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OSHA Hits BP Refinery With Monster $87.4M Fine; 15 Died in 2005 Explosion

Posted Oct 30, 2009, 12:55 pm CST
By Martha Neil

The U.S. Department of Labor is seeking to impose a record-breaking $87.4 million in penalties on oil giant BP for safety violations at a refinery it operates in Texas.

Of that amount, $56.7 million relates to a 2005 explosion at the Texas City refinery that killed 15 people and injured well over 150. The other $30.7 million concerns 439 subsequent safety violations that the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration described as willful, reports Reuters.

The monster sanction is more than four times as large as any previous OSHA fine, reports the New York Times.

“Fifteen people lost their lives as a result of the 2005 tragedy, and 170 others were injured,” said Labor… Continue reading...



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