BREAKING: Explosiion rocks west Texas refinery

[doxieone]

Source: CNN

Explosion Rocks West Texas Oil Refinery
10 minutes ago

BIG SPRING, Texas (AP) — A sheriff's dispatcher says an explosion rocked an oil refinery in western Texas.

It's unclear whether there are injuries or whether a fire is burning at the refinery owned by Dallas-based Alon USA, which employs about 170 people and produces about 70,000 barrels a day.

Howard County sheriff's dispatcher, who declined to give her name, said: "All I know is that it blew up."

John Moseley, managing editor of the Big Spring Herald, heard the Monday morning blast and said, "I thought it would knock the walls down."


snip

Read more: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5i4TF67BlQp6G-zHtgqATq-Uy7T6AD8USQ3K83

[fed-up]

1. quick-fill up your gas tank-another excuse for them to raise prices-hope no injuries nt

[Lone_Star_Dem]

4. I'm hearing that at least one person is injured.

The blast was right about 8AM. Which means that more workers would be there then if it had occurred an hour before.

A near by college is reported being evacuated now. Probably due to the smoke from the explosion.

[uppityperson]

39. My eyes are bad. I thought you wrote "The blast was right about BAM"

[TommyO]

18. My first thought was that everyone who was working is safe

my second thought was that I was glad that I filled up my tank yesterday at $2.75/gal!

[FourScore]

2. Not good.

Usually there are a series of these accidents, and then a spike in prices.

I hope everyone is okay. Their families must be totally freaking out right about now. Oh geez...

[snappyturtle]

3. With the FISA bill expired maybe this is what * was warning us about!

edit: forgot :sarcasm:


I, too, hope there's no injury to the workers.

[liberalnurse]

16. Probably working short staffed, over-worked, underpaid

employees using old, broken-down, refurbished equipment. Such bottom line mentality causes many accidents.

[DBoon]

22. and I'm sure workplace safety inspections in Texas are lacking

You can bet that oil refineries aren't scrutinized closely in that state.

Can't have onerous government red tape hobbling the free enterprise system

[hedgetrimmer]

49. starting pay is $20.00 an hour

There are teams that work together and get fired together and to boot they get per-diems in bulk every other month at about $2500.00... and that's the low guy on the totem pole... now the fella I know who does this job in west Texas aint the brightest star in the sky and perhaps that is the problem more than anything else.

[zanne]

5. Isn't this the second time in a week? WTH? nt

[Lone_Star_Dem]

8. Kind of, but not really.

The previous one was a gas line explosion.

[ProfessorGAC]

14. There Was A Sugar Refinery Explosioon Last Week Too

Some place in Georgia. I saw it on MSN's website.
The Professor

[Phoonzang]

6. How many times does his happen a week.... n/t

[havocmom]

9. Might depend on how vulnerable cheney is feeling

And without his blackmail apparatus functioning with impunity (and immunity) he is probably feeling vulnerable.

[notadmblnd]

12. it happens evey time they want to raise gas prices

and don't have a better excuse to do it.

Sure seems like a lot of refinery explosions in Texas the last seven years. Too bad the gopvernment won't look into safety conditions at our nations refineries.

[aquart]

36. Bush's budgets don't pay for inspectors.

We could relieve a lot of employment if we just hired enough people to examine our rotting infrastructure and demand changes. Changes cause people to be hired to implement them.

[Ganja Ninja]

7. I don't remember us having regular refinery explosions before

Bush took office. It seems like we're having one of these about every 4 to 6 months.

[havocmom]

11. Refineries ARE getting old. (Companies don't want to build new due to enviro regs)

Dollars to donuts there is a move soon by GOP to remove a lot of the environmental regs for new refining facilities. Gotta make sure the big fuel boys keep their jacked up profits. Can't ask them to be responsible citizens and keep pollution minimal.

[theHandpuppet]

24. Yep. Infrastructure crumbling everywhere

Not to long ago I was watching a news piece on the state of our refineries and it was said we haven't built a new on since the 60's or whereabouts. I was stunned. Oil companies are raking in record profits and not spending a single penny on new builds.

[havocmom]

31. They don't want to spend the extra $$ on environmental requirements

Old refineries were grandfathered in, weren't they. Anti-pollution measures applied to new construction, so BIG OIL didn't build anymore.

