Chemical plants are particularly dangerous places to work, and accidents at these locations can easily turn into major disasters involving massive explosions, fires that last for days, lingering smoke, and exposure to toxic fumes.
While workers face the greatest chance of serious injury or death, nearby residents can also experience devastating losses, including extensive property damage, respiratory or other health conditions, and the general upheaval that comes with an area evacuation. Nearby areas also face long-term concerns regarding air quality and water contamination.
Chemical plant owners and operators are legally obligated to protect workers and residents from hazards by complying with extensive industry regulations. Unfortunately, as history shows, violations occur, and disasters happen, but when they do, victims have the right to seek compensation for their losses.
The Houston workplace accident team at Williams Hart & Boundas is ready to lead that fight for justice.
Texas City Disaster–April 16, 1947
The U.S Grandcamp docked in Texas City after returning from several cargo pickup and exchange locations. The plan was to add ammonium nitrate fertilizer to the ship’s haul before sending it to its next stop. Though used to make TNT during the war, ammonium nitrate is not a flammable substance on its own as long as it is kept at cool temperatures and not combined with explosive agents.
After a few days of transferring cargo, the longshoremen noticed a fire in the hull of the Grandcamp, below where the bags of ammonium nitrate had been piled. The fire ultimately caused two explosions, producing devastating results. According to the Moore Memorial Public Library, “most of the Texas City Terminal Railways’ warehouses…were a complete loss” from the explosion, and a nearby ship, also carrying ammonium nitrate and other explosive chemicals, caught fire, prompting a second explosion. Shrapnel tore into surrounding areas, setting oil tanks and chemicals in other refineries ablaze. Buildings remained on fire long after the initial explosion.
The disaster caused an estimated 500-600 deaths and wounded thousands. The Texas State Historical Association reports, “the disaster brought changes in chemical manufacturing and new regulations for the bagging, handling, and shipping of chemicals” and more than “3,000 lawsuits involving the United States government, since the chemical had originated in U.S. ordnance plants, were resolved by 1956.”
Thiokol-Woodbine Explosion – February 3, 1971
T
hiokol Chemical, a plant comprising over 35 buildings and sitting on 7,400 acres 12 miles southeast of Woodbine, Georgia, exploded after a small fire started and spread throughout its property on February 3, 1971. The fire began in building M-132 and quickly expanded. Within a few minutes of its onset, 80 workers evacuated the building but stood nearby, expecting the flames would be extinguished as had happened in past incidents. Instead, the flames spread and led to three powerful explosions. A lookback report from the Savannah Morning News states fires often started on worklines, but the company “assured employees that there was no danger of explosion.”
Twenty-nine workers died, and many more suffered serious or catastrophic injuries. Investigations showed the misclassification of chemical materials contributed to the disaster. The misclassification changed how the materials were handled, with tragic results.
Months after the Thiokol explosion, Congress created Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations to make working conditions safer. The explosion also prompted a 17-year-long battle among victims, the Thiokol Chemical Corporation, and the U.S. government, affecting significant changes in national tort-reform law.
Henderson Rocket Fuel Plant Explosion – May 4, 1988
The Pacific Engineering and Production Co. of Nevada (PEPCON), located near the city of Henderson, produced ammonium perchlorate, used in NASA and defense industry programs. On May 4, 1988, a succession of blasts shook the plant and nearby areas, killing two employees and wounding over 300 more.
Flames from the explosion could be seen miles away, and firefighters responding to the scene experienced cuts when the blasts shattered the windows of their approaching fire trucks. A nearby marshmallow plant was almost destroyed, and many homes, schools, and businesses sustained property damage estimated at $74 million, not including damage to the PEPCON plant itself.
In its history of the explosion, Clark County reports investigators determined “sparks from a welder’s torch ignited the ammonium perchlorate” and that “housekeeping contributed to the fire and the resulting explosions.”
The Phillips Disaster – October 23, 1989
The Phillips 66 Company, Houston Chemical Complex in Pasadena, Texas experienced an explosion and subsequent fires on October 23, 1989. The facility produced high-density polyethylene (HDPE), and the accident resulted from an error during routine maintenance procedures. The error prompted the release of 85,000 pounds of flammable gas, which traveled through the plant and quickly met an ignition source, leading to the initial explosion.
