The Explosion At Texas City

2005 Refinery Explosion In Texas Killed 15, Injured 170

(CBS)  Next week, one of the world’s largest oil companies, BP, will go to court in Galveston, Texas, to face a young woman who says the company killed her parents. As correspondent Ed Bradley reports, the woman’s parents were among 15 oil workers who died in an explosion last year at BP’s refinery in Texas City, Texas. At least 170 others were also injured in the blast. It was the worst workplace accident in this country since 1989.

60 Minutes spent the last three months investigating the explosion at Texas City, and what we found was a failure by BP to protect the health and safety of its own workers, even though the company made a profit of $19 billion last year.

60 Minutes also found evidence that BP ignored warning after warning that something terrible could happen at Texas City.

---

The BP refinery in Texas City extends over nearly two square miles on the outskirts of Galveston. It’s the third largest refinery in the U.S. On March 23, 2005, BP employees and contract workers began an especially dangerous procedure: re-starting a unit that had been down for repairs. They began to fill a tower with gasoline. The tower overflowed, and the excess gas flowed into a back-up unit, which then also overflowed and sent a geyser of gasoline into the air. Pat Nickerson, a 28-year veteran of the Texas City refinery, was on site that day, driving his truck to an office trailer.

"I looked down the road. It looked like fumes, like on a real hot day, you see these heat waves coming up and then, I saw an ignition and a blast. Then my windshield shattered. The roof of the vehicle I was driving caved in on me," Nickerson recalls.

The plume of gas had formed a massive vapor cloud on the ground, and an idling truck likely had ignited the fumes. The blast pulverized several office trailers full of workers parked nearby.

Nickerson began digging through the wreckage looking for survivors. "Out of the corner of my eye, there was somebody on the ground," he remembers. "A guy named Ryan Rodriguez, and he was just kind of staring at me. He couldn't move because his face was so, you know, deformed and everything from the blast. And some, you know, bones and stuff that were you know protruding from his chin."

Nickerson says Rodriguez eventually died in the ambulance.

Twenty-one-year-old Eva Rowe was driving to Texas City to visit her parents, who worked in one of those trailers.

"I was at a gas station about 45 minutes away. Some man inside said that the BP refinery had exploded," Rowe remembers. "I called my mom. And my mom didn't answer, and that's not like my mom. She always answered."

It was hours before Rowe learned what had happened. "A worker who actually worked at the plant collapsed to the floor crying, telling me he was so sorry that he couldn’t find my parents, that he’d been looking for them since the explosion happened. So then I knew," she recalls.

Eva Rowe’s parents were among the 15 who died that day in Texas City.

"My parents were my best friends, they're all I had. My life ended that day. BP ruined my life. It ended my life. That day I had to start all over," Rowe tells Bradley.

[gretchwes]

As with any job or business, there are one or more people who must take responsibility when things are good and when things are bad. It seems that nobody at BP wants to take the responsibility of knowing that their company was run poorly. There are people to blame in this situation, and those of us who lost loved ones last March want to see justice take place. This is just like any other negligent homicide case in the sense that BP KNEW of their problems and did NOTHING to prevent deaths, which proves that they value money over lives. Let's not let our society accept this behavior. My father was a brilliant, young, healthy engineer who went to BP's facility just for a few days to fix some General Electric equipment. He should still be in my life today, but because BP did not take people's lives and their families that they would leave behind into consideration, we are left to morn him forever. This tragedy would be easier to accept if it was "just" an industrial accident, seeing that places like that can be dangerous, but this was not. This was negligent behavior that took loved ones away from their families and BP should pay the consequences, just like anyone else that does not follow rules.

[lhunnings]

I am glad to see CBS/60 Minutes take interest in BP and the horrible tragedy that happened on March 23, 2005. Now everyone will know the truth about BP. They were more concerned about their profits than human life. They just don't understand what they have done. They have forever changed the lives of 15 famalies. I know because my husband was killed that day. My life will never be the same, neither will my children's or grandchildren. Their negligence and stupidty has left a void in our family. They took away my best friend. I agree that management should not walk away scott free. Look at the management of Enron, they stole people's money and they didn't get away with it...BP took people's lives!! Management needs to pay, they made bad choices and now we have to suffer, not to mention the many people who were injured. Their lives will never be the same either. It angers me that BP had such a care free attitude toward process safety. They can't fathom what it is like to have someone you love so much ripped out of your life forever. It does my heart good to open up my local paper (almost every day) and see that BP has screwed up again. Thank you again for bringing to the public the truth about what happen that day and that it didn't have to happen.

