Texas Explosion Lawyer

Years before the deadly 2005 explosion at its Texas City refinery, BP ignored the dangers of a vent stack that played a central role in the disaster according to a process safety engineer. “They were aware of the hazards associated with a blowdown stack, but they didn’t do anything,” said Peter Howell, a consultant and former chemical plant designer with Mark V in West Virginia.

The disaster happened when a tower in a unit that boosts octane in gasoline overfilled with hydrocarbons, which went to a vent stack that spewed the excess liquid and vapor into the air. The vapors formed a cloud that ignited, killing 15 people and hurting many more.

Testifying as an expert witness on behalf of eight men suing the company for injuries sustained in the blast, Howell said that blowdown stack had vented liquid or vapor 19 other times before the tragedy, so “BP of course was aware” that it was potentially unsafe. Had BP replaced the stack with a properly designed flare, which would have burned off excess vapors, “this accident would not have occurred, period,” he said.