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An explosion and fire at the Valero refinery in Texas City produced a cloud of black smoke that was visible for miles but, at least initially, there were no reports of injuries or deaths at the facility. With a capacity of 225,000 barrels per day, the refinery is a major contributor to Valero’s chain of retail fuel centers/convenience stores throughout Texas and the southwest. According to Texas City sources, the fire occurred at around 3 o’clock on Thursday afternoon, and…

In the mid-afternoon of April 19, 2018, an explosion and fire at the Valero Refinery in Texas City shook buildings at up to a mile away and sent a plume of black smoke into the sky. Observers in the area reported that the smoke was visible for several miles in all directions. According to Texas City Emergency Management and management at the Valero refinery, there was no shelter in place order issued for areas outside the refinery although refinery workers…

Reports say a gas main that exploded in a residential neighborhood in Philadelphia killied a gas company employee and injured six people. The explosion occurred in the Tacony neighborhood of Philadelphia earlier this month after residents complained about a strong smell of gas, reports say. The result was a three-alarm fire that spread to three houses and four cars and took about three hours to put out, reports say. As Philadelphia Gas Works employees tried to shut off gas to…

A gas drilling rig worker was killed last month when he fell from a natural gas drilling rig, owned by Nomac Drilling Inc. of Towanda Township, PA, according to reports. The accident occurred while the worker was attempting to dislodge part of a platform as the drilling unit was being moved to another drilling hole site on the drilling pad. The handrail gave way and he fell approximately 20 feet. The victim suffered a severe head injury, reports say. The…