[dwlanier]

I have worked for the two largest oil companies in the world over the last 15 years. Accidents can happen and do happen. I personally applaud BP for the changes that it%u2019s making and the money that it is spending to make everything right. No, they can not change what happen but you must realize that the refinery was purchased from Amoco. It inherited a problem. The safety at the site is outstanding almost to the point of slowing all work down just to make it safer. I hope that 60 minutes tells the after story on the incident and not just focus on the negative. Remember that all of our traffic laws and safety procedures in all business were formulated out of an accident or death. We have to learn from our mistakes and that people is what BP is doing.

[linsenbardt]

Thank you, 60 Minutes, for taking on this giant. It seems as though BP has so much money and power that no one wants to offend them. Thank you for sticking up for the American workers and showing the world the facts.
BP knew this horrific tragedy would happen one day, yet deliberately did nothing to prevent it. So yes, they are murderers and should be tried as such - I'm not sure why this would even be up for debate.
And what about OSHA and their inspectors. The hard workers of America pay a lot to this government department to make sure these 'giants' are safe to work at. I'm sure it's easy to make the smaller companies follow the rules, but they must be just as tough on the big companies.
My brother was in Texas City for just a few days to help BP, working in a trailer that had several times been cited by OSHA as being too close to the refinery to be safe. Then the explosion occurred and took away my bother's and his family's life, because no one fixed even one of the multitude of problems.
Thank you, 60 Minutes, for letting me share my views.
May my brother's death be the stone that slays the giant or at least teaches BP to be more humane.

[noiiasberry]

Perhaps the state of Texas should require mandatory accountability from BP execs like John Manzoni. It appears that British Petroleum and Manzoni expected immunity from prosecution for such a horrific death toll of our hardworking citizens. What is more egregious, from Ed Bradley's report, is the "kiss my ***" spin British Petroleum has marketed to the media when the evidence clearly shows British Petoleum's indifference to safety standards, and a shocking disregard for American lives. "...no evidence of anyone consciously or intentionally taking actions or decisions that put others at risk."
What an insidious crock of "***."
John Manzoni and British Petroleum should be prosecuted for manslaughter, if not capital murder, considering the evidence presented on 60 Minutes.

[linjbaker]

I have investigated BP for years at their Wyoming and Missouri refineries. To put it bluntly, the company has made a living off of old antiquated refineries that are polluting people and the environment. Cleaning up these places have never been their priority. BP used the Wyoming regulators and politicians to get Brownfields turned into a taxpayer responsibility instead of BP. Keep digging they are a bad company.

[nottoligm43]

After viewing your broadcast of the BP refinery disaster of last year, I would like to make a comment.
I find it interesting the behavior of Eva Rowe. Although I do express sympathy with the loss of her parents, I do find Ms. Rowe's impression of BP rather appalling.
Toward the end of this report, BP apologized, recognized, and even, took full responsibility for the accident, setting aside restitution for victims, and victims' families.
Ms. Rowe acknowledged that BP offered her a settlement, but, her lack of tears, turned into "going after the jackpot". Ms. Rowe wants to expose BP documents. Why? The company just admitted fault.
Unfortunately, Ms. Rowe comes across as a money hungry addict, bucking the system, in order to gain more dollars, for, her own well being.
Simply a disgrace.

[lukestep1]

Check our eknitsuer.com "featured" and read about the various manners that BP hurts people just because BP can. BP has gone un checked far too long...

