Government Agencies Begin Probe of Texas Plant Explosion
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Government investigators on Thursday began piecing together the cause of a massive explosion at a BP oil refinery on the Texas coast that killed 15 people and injured more than 100.
Investigators from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Board were among those in Texas City.
''This is one of the worst ones we have to deal with, certainly in terms of loss of life. This is a very significant accident,'' said John Bresland, a member of the chemical board.
OSHA, a regulatory agency, has six months to determine whether BP violated health and safety regulations, and can assess fines if it finds any violations.
The chemical safety and hazard board will take a broader look at management systems and recommend changes that might benefit the company and others in the industry. Its investigators include chemical engineers and chemists with oil refinery experience.
Bresland said his investigators, like those of OSHA, can interview workers and witnesses.
''We want to know what was happening in the hours and minutes leading up to it,'' he said.
State regulators also are involved. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality sent three investigators to determine whether BP violated environmental permits. They also will examine the impact of the explosion on the environment, said commission spokesman Terry Clawson.
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