Texas Sues BP for Pollution

"HOUSTON -- BP Products North America Inc. is being sued by Texas authorities who accuse the petrochemical giant of 46 pollution violations at its Texas City refinery -- including one tied to an explosion that killed 15 workers and injured 170 others four years ago.

The suit filed by the Texas Attorney General's Office in state court in Austin last month and announced Thursday alleges the BP Texas City refinery, about 35 miles southeast of Houston, spewed hundreds of thousands of pounds of pollutants in a 'pattern of unnecessary and unlawful emissions.'

The state said the emissions were the result of poor operational practices and inadequate maintenance at the refinery, the nation's third largest and BP's biggest, refining 460,000 barrels of crude oil daily."

Michael Graczyk reports for the Associated Press June 4, 2009.

See Also:

"Congressional Leaders Call for BP Investigation" (NW Indiana Post Tribune)