[bobbre1]

Safety violations happen more often than companies will admit. Most are hidden by high level management,even though they keep stressing safety until you are blue in the face. They really mean let's keep it safe as long as there is no down time and it does not interfere with profits.
You had a show about a year ago of the problems with safety concerns at IBM. I worked for IBM and also for Micron Technology.
Your next program should be on Micron and it's leaking of chemicals. You will see that the IBM problems were really the tip of the iceberg in the semiconductor business. Please keep up the reporting on this, great job by Ed Bradley, as usual.
Bob B

[bobbre1]

Safety violations happen more often than companies will admit. Most are hidden by high level management,even though they keep stressing safety until you are blue in the face. They really mean let's keep it safe as long as there is no down time and it does not interfere with profits.
You had a show about a year ago of the problems with safety concerns at IBM. I worked for IBM and also for Micron Technology.
Your next program should be on Micron and it's leaking of chemicals. You will see that the IBM problems were really the tip of the iceberg in the semiconductor business. Please keep up the reporting on this, great job by Ed Bradley, as usual.
Bob B

[bobbre1]

Safety violations happen more often than companies will admit. Most are hidden by high level management,even though they keep stressing safety until you are blue in the face. They really mean let's keep it safe as long as there is no down time and it does not interfere with profits.
You had a show about a year ago of the problems with safety concerns at IBM. I worked for IBM and also for Micron Technology.
Your next program should be on Micron and it's leaking of chemicals. You will see that the IBM problems were really the tip of the iceberg in the semiconductor business. Please keep up the reporting on this, great job by Ed Bradley, as usual.
Bob B

[jh4713006]

These events of loss of lives and injuries are unexcusable. At a minimum, Mr. Parus and Mr. Manzoni, should be prosecuted. Mr. Parus has admitted to the conditions. Mr. Manzoni admitted his knowing about the conditions, when on his interview, he states "I don't believe..." and "I think..."(they would have done differently). Either way, someone in his position is paid to know. And he should've known. But, the workers knew about the conditions, too. They put their lives at risk for money. Why would anyone continue employment at a place that they knew was unsafe?

[patty915]

Bp's color green should stand for greedy. they don't care about the safety of people or who they hurt.They put people out of business,and cheat them out of money especilally women and people of color.

[jmehoff22]

I work at another plant in the area. Atmosheric blowdown stacks like the one at BP should have been removed years ago due to safety and environmental issues. Unfortunately, the EPA "grandfathered" the equipment instead of insisting on compliance with newer, safer technology. Its all about not requiring the oil companies to spend the money on capital projects; thereby, boosting corporate profits and making the economy appear healthier for our political leaders! Big business may have blood on its hands, but so do our governmental agencies charged with protecting workers and the environment!!! The EPA and OSHA are in my plant on a regular basis. I'm sure they visit a plant the size of BP Texas City even more frequently. I find it hard to believe that both agencies turned a blind eye to the hazards that existed around these blowdown stacks. It shouldn't take a fatality in the workplace to get corporations and the governmental agencies to take an interest in workplace safety. My condolences to the families who have suffered such a great loss

[soileau96]

What happened March 23, 2005 at BP Texas city should NEVER be called an "accident." All 15 people killed were contract workers meeting in the trailer BP placed too close to the fatal blowdown stack. At the time of the explosion they were discussing work they were doing on a totally different area of the plant. As for the accusation that the workers were aware of the poor safety culture at the plant, my father was a brilliant senior electrical engineer for GE. He was at BP for the first day of a 3 day job to work on some GE motors. He had the opportunity to work in Iraq and make a substantial amount of money, but turned it down because of the risk involved. How ironic is it that he was killed during a "typical" day at work? He would not have accepted the job at BP if he would have known truth about the safety risks. Those killed could possibly be alive today if BP would have only corrected one of the dangerous problems that they knew about for years. How far could those in the trailer have run if only ONE of the 2 alarms that were broken would have sounded? I implore the Galveston District Attorney to press criminal charges against BP in an effort to bring punishment on those that chose profit over protecting life. The high ranking management of Enron was eventually punished for ruining many lives through their greed. How much more should BP be punished for making decisions based on increasing profit that resulted in the loss of many lives?