When things get bad enough, ALL the corporate giants figure we will be screaming to abandon all environmental protection just so we can have a little gas and a job.

[pitohui]

33. here is the problem w. grandfathering

it's stupid to build new because if they build new, they have to adhere to higher safety standards

the older refineries should have been given 3 to 5 years to come into compliance, instead of being grandfathered in for apparently 3 to 5 decades or maybe for all eternity -- these grandfather laws make it economic to keep these old refineries going, at great cost to the lung and cardiac health of those who live near the plants, plus at the possible cost of lives when the inevitable semi-annual explosion occurs -- any grandfather law needs a sunset provision of only a few years to give the company time but we're talking about DECADES now!


this makes me damn mad, as my husband has to enter some of these plants, he missed being at a fatal refinery explosion in the 1980s mainly thru the luck of scheduling his vacation at a time when it came in conflict with their routine inspection of the plant that exploded -- fortunately no contractors were hurt but a number of employees were killed -- and that refinery is still going to this day

[Javaman]

37. this is why I'm always amused when people say...

"there have been no new refineries built in the U.S. for the last 30 years!" Using this argument to promote their belief in peak oil. if their statement is true, how on earth would the oil giants be able to continue to refine enough oil for our ever growing need if there was no expansion?

Peak oil is real, but no new oil refineries haven't been built because of what you stated.

These grandfather laws are literary killing us. These companies can keep adding on and on and on to existing refineries without having to comply to the new environmental regs. And as long as they keep doing spot upgrades and spot fixes, more explosions, more shut downs, etc, are, no doubt, to come as increased refinery needs expand.

[Arctic Dave]

44. More then just enviro laws

It actually benefits the refiners by not building more facilities. By not having more capacity they can create a larger profit margin based off of supply and demand. They may blame enviro laws for not building more facilities but this is geared more for not having to upgrade existing facilities. Their thoughts are, we can't do our 10 million dollar upgrade because it will eat into our 500 million dollar profit.

[Thor_MN]

48. With the profits they are making, they should have gold plated fittings.

No one wnats to build the last refinery ever constructed because there will not be any oil to refine at some point. And what better way to reduce capacity than let accidents happen?

I worked in the environmental testing industry in the late 80's, early 90's. Due to Ronnie and Poppie gutting regulations and improvements in analytical equipment there was a surplus of lab capacity and the industry floundered. Prices were slashed in "wait for the shake out" moves and everyone suffered.

The oil industry has an out that the testing labs didn't, simply delay maintenance until something blows up. Collect the insurance money or write off the loss, don't rebuild the plant, excess capacity is reduced, more profits for the oil industry. Several problems solved with one little spark...

[NMDemDist2]

27. that refinery is 70 years old!!

http://www.alonusa.com/media/refinery.wmv

[dysfunctional press]

45. that doesn't really mean anything- how old are the working parts?

odds are it's been rebuilt, and re-engineered more than a couple times.

[happyslug]

47. Most of the plants are LARGER then they were 30 years ago

Thus, why build a new plant when you can make an old plant BIGGER, and NOT put in the new pollution controls? Thus most of these plants have been re-built over the last 30-40 years, but to the specs when they were "new" not the more modern specs. They were also made larger based on those older specs. Thus we have twice the oil production capacity with less plants. Remember the old saying "Figures don't lie, but liars figure".

[NickB79]

52. No one wants to build refineries now that we're past peak oil

Why build a new refinery for billions of dollars when there won't be oil supplies to refine a decade from now?

[Phred42]

10. The Fascists needed a new excust to raise the price of Gas

It's time we NATIONALIZED the Oil Industry.

....and place it under the control of Director Ralph Nader ;)

[Lone_Star_Dem]

13. How would you like to be down wind of this right now? (pic)

[NMDemDist2]

17. I can see it from my back deck on the horizon

luckily I'm 185 miles away and UPWIND

that refinery is the heart of big spring, that community will be in need of support, send your prayers.....

[spinbaby]

19. 185 miles!

Wow, that's one big fire.

[NMDemDist2]

23. it's just a smudge on the horizon and around here there's not much

to block your view.....

