Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Refinery Fires - Cause Unknown Or Untold?
CAUSE UNKNOWN or UNTOLD?
By Patricia Johnson
February 20th 2004 -
Friday
" Fire reported at Tesoro California
refinery
"
Tesoro
Petroleum
Corporation
Martinez CA
(click
here)
|
|
\/
March 9th 2004 - Tuesday
"
Fire reported at Marathon Ashland Garyville refinery
"
Marathon Ashland Petroleum
Garyville LA
(click
here)
|
|
\/
March 23rd 2004 - Tuesday
"
Subduing Oklahoma fire
"
Sunoco
Tulsa
OK
(click
here)
|
|
\/
March 27th 2004 -
Saturday
" Rosemount refinery fire could push up
gasoline prices "
Flint Hills Resources
Rosemount
MN
(click
here)
|
|
\/
March 30th 2004 -
Tuesday
" Explosion rocks Texas City
refinery"
British Petroleum
Refinery
Texas City
TX
(click
here)
|
|
\/
April 1st 2004 -
Thursday
"Exxon Mobil chemical plant unit damaged in
blaze"
Exxon Mobil Corporation
Baytown TX
(click
here)
|
|
\/
April 9th 2004 - Friday
"
Refinery explosion near Gallup, N.M. hospitalizes four with
serious injuries"
Giant Industries Refinery
Gallup
NM
(click
here)
|
|
\/
National average retail price
of regular gasoline $1.78/gal. as of
4/05/2004
Source: DOE
(click
here)
When the F.B.I. Houston Joint Terrorism Task Force issued the advisory on March 25 to the Texas petrochemical industry, it was intended to warn the oil industry of potential terrorist attacks by Al Qaeda “near the time of the November presidential election” (click here).
Most articles linked above are listing the cause of the explosions and subsequent fires as unknown, but my guess is we either need to send all refinery workers back to school for a refresher course in safety procedures, or this country is crawling with Al Qaeda.
Whatever the cause of the fires, it may be a good idea to keep your tanks filled as gas prices will only go up, up, up....
© 2004 Patricia Johnson
Patricia Johnson is a freelance writer residing in the Midwest
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