A Texas chemical plant rocked by a series of explosions last month has a history riddled with state and federal environmental violations, according to an article from Insurance Journal. The explosions and fire on November 27 at a facility in Port Neches, Texas owned by Houston-based Texas Petroleum Chemicals reportedly resulted in widespread mandatory evacuations and injuries to several workers and residents.
According to the article, the plant, which manufactures highly flammable 1,3 butadiene, has been considered a high priority violator by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for more than two years. It has reportedly been out of compliance with federal clean air laws since the agency’s last inspection in August 2017. The EPA and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality have fined TPC for air emissions violations more than six times in the past five years, according to Insurance Journal. The exact cause of the fire remains unknown but reportedly has been traced to a processing unit that produces butadiene.
Read the entire article here.