[Lone_Star_Dem]

21. That explains why they evacuated the local college campus and canceled the local ISD classes.

The pic I posted is from such an angle and distance you can't really be sure of the size of the smoke and fire. It's obviously worse than it appears.

[NMDemDist2]

26. those stacks that look like matchsticks?

they are probably 5 or 6 stories high :shrug:

here's a movie about the refinery (2 minutes)

D'oh! edit to add link

http://www.alonusa.com/media/refinery.wmv

[Lochloosa]

29. Try this pic....Wow

[daleo]

38. It looks like a you-know-what explosion

Who needs terrorists, when a corporation's negligence can do so much.

[uppityperson]

40. If I got up, looked out my window and saw that, not sure which I'd jump for first

computer, tv, radio, or perhaps all 3 (leaving 1 foot left to stand on). Thanks for the picture, that is something.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

42. Wow. Just wow.

The official reports are now saying four people injured, with one sent to a burn care facility. Seeing that I'm amazed it's not more.

[donsu]

15. what is it now in Texas - an explosion every week

of some kind, chemical, gas, oil, etc.

[krispos42]

20. Nice to see Big Oil soundly investing their modest profits...

into safety and equipment upgrades with an eye for long-term safety and production goals. Thank God these solid, upstanding American businesses don't follow the craze of giant executive salaries and instead focus on safety and investing in the latest equip----


Bwaa-ha-ha-ha-ha! :rofl:


Sorry, couldn't maintain it!


They gave former CEO Lee Bailey a $400,000,000 retirement package. How much safety equipment and production upgrades would this have bought?

[Myrina]

25. $7.50 a gallon, anyone?

:puke:

[AndyTiedye]

28. Sure Have Been a Lot of These Lately

Trying to keep the prices up even though we're buying less fuel, maybe?

[Drifter]

30. Wait for it ....

Have they ruled out Al Qaeda yet ?

:sarcasm:

Cheers
Drifter

[Algorem]

32. Cheney has his assassin cells do these things between murders?

it keeps them sharp and makes him richer?

[Outlier]

34. It's only a 70,000 bpd refinery

which is actually quite small. Gasoline futures are up 2 cents at $2.52. Insignificant in the larger scheme of things. Unless you're down wind or got to work there early this morning, then you've had a bad day.

[Parche]

35. This Has All the Markings Of An Al-Kida Attack

:sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm:

:hi:

[99th_Monkey]

41. Check out this excerpt from 911 post RE: "aborted" false flag op in works in Texas in '06

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=125&topic_id=193784&mesg_id=193784

Jan. 25, 2006: All Signposts Lead To Imminent Nuclear Attack In America: Intel Army Capt. Eric May Issues ‘Red Alert’ For Next 9 Days For Texas City-Houston Area. Capt. May claims to have broken the Illuminati and Bush Cabal's “embedded code” in an effort to beat the neocons at their own nasty game.

Jan. 26, 2006: Houston PD Running Nuclear Disaster Drills As Build-Up Of Numerous Law Enforcement Agencies Seen In Nearby Texas City. Army Intel Capt. Eric May warns Bush cabal days away from a nuclear strike. Texas City resident “opens up a hornet's nest” as he warns local law enforcement about the possibility of nuclear strike.

Jan. 28, 2006: Texas City British Petroleum Claims No Foul Play In 2005 Explosion Killing 15; BP Sets Aside $1 Billion For Upgrades Amid Rumors Neocons Plan To Nuke Plant In Upcoming Days. Some Texas City citizens taking nuke warning seriously as local law enforcement build-up seen and at least 400 employees moved out of BP to different office building.

Feb. 3, 2006: Texas City British Petroleum Employee Heard "Strange Abort Signal" on Local Radio Station The Morning Army Intel Officer Predicted Nuclear Strike At Plant. BP employee also said “other strange events” occurred, leaving her “nervous and on edge.” Galveston Daily News follows up with story, finding WMD military support team was conducting a training session at a location near Texas City.