[rdaspeedrace]

Maybe U.S. Chemical Saety Board Caroly merritt, Attorney Mr. Coleman, or Eva Rowe should contact myself or others at B.P.. B.P. is so affraid of the reaction of 60min's and this report that they had Colin Maclean write up a letter 10/24/06 that went to a few colleagues to remind them to "focus on the future". The unsafe working condtions still exist B.P.. B.P. takes advantage of the middle to low class hard working people of Texas City while paying them very little to work in still to this day unsafe working condtions to risk there lives to put food on the table for their family's. Since B.P. is the third largest planet they stick the profits in there popckets while stiffing there employees. They tell us to take water breaks when needed do to heavy fire resistant clothing, chemical masks, and working in 100+ degree weather. When we take a much needed water break so we don't pass out we are given dirty looks from our supervisors, declined for a raises, and or talked about by the supervisors to other employees. Therefor we try not to take a breaks and continue to work no matter what. An accident waiting to happen that can cause not 1 life but possible others due to unsafe working condtions. How many lives does it take for B.P. to realize they have many problems still in which they need to fix and fast before another life is gone?

[whistleblow]

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{REFERENCE: ANA MAYO, "IF LEAKS COULD KILL", THE VILLAGE VOICE, PAGE 40, 8/21/78}.

CONTACTS:
DR. TED SEIGAL
NUC"EL"AR-METALLURGIST/CERAMIST/PHYSICIST/WHISTLEBLOWER
[e-mail]
MESSAGES c/o [phone]

[biggemj]

To: nottoligm43, as a worker for one of the top three oil companys in the world I am very glad Ms. Rowe is holding out. There is too much hidden and to many deaths to let this kind of negligence pass one more time with all the platitudes the big oil companies give to the survivers of these kinds of incidents. I for one know what it is to live and work in a refinery and fear when the big one is going to come. The whole industry reaks of money. money, money at the expense of workers safety and well being. Until you work in one of these places you cannot know what they are like and how the Corporationss treat them, cash cows, workiers can be replaced cheaply.

[lreadl]

I agree with biggemj. There is a ceiling on caring. Field employees (the blue collar guys) care, but the bean counters still say no to necessary safety measures if it costs too much time or $$$. I also work for one of the big three. These guys need to learn to practice what they preach. Problem is the office guys don't have to work in it every day. They can just make a visit every now and then, point at a couple of insignificant issues that they notice and raise enough stink to keep attention focused away from the real problem, which is management itself. In Texas City, blue collar guys were trying to tell them that problems existed. I read that Alaska was the same story. My guess is that once the complaints got to low level management, that don't work in the field, the issues were covered up and upper management never knew a problem existed.

[nottoligm43]

biggiemj:
I do work in one of the same top three refineries, such as yourself.
Ms. Rowe had her 15 minutes of fame, and we(you and I)and the rest of the taxpayers will pay for the uncalled for dragging through the courts of what BP has already admitted, so, Ms. Rowe can cash in on the "cash cows", you so decribe.
Perhaps I could understand Ms. Rowe's throught process, had the rest of the victims families were involved in this suit, along with her.

[bluestardad]

January 21, 2001 soon after gas hit two dollars a gallon. The great decider was on the move. America grabbed its ankles cause he was not gentle. Most of us lined up for his game but now we are tired of his lies he has been telling us, and are a little sore, tired, and need a smoke. We do not want to %u201CStay the Course%u201D anymore and are about to dump this chimp.

[marison1]

Mr. Bradley,
I watched your story on the BP Texas City explosion last night. I hope that 60 Min. will do a follow up story on how much time and money BP has put into this refinery to make it a safer place to work and safer for the community of Texas City. I currently work at BP Texas City and eventhough there are always risked involved when you work in such enviroments I feel alot safer today then I did alittle over a year ago. I believe BP should be able to show and tell the world that it has gone to great lenghts to protect its workers and the surrounding community.

