Timeline of Major Events Relating to the BP Explosion
March 1, 2004 – Major Incident at BP Texas City; Explosion at the UU4
May 25, 2004 – Death at BP Texas City; worker falls to his death inside a tank
September 2, 2004 – Deaths at BP Texas City; two workers are killed and a third is severely injured during a steam release
November 2004 – Texas City Fatality History; Don Parus tells Texas City management “we have killed someone every 16 months for the last 30 years.”
January 19, 2005 – Telos Report; The Telos Group, an independent consulting firm, released their findings from surveys and interviews of over 1,000 refinery workers, they found major safety concerns at BP Texas City
March 23, 2005 – Deaths at BP Texas City; explosion at BP Texas City Refinery kills 15 workers
May 12, 2005 – Interim Fatality Report; Interim Fatality Report is released, BP blames the explosion on hourly workers
July 28, 2005 – Major Incident at BP Texas City; explosion and fire at BP Texas City
September 22, 2005 – Settlement Agreement with OSHA signed; BP agrees to pay $21 million in fines and repair PSM failures within 4 years
December 9, 2005 – Fatal Accident Investigation Report; BP completes its initial investigation, citing numerous problems, but the report fails to blame anyone in management for their failure to emphasize process safety management or mention the role that cost cutting played in the explosion
June 2006 – Settlement Agreement’s independent auditor study and recommendations. Included in the study are recommendations to BP Texas City Refinery to implement the ISA S84.00.01 Standard for safety-instrumented-systems
July 21, 2006 – Death at BP Texas City; worker is crushed by a pipe while working on a hydraulic lift
November 9, 2006 – Trial Setting; Eva Rowe v. BP; Eva Rowe settles her claim against BP, part of the settlement allows the release of internal BP documents and charitable foundations, majority into PSM training
November 14, 2006 – Ceremony to present $12.5 million dollar donation to University of Texas Medical Branch in memory of all 15 people who died during the explosion
December 6, 2006 – Mike Hoffman (BP Head of Refining) resigns
January 16, 2007 – Baker Report; as part of BP’s settlement with OSHA, BP was required to do a major study of safety problems at all US refineries. James Baker led the study and the report found that BP had failed to emphasize Process Safety Management
February 22, 2007 – Ceremony to present $12.5 million dollar donation to Texas A&M University Mary Kay O'Connor Process Safety Center in memory of all 15 people who died during the explosion
March 22, 2007 – CSB Report; US Chemical Safety Board releases its final report on the explosion, finding that costs played a major role in the conditions that lead to the explosion
March 22, 2007 – Eva Rowe testifies in front of the House Education and Labor Committee’s hearing into the BP explosion
March 23, 2007 – Brent Coon and Eva Rowe hold “Remember The 15” ceremony on the steps of the Capitol Building in Austin, Texas
April 17, 2007 – Major Incident at BP Texas City; Over 100 workers were sent to local hospitals as a result of a chemical release at BP Texas City
April 19, 2007 – Ceremony to present $5 million dollars to the College of the Mainlands in Texas City for safety and process technology training for refinery and chemical plant workers
May 1, 2007 – Lord John Browne resigns
May 3, 2007 – Bonse Report; BP is ordered by the Court to release an internal investigation assigning responsibility for the March 23 explosion to several members of management from Texas City to London
May 30, 2007 – John Manzoni (BP Head of Refining and Marketing) announces his resignation
June 1, 2007 – Texas Supreme Court; Texas Supreme Court ruling limiting liability in industrial accidents (Entergy v Summers)
June 5, 2007 – Death at BP Texas City; worker is electrocuted at BP Texas City Refinery while working on a light circuit in a process area
September 2007 – First trial for victims of the March 23 explosion; the case lasts approximately 2 weeks before it is settled.
October 24, 2007 – UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE; The DOJ accepts BP’s agreement to plead guilty to felony violations of the Clean Air Act and pay a fine of $50 million
December 2007 – Second trial for victims of the March 23 explosion; the case lasts approximately 2 weeks before it is settled.
January 14, 2008 – Death at BP Texas City; worker dies in BP Texas City refinery accident; BP was issued four serious citations related to PSM
January 25, 2008 – Texas Supreme Court; Texas Supreme Court rules that the BP will not be required to present Lord Browne for a telephonic deposition
February 4, 2008 – Appeal filed to block Judge from accepting BP plea agreement. Bipartisan bill introduced to set aside Entergy v Summers
April 4, 2008 – BP produces Lord Browne for a one hour deposition by telephone
May 2008 – Third trial for victims of the March 23 explosion; the case lasts until July before it is settled
July 2, 2008 – US Supreme Court denies request to block Judge from accepting BP plea agreement
October 9, 2008 – A contract employee was fatally injured at BP Texas City Refinery when after being struck by a front end loader the employee was pinned on the ground between a guard rail and the bucket of the loader
March 12, 2009 – US District Court Judge Accepts the BP plea agreement
August 3, 2009—OSHA sends notice to BP that they are still not in compliance with the 2005 Settlement Agreement
September 22, 2009 – Original OSHA Settlement Agreement expired
October 29, 2009 – OSHA issues Notification of Failure to Abate and willful citations with proposed penalties of $87,430,000
March 23, 2010 – Five Year Anniversary of the Explosion
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Brent Coon & Associates
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Brent Coon & Associates
Brent Coon - 215 Orleans - Beaumont - 77701
All Rights Reserved
BCA Disclaimer