DuPont Tragedy One of Many Toxic Gas Releases
*Correction appended
A Saturday morning tragedy introduced Texans to an invisible killer.
Methyl mercaptan, a foul-smelling gas, overwhelmed five workers at the DuPont chemical plant in La Porte on Nov. 15, killing four – including two brothers – and sending another to the hospital.
Such rapid deaths from toxic chemical exposure are rare, experts say.
But dozens of times in the past two years, a Texas Tribune analysis shows, plants across Texas have reported accidentally releasing gases that can be deadly in relatively small amounts.
Thousands – and even millions – of pounds of toxic chemicals beyond what permits allow have spewed from facilities ...
Comments (7)
E. Quote
Is this a small price for Port Author and workers to pay so we can use fossil fuels? Do the dead and injured compare with our troops? (what are your 'feelings')
Mac Mcclure via Texas Tribune on Facebook
"I think most petrochem workers, myself included, felt that we were much more likely to be killed in an accident driving to work
than from a plant explosion," Cuclis said. "I think the stats support
that pretty well."
Peter Parker via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Hey Wow, the story goes on...
"You've got folks that are getting routine exposure to benzene, and after some certain number of years there's a chance they're going to end up with cancer,"
All that benzene could have been used to make nano-diamonds for a space tether.
#jussayin
Neil Moyer via Texas Tribune on Facebook
TCEQ deploying monitoring for emissions events....ha, ha!!!
William Ardis
5 people die because of an "accidental" toxic gas release, and the conservative response is, "meh, it happens, what are you going to do?" Certainly not pass more stringent regulations. But a couple of people commit voter fraud over the last ten years and its "Katy bar the voting booth!!! We gotta pass voter ID!"
Caroline Reynolds
You Tribune reporters have done a great job by going to TCEQ's records to look at the facility's actual track record. If you continue looking, you will find that TCEQ's facility evaluation formula is rigged to produce 90% Satisfactory facilities, with 5% excellent and 5% unacceptable. Another facility to take a look at is the U.S. Ecology hazardous waste treatment/ storage/ disposal facility in Robstown. It is also a Satisfactory facility. However, if you look through the TCEQ files, you will find that the 2004 and 2008 facility inspections by TCEQ found that the facility was not using the plant's proposed Waste Analysis Plan and had violated the Land Disposal Ban, that was written into RCRA, I believe. Next, look at the most recent permit renewal application filed with TCEQ. You will find a photo of a tank that the facility wishes to replace. The photo shows that the hazardous waste storage tank has a huge hole corroded in to roof of the tank. This is a Satisfactory facility?
EPA did not think so when they came to inspect…...
Joan Hardy via Texas Tribune on Facebook
If you were millionaires you could just move then this pesky poisoning of your community wouldn't be a problem.