Thank you for your time.
Marison Rice
BP Contractor

[inboxo]

I'm sure this is the wrong place to do this, but I hope you will forward to anyone who can help. The segment on BP Texas City interested me because I know other people who work in other dangerous jobs and they too face poor maintenance, known existing hazards, and manipulated records. Alcoa Aluminum, a company making substantial profits (though less than the obscene profits of oil companies), is a case in point. At the Bettendorf, Iowa plant where they pour molten metal, holes in the roof allow rain to enter the building. If it happens to get into the molten aluminum, it can explode. Management knows about this but does nothing to fix the problem. Jobs that required four people have been reduced to two. When workers are injured, the managers first attempt to make it the worker's fault. Failing that, they require the worker to come into the plant and sit in the medical office so they can keep their safety record--the injury never shows up. If and when OSHA shows up, they are carefully sheparded about and hasty pseudo-repairs are made so it looks safe but really is not. I know of other dangerous plants engaged in the same practices. If the worker objects, their job is threatened and if the union objects, they are threatened with moving the operation off shore. What can be done to correct this situation? Workers are not expendable and injuries and deaths are not part of the cost of doing business.

[cva6472]

As a part of BP in southern calif many of us could see the culture of a unsafe work place at the wilmington calciner, people need to talk with
maintenanc workers also some operations workers.

I know they would like to talk about blinding gaslines,also exposure to asbestoes.

Work Safe stay alive

[claroch]

Remember the August 9 headlines : "BP admits knowledge of corrosion problems in Alaskan pipelines.
Workers had predicted %u2018major catastrophic event%u2019 because of cost-cutting" ...

How many more lives will they take and how much more damage will they inflict on our planet ... before SOMEBODY steps in and stops their recklessness ???

[claroch]

Remember the August 9 headlines : "BP admits knowledge of corrosion problems in Alaskan pipelines.
Workers had predicted %u2018major catastrophic event%u2019 because of cost-cutting" ...

How many more lives will they take and how much more damage will they inflict on our planet ... before SOMEBODY steps in and stops their recklessness ???

[claroch]

Remember the August 9 headlines : "BP admits knowledge of corrosion problems in Alaskan pipelines.
Workers had predicted %u2018major catastrophic event%u2019 because of cost-cutting" ...

How many more lives will they take and how much more damage will they inflict on our planet ... before SOMEBODY steps in and stops their recklessness ???

[curtis154]

Re: Bp Texas City
I am an employee at Texas City for Bp. Your story did not provide any information that Bp's own investigation, along with OSHA and the Chemical Safety Board reported already. Instead of jumping on the hate oil companies bandwagon, do a follow-up story that shows how Bp Texas City has changed since the explosion. What steps did Bp take to change the culture in a flawed Safety environment. It isn't always the disaster that is the story, sometimes it is the recovery from the disaster.
Curtis Wilson

[saransk]

For over a decade, large companies have found the US government, and many states, unwilling to enforce current laws, much less envoke tougher laws, protecting the working class. Only a concerted effort by both citizens and workers will change this oversight by neglect.
BP is just one example

[cmjecklin]

October 30, 2006

60 Minutes


In response to BP Texas refinery explosion.
As a former BP maintenance tech, I know first hand of BPs Maintenance policies or lack thereof. Theirs is a total cutback on preventative maintenance and employees. Policies that include forcing employees to purchase their own equipment, taking monetary loses, working hours an not being compensated for it, and consistently harassing employees until they resign. Theirs is the elimination of all preventative maintenance to increase profits regardless of its possible harmful consequences to the environment and people. It comes as no surprise that BP does not have the employees, willingness or annual maintenance procedures to test their Pipelines.
Is this the breed of companies we want to take over our infrastructures, Gas, Oil, Electric, Water? One would hope our lawmakers can see beyond a fast buck and realize this is an issue of national security. Hopefully, someday they will see the damage foreign corporations are inflicting on our economy, people, nation, and act accordingly.


[e-mail]

[cmjecklin]

Why would a British Corporation, run by LORD BROWN, be concerned with the well being of american citizens? There concern is the american dollar and ties to corrupt,traitorous politicians.

[gmond]

Business as usual in corporate America.

[araybion]

I can't say enough Thank you's to CBS in taking the time to report on a tragedy that has changed my family's lives forever. My father was killed in the explosion that should have never happened. I understand that BP has accepted responsiblity for the "incident" that day, but will it make the hurt go away? NO, the hurt will never go away. I praise Eva Rowe for letting BP know that not only has it changed her life, but it has changed the lives of those who lost someone. Until you have walked in our shoes, don't critisize what Ms. Rowe or any of the families for what we have done. Just because the other families didn't take it as far as Eva did, doesn't mean that we feel any less pain or heartbreak or anger about what happened. Kudos to Eva....you spoke for all the families...Our lives were changed and will never be the same.

