Explosion Articles

Nearly one month after the fatal explosion in Beirut, Lebanon, the demand for greater protections for chemical plant workers continues. On August 17, 2020, members of the House Committee on Education and Labor wrote the Secretary of Labor, directing the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to make changes to outdated ammonium nitrate standards. Following…

As of 8:30 A.M. this morning, fire fighters in Corpus Christi are battling to put out a fire near Navigation and Lantana Roads, near the Port of Corpus Christi. According to authorities, six people have been transported to the hospital for medical treatment. Some of the burn victims were transported to Brooks Army Medical Center’s…

On November 27, 2019, an explosion rocked the TPC Group, LLC chemical plant in Port Neches, Texas. OSHA opened an investigation after a butadiene finishing tower caught fire and exploded due to vapor that had formed at the base of the tower. This explosion caused several other explosions and fires, resulting in injuries and damages…

On July 3, 2019, Juanita Edwards, then 84-years-old, went outside to get her newspaper. After she went back inside her home, it exploded. Natural gas that had been seeping out of a defective line and into the ground beneath her home had found an ignition source. According to the wrongful death lawsuit filed against New…

After more than two years since the devastating category 4 hurricane, Arkema and three of its executives are set to go to trial this week in Harris County. Charged with reckless emission of air contaminants and assault on a public servant, Arkema and its CEO Richard Rowe, former Crosby plant manager Leslie Comardelle, and former…

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued TPC Group on Friday, February 21, 2020, in response to the November 27, 2019 explosions at TPC’s plant in Port Neches. The largest explosion launched a tower into the air with balls of fire and other chemicals and pollutants, with a series of smaller explosions throughout that day. According…

“Plant explosion” may feel like a familiar news headline to Texans. But why? It’s not the case in other areas of the country. Why do explosions seem so prevalent here? A straightforward reason for the unusual number of explosions in Texas is the type of industries that drive its economy. Texas is the nation’s leader…

In the last two years, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) has launched investigations into seven separate chemical accidents or explosions in the Houston area. Prior to 2018, the CSB only conducted roughly one investigation per year. Investigators believe that the massive increase in accidents which require an investigation by the CSB is due to…