Environmental criminal of the week

This week we recognize Third Coast Terminals, located in northern Brazoria County, for its refusal to follow safety recommendations intended to protect the health and safety of the local citizenry of Pearland.

The privately owned company -- whose mission statement says it aims to be "the most reliable, cost effective provider for Bulk Liquid Logistics Service solutions to the Fine Chemical and Petrochemical Industry in North America... (which) requires the capability to provide efficient, high quality, value added service combined with the highest ethical, safety, and environmental standards in our industry" -- had its Friendswood facililty blow all to hell back in 2002, forcing the evacuation of 100 nearby residents and all sorts of other mayhem, it says right here.
Holy crap! I remember going to that fire and watching back during our information gathering daze.

The Friendswood facility, located in Brazoria County, blended and packaged motor oils and other automotive products, but was not designed or equipped to prevent the spread of fire, the CSB determined. The fire ultimately consumed 1.2 million gallons of combustible and flammable liquids and destroyed the site. The CSB investigation found that the facility lacked fire detection and suppression equipment and was not designed to contain the spread of even a small fire. The plant had no smoke or heat detectors, sprinklers, or fire alarms, nor was the plant designed to contain or safely drain burning liquids. There was no supply of firefighting water at the plant. Blending tank supports were not fireproofed. Finally, warehouse buildings lacked firewalls and were built too close together. The Board said that the installation of fire protection systems could have prevented the total loss of the plant.

Anyhow, it was suggested that the company make sure that its Pearland facility undergo an "audit" to make sure the same thing didn't happen again and the company, to put it bluntly, told the U.S. Chemical Safety Board to, as they say in Jolly Ol' England, "sod off."

So the U.S. Chemical Safety Board said, in effect, "Well, OK, but you're all a-holes!"

For that reason, we recogize Third Coast Terminals, a shining light in the ever-vigilant petrochemical biz.