[lukestep1]

I thank CBS for the viewing on BP. Fortunately no one from my oil distribution co. Donlyn Distribution Inc. was physically killed by BP.

However, BP not only made every effort to put Donlyn out of business, but went beyond that to cut off the legs of the company, in anticipation that Donlyn would not be able to get back on its feet. That level of cruelness is not in the room with Physical-death.

Yet it carries a daily pain that only one who has walked in said shoes can understand. Barbara Mitchell. See my web site eknitsuer.com "Featured"

[ronniegraves]

To LHunnings: I also lost my husband, but not in the exposion. He was killed July 21,2006. I can not put into words any better than you did as to how My family has been affected. A phone call,at least 3-5 hours after his accident, telling me he was dead, changed our lives forever. A part of us is gone forever and we are wandering with no direction. Left behind was myself, two sons and a grandson with an emptiness in our hearts that can not be filled. I also watched 60 minutes and was dissapointed that nothing was said about my husbands death on July 21, 2006, which seems to have fallen by the wayside in light of all the publicity of the explosion that killed the 15. My
heart goes out to all of you. I pray for answers
and the recognition my husband deserves because he was dedicated to his work and his family and as many others, lost his life working at BP making a living for his family.

[oteo697]

60 minutes,
Thank you for finally exposing BP for who they really are. I also work for BP in Wyoming. I know first hand how complaints are ignored. I have been harrassed to the point of a breakdown from one of their team leaders, and yet, my complaints from myself, my entire team have been constantly ignored by the plant manager. I have finally reached a boiling point and have resigned today. Tomorrow i will be searching for an attorney. I have been in the weekly safety meetings that BP prides themselves on, but to no avail. They do not care at all about their employees, only about the good ole buck.Thank you for airing your investigation, and i think more and more people will come forward and expose more of their tarnished "green image".
Thank You

[eduhan]

Yes, BP stepped-up and admitted responsibility. Yes, BP set aside a reported 1.6 billion to compensate the survivors and the families of the 15 that were carried out in body bags that day. And yes, BP has taken steps to clean up the facility but .... that does not heal the wounded and raise our dead.

My husband's sister was 34 years old. Susan left behind her 16 year old son, her parents, her siblings and countless other family and friends. We identified her by body parts.

And yes, I believe top BP officials should be made to clear their calendars of power lunches, golf games, and cocktail parties to sit in a courtroom and view not just the photos of the burning building and surrounding area but the true aftermath, the burned and charred bodies of those that sacrificed everything for BP's almighty profit margin.

So "YES" I applaud MS. Rowe in her efforts to keep BP from merely walking away with a slap on the hand - a reported 19 billion profit vs. 1.6 billion payout - we can all "do the math".

By going to court, Ms. Rowe is speaking for the departed and aiding in the emotional healing of the survivors and countless family and friends. Thank-you Ms. Rowe from the family of Susan Duhan Taylor. May God bless you and keep you.

And thank-you Mr. Bradley for your insightful reporting/commentary. Thank-you also CBS/60 Minutes for giving Ms. Rowe the platform in which her voice could be heard by the nation, by the world.

[refop]

It's not just BP folks. All of these oil companies need to be looked at very closely. These companies are notorious for focusing on profits to the point of compromising the safety of their employees. Management doesn't have a clue because they aren't out there in the refinery in the first place. If they do happen to find their way into the plant they disregard hazards pointed out by the operators who are there everyday due to "budget constraints" (so they can tell their boss "look at the money I saved our department") and then they get their bonus... then there are the companies that will juggle schedules so they don't have to pay the overtime. Or the supervisors who think a unit startup or shutdown is a race to see who can get the "the feed" into the unit in the shortest amount of time. Sound familiar to any of you refinery workers out there? If the American public only knew.....

Here is one company that got caught. It's just the beginning and I sincerly hope that there will be more scrutiny with these companies in the future.

I didn't see the 60 minutes program, but have been following the BP disaster since day one. Ms. Rowe, you stick to your guns and don't let this company off the hook. I wish you well in this journey.