On Oct. 30, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration proposed an $87 million fine against BP for a lack of compliance with safety regulations and agreed-upon improvements at its Texas City refinery after the March 23, 2005, explosions that killed 15 people.
U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis said that, during 17 inspections since the explosions four years ago, OSHA found 270 cases where BP failed to comply with changes to systems at the Texas City refinery as required in its agreement with the government. In addition, OSHA found 439 new “willful” violations involving pressure release systems on units at the refinery.
BP responded by formally contesting the agency’s findings.
Below are documents related to the case. Some are as long as 429 pages and you will need a PDF reader to download the documents.
Also we have attached an audio file of the news conference where OSHA outlined its actions. Click on each link to download the documents.
The resumes for the finalists for La Marque police chief are extensive. The last three standing to replace Richard Price, who resigned in June, are longtime La Marque police detective Dennis Macik, Houston Police Department Lt. Tommy Ellis and private security firm specialist Randall Aragon.
Here’s a rundown of items we found while reviewing the resumes of the finalists.
Sgt. Dennis Macik Started with the La Marque Police Department in 1978 Was promoted from patrol officer to patrol sergeant in 1981 Joined the police department’s criminal investigation division in 1987, but went back to supervising the patrol unit in 1992 Joined the Galveston County Auto Crimes Task Force in 1998 Returned to criminal investigations in 1999 Has been the department’s firearms coordinator since 1983 Has 1,360 hours of Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education training Is a 1975 La Marque High School graduate Attended Kilgore Junior College, Sam Houston State University and College of the Mainland from 1975 through 1977 and has 68 total college hours credit, but no degree is listed. Named a City of La Marque Employee of the Month six times Member of the Elks Lodge and active in the La Marque Touchdown Club
Macik has a long list of local references as well including former La Marque Police Chief and Mayor Larry Crow, Texas Ranger Joe Haralson, Texas City’s captain of detectives Capt. Brian Goetschius and former La Marque Mayor Jim Crowder.
Lt. Tommy Ellis Joined the Houston Police Department in 1983 as a patrol officer Was promoted to sergeant in 1988 Named watch commander of the dispatch division of the Houston Police Department and the Internal Affairs Division in 1992. Also the night shift commander for the jail division. Attended Houston Community College, the University of Houston and has a bachelors in criminal justice and a doctorate of jurisprudence and has a law license.
Randall Aragon Enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1963 and rose to the rank of Lt. Colonel and a commander of military police. Saw combat action in Vietnam and awarded the Bronze Star. Retired from the service in 1987 as a member of the South Carolina Army National Guard. In 1975 joined the Richland County Sheriff’s Department in Columbia, South Carolina and rose to lieutenant in the department’s investigation division. Chief of police in Elloree, South Carolina 1985 through 1987 Campus police chief for Trident College in Charleston, S.C. from 1987 to 1990 Chief of police in Selma, North Carolina 1990 – 1992 Chief of police in Whiteville, North Carolina 1993 – 1998 Chief of police in Lumberton, North Carolina 1998 – 2001 Chief of police in Conway, Arkansas 2001 – 2007 Manager in charge Guardsmark’s Arkansas operations. Guardsmark is a private security firm and fourth largest in the world. Attended the University of Nebraska and received a Bachelors in Business Management in 1972. Received a master’s degree in Management from Webster University in 1987.
More than a year after Hurricane Ike, Tricia McCulloch is still haunted by a four-minute 911 call she received at Galveston’s temporary emergency operations center on the second floor of the San Luis Hotel. And with the help of a videotape of that call she is still searching to find out if the caller survived. Click here to read more.
Click here for a link to the video tape of McCulloch taking the call. Officials were unable to record the caller's voice.
Click here to watch Kevin Reece's report from KHOU-TV.
The city of Texas City unveiled a bust of Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and Texas City native Charles Brown on Thursday. A musical festival dedicated to the late blues musician is Saturday.
Read more about this weekend's music festival by clicking here.
Read more about Charles Brown in this 2007 Daily News story by clicking here.
This week FEMA announced that it has approved about $5 million to repair the Texas City Dike, which has been closed since Hurricane Ike damaged it more than a year ago. Texas City and county officials estimate it will cost $11 million to repair.
The videos below offer a closer look at how extensive the damage is, even 13 months later.
Members of the paraglide group Texas Wingnuts also provided us some wonderful aerial videos of the dike's damage.
Instructions for making the liners are now available for download, provided by Galveston knitter Bonnie Farmer.
Viegas and a group of local knitters are part of a nationwide project to provide one homemade liner for each of the 800 Marines. The liners will replace government-issued ones that are not as comfortable. The deadline for completing the liners is Nov. 11, Veteran’s Day.
City officials expected to hear from the Federal Emergency Management Agency last week to get the go ahead to begin reconstruction of the Hurricane Ike-ravaged Texas City Dike. But this much is certain, the federal government will pay only $5 million of the estimated $11 million it would take to repair the dike.
Mayor Matt Doyle says the city will do what it can with the money it gets. The dike is a thorn in the city's side and each week more people complain that little has been done to repair it.
But those complaining may not realize how extensive the damage is. Daily News Photo Editor Jennifer Reynolds took some very dramatic photos of the damage that can be seen in the special edition Ike anniversary publication.
Members of the paraglide group Texas Wingnuts also provided us some wonderful aerial videos of the dike's damage.
"There will be those with off-road 4x4 mentalities that have no problem driving over potholes, dirt, etc.," Texas Wingnuts member and Beery Miller said. He shot the video you can watch below on Sept. 26.
"Hopefully with a view by video, that will open people's eyes to the status of the dike. Individuals that approach the dike from the levee, they can see about 1/2 mile of OK road, but miss how bad of shape it is further out," Miller said.
"Myself on the other hand, seeing what the beach looks like, I see the beach area towards the end of the dike as one of the biggest hazards around. I continually imagine kids in the water, jumping, stepping, diving, etc. and hitting nails or other objects that could have tragic consequences.
"Unfortunately, there are just too many naïve individuals that think everything would be fine."
About TJ Aulds
T.J. Aulds is mainland editor for The Daily News. He is a former producer with Channel 11's KHOU.com in Houston and a former editor of the Texas City Sun. Aulds was a 2007 recipient of the Jim Lehrer Award for Journalism.