Additional explosions occurred minutes later. A report from Texas A&M University states the blasts sent debris as far as six miles, and explosions and fires killed 23 workers, injured over 300 others, and caused almost $750 million worth of damage. In its investigation, OSHA discovered a series of contributing violations.
The Sterlington Explosion – May 1, 1991
A chemical plant in Sterlington, Louisiana, experienced a series of explosions on May 1, 1991. The plant was owned by Angus Chemical and operated by IMC Fertilizer. About 500-600 nearby residents were evacuated from the area immediately following the blasts. Local buildings, homes, and vehicles sustained severe damage, and others were total losses. Most tragically, 8 workers died, and 120 others were seriously injured.
OSHA came to an informal settlement agreement with Angus and IMC, documenting measures the parties must take to avoid future disasters and comply with regulations. Angus filed against IMC and ultimately settled the case before it went to a jury. IMC also paid tens of millions in personal injury settlements.
Chevron Oil Explosion – August 2012
The Chevron Oil refinery in Richmond, California, experienced an explosion because of an old, leaking pipe. When workers discovered the leak hours after it started, they attempted to fix the problem by stripping the insulation unit, which ignited the crude oil leaking from the pipe. Workers sustained injuries from the burning chemicals, but none were killed. More than 15,000 residents sought medical care for respiratory problems caused by toxic fumes and smoke.
The company’s “safety culture and gaps in regulatory guidelines” contributed to the fire, news reports revealed. Sources also reported that the U.S. Chemical Safety Board attributed the fire to a corroded pipe and the “inadequate response by company emergency crews.”
West Fertilizer Plant Explosion – April 2013
An explosion at the West Fertilizer Company in West, Texas, killed 15 people and wounded at least 262. According to news reports, most of those killed were first responders and volunteer fighters, and 20% of the injured suffered brain injuries. Additionally, the explosion destroyed 350 homes and schools and created a crater about 100 feet wide and 10 feet deep.
A fire started in the fertilizers and seed building, causing the explosion and igniting the company’s store of ammonium nitrate. News reports show that in 2006, “complaints of an ammonia smell led the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to inspect the plant,” and that same year, the EPA issued the company a fine for not having a “risk management plan.”
The company later filed a plan in 2011 but did not state that the facility continued to store ammonium nitrate. Reports cite records from the Texas Department of State Health Services showing the plant held 270 tons of ammonium nitrate in 2012
Williams Olefins Plant Explosion – June 13, 2013
Two workers died, and 80 people sustained injuries from a June 13, 2013, explosion at the Williams Olefins plant in Geismar, Louisiana. Local news sources reported the explosion was caused by a fire resulting from “a rupture in an off-line reboiler that was in standby mode, next to a boiler that was in operation.”
After an investigation, OSHA cited Williams Olefins LLC with “six process safety management standard violations, including one willful.” According to OSHA, the company failed to fulfill the responsibilities required of employers, violated safety standards, and neglected to ensure the safety of its workers.
TPC Group Plant Fire – November 27, 2019
A November 27, 2019, double-explosion at the TPC Group Port Neches Operations (PNO) facility injured four plant workers and one contractor. Texas declared Jefferson County to be in a state of disaster and issued a four-mile radius evacuation order. Other repercussions included reduced use of the Sabine-Neches Waterway (a major U.S. economic driver), $450 million in on-site and $153 million in off-site property damage. The off-site properties included homes and businesses.
The event prompted a criminal investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice. The TPC Group ultimately pled guilty to violating the Clean Air Act and agreed to pay over $30 million in criminal fines and civil penalties and to spend approximately $80 million to improve its risk management and safety procedures.
Fighting Back and Getting Justice
Williams Hart & Boundas is here to help victims of chemical plant explosions fight back and get justice. We are not intimidated by large companies and their powerful representation. Our award-winning team built a history of success, and that history includes securing billion-dollar awards from claims against some of the nation’s biggest corporations.
Whether you have been injured, become ill, or lost a loved one to a chemical plant explosion, our firm is here for you. Connect with us for a free case review. And do not worry about costs. Williams Hart & Boundas works on contingency, which means you do not pay anything out of pocket. We only get paid when you receive a settlement or trial award. We are in the fight together, from beginning to end.