Texas, man later died.
“He was a wonderful son, husband, and father,” his mother told KFDM/Fox 4. “He loved the Lord, was close to God and his church, had a wonderful, fun personality, and cared deeply about his family. He’ll be deeply missed by all of his family who loved him dearly, as well as his many friends.”
Cause of Valero Refinery Accident Under Investigation
While not clear how the victim was hurt, Jefferson County Justice of the Peace Marc DeRouen told the Port Arthur News that his death appeared accidental. Valero has confirmed that it’s working with the U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration and the unidentified contracting company to determine exactly how the worker died.
Diamond Green Diesel is a joint venture between Valero and Darling Ingredients Inc., the largest renewable producer in North America and the second-largest in the world. The new facility is expected to open during the second half of 2023, and will be capable of producing 470 million gallons of renewable diesel annually.
5 Valero Refinery Workers Injured Since 2017
Unfortunately, this isn’t the first troubling incident at a Valero facility.
In August 2018, an explosion on a depropanizer tower ignited a massive fire at Valero’s Texas City refinery. Although the company initially reported that no one was hurt, it acknowledged days later that four contractors had been injured while fleeing the area.
Nearly one year earlier, a fire on a coker unit at the Valero Port Arthur refinery triggered a shelter-in-place order for nearby residents and sent more than 1 million pounds of potentially toxic emissions into the air, including:
- 640,000 pounds of particulate matter (smoke, soot, dirt, and dust)
- More than 135,000 pounds of carbon monoxide
- Nearly 120,000 pounds of sulfur dioxide
Most recently, on April 10, 2020, another contractor was hospitalized after an explosion erupted at the Valero Meraux Refinery in Chalmette, Louisiana. According to local media outlets, the massive blast was felt for miles and lit up the night sky across St. Bernard Parish and parts of New Orleans.
Undefeated Texas Refinery Accident Lawyers: Call 1-888-603-3636 or Click Here for a Free Consult
Our Undefeated Refinery Accident Lawyers are investigating the fatal incident at the Valero Refinery in Port Arthur, Texas, and will post an update when more information becomes available.
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