HOUSTON | Life-threatening safety violations continue to plague a Texas City BP refinery, leaving it susceptible to another major accident like the one in 2005 that killed 15 people, according to a report released Monday.
The report was prepared on behalf of blast victims who object to a federal criminal plea deal with London-based BP PLC related to the accident.
The report criticized BP for not conducting a detailed audit of the refinery, not making widespread improvements at the facility and for the plant's "abysmal safety record" since the blast, which includes three more worker deaths and several fires and chemical releases.
"This danger continues to exist because BP continues to operate its Texas City refinery in violation of federal process safety laws," engineer Mike Sawyer wrote. "The violations of federal law at the refinery create continuing, unreasonable risk and may lead to another major explosion, hazardous release or fatality at anytime."
A BP spokesman did not immediately return a telephone call seeking comment.
BP has said it has vastly improved safety at the refinery, spending about $1 billion on upgrades and repairs.
The company pleaded guilty in February and agreed to pay $50 million fine and serve three years' probation for a BP subsidiary.
The victims thought the fine was too low and that the terms of probation do not provide for an independent watchdog to monitor whether BP would meet its safety obligations at the refinery. They are awaiting a decision from U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal on the final terms of the deal.
Rosenthal sought Sawyer's report, among other information, to make her decision.
"Unless the court acts decisively to take oversight, we will see a continuation of the fires, explosions and deaths and injuries generated by the Texas City refinery," said David Perry, an attorney for blast victims.
Prosecutors and BP have said the plea agreement is the harshest option available in assessing criminal punishment. A congressional committee is investigating the deal.