Captain May was encouraged by citizens who read his recent columns about false flag attempts in the East Texas oil patch to contact Congressman Ron Paul with the details. A fair number of them believe that it was the Bush administration's design on his own Texas Congressional District 14 that prompted his presidential bid. Some have tried to contact the Congressman, but thus far to no avail. May has noticed a pattern that has developed in relation to the selection of targets for attacks, including New York City in New York, Oklahoma City in Oklahoma, and now Texas City in Texas. “Anticipating what they are going to do next is not rocket science,” he observed, “but it requires the exercise of a great deal of patience and attention to detail. Let us hope that we will be as successful in thwarting other attacks by our own government as we were in this instance.”

Fetzer has featured Captain May as his guest on “The Dynamic Duo” several times and takes his analyses seriously. “I wish I could tell you that he’s wrong, but the evidence we have discovered about 9/11 suggests that this administration has no scruples when it comes to sacrificing innocent lives to advance its political agenda.” This is not the first time that students of 9/11 have suspected a reprise might be in the works, probably one involving the use of nuclear weapons. On August 26, 2007, Webster Griffin Tarpley issued ‘The Kennebunkport Warning’ that there were signs the administration planned to conduct another ‘false flag’ operation and suspend the Constitution. Captain May has previously sounded alarms about a possible attack near Portland, Oregon, late last year. An attack on the Super Bowl and retaliation against Iran would dwarf these attempts.

Barrett, who has closely followed May’s research, also believes that these signs have to be taken seriously. “In the Texas City, Texas, case, even the mainstream media reported indications that strange events were in the works, including unmarked black trucks and sport utility vehicles bearing government license plates near crews setting up what appeared to be satellite or radar gear on the beach, and the crews were wearing shirts that said, ‘Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team.’ We may have been very lucky that Captain May sounded the alarm,” Barrett said. “My impression is that Eric May is one of the bravest and most eloquent intelligence analysts in the United States today. It is regrettable his state of health has deteriorated to the point that we are not going to be able to count on his research much longer.” Barrett, like Fetzer, takes the extreme improbability of multiple cable cuts as a sign that something serious is afoot.

Barrett is a member of Scholars, the founder of the Muslim-Jewish-Christian Alliance for 9/11 Truth, co-editor of 9/11 & American Empire: Christians, Jews, and Muslims Speak Out ( 2006 ), and the author of Truth Jihad ( 2007 ). Fetzer is the editor of The 9/11 Conspiracy ( 2007 ), the first book from Scholars. The DVD of the Scholars’ conference, “The Science and the Politics of 9/11”, which he organized and moderated in Madison, Wisconsin, August 4-5, 2007, has just been released ( http://911scholars.org / ).

James H. Fetzer
Scholars for 9/11 Truth
http://www.i-newswire.com/pr148510.html

[kentauros]

43. By the looks of things here,

I take it that most of y'all have never worked in/around/near an oil refinery or chemical plant. At least one of y'all pointed out that 67,000 barrels a day is hardly enough to notice at the pump later on. That and the fact that this plant is only supplying Fina service stations. Plus, most plants are very safe places to work at. You gain a lot of respect for the massive machinery making these things up when you have to work in them day in and day out. A refinery is basically a big machine in and of itself.

At the same time, especially after reading this story, Big Spring refinery's roots run deep, I would be most concerned about the emissions this plant has been releasing over the decades. It may be the epitome of efficiency as the story states, but you can still release a lot of nasty fumes and chemicals and remain highly efficient.

Also, by the looks of those photos, I'd say a good third of the plant is gone or will be in need of replacement. That has effectively shut the whole thing down. I'd guess at least six months before they could be in operation again, if not longer. That doesn't mean the people that had been working there will necessarily be out of work since now there will be a need for people to rebuild it. Assuming they rebuild it at all at this point...

[Lone_Star_Dem]

51. They really weren't a big gas refinery..

I think they really only supplied locally i.e., in their region.

Their real money maker is asphalt, with state contracts from several adjoining states.

[carly denise pt deux]

46. Here's a link to other pics

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/02/18/refinery.irpt/index.html

Note pic #1......I was raised in West Texas/SE New Mexico....and that was some gutsy man, driving up to the frontage road to get a pic of an exploding/burning oil refinery....

Carly

[pinniped]

50. My bank account was rocked when I pumped gas earlier tonight.

It doesn't matter what companies this oil will go to, all will jack you at the pump.

That's solidarity.