While the world was focused on the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, a BP refinery here released huge amounts of toxic chemicals into the air that went unnoticed by residents until many saw their children come down with respiratory problems. Full Story »
Posted by Chris Finnie - via New York Times (Most Emailed), miker1717 (t), Steve Murray (t), David K. Miller (t), JR Russ (t), Ellie Kesselman (t), Fabrice Florin (f)
the story doesn't indicate why this wasn't printed much earlier when there was an official report on so much escape of toxic chemicals. there's anecdotal incidents but not much official support for the suppositions of what caused illnesses.. what is noted are earlier problems of the plant, including an explosion responsible for the deaths of 15 people.
i'd curious if there would have been a different response to this story from either the public or the government or the people affected by the gulf oil spill, back in june or july, than it will now,
An important news report on another BP environmental accident. Details what has happened so far and features quotations from those interviewed on the ground, but still needs additional sources from the scientific/environmental community to put this into context and explain more facts behind what has happened.
Another BP environmental leak? And with documents that seem not to tell the whole story of what has happened? This sounds very familiar and it is bizarrely coincidental that this happened right in the middle of the BP oil disaster in the nearby Gulf (probably why BP tried to keep it quiet during this time).
First report I've seen of this--even though it happened months ago. As the piece notes, this is part of a long history of problems at this plant. A similar Chevron refinery in California has widespread community monitors and an automated telephone notification system to protect neighborhood residents. But Texas is famously lax in their environmental laws, one aspect of the story that McKinley failed to cover. Otherwise a good, thorough report.
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