Latest Chemicals Headlines

All the headlines from our Chemicals Topic Page, ordered by recency.

West Fertilizer Plant Cited, Fined by OSHA

Oct 21 2013 // The partial government shutdown has delayed the federal investigation of the April 17 fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas, and efforts to improve chemical safety, Sen. Barbara Boxer of California announced on Oct....

Further Investigation of Fertilizer Plant Blast Delayed

Oct 10 2013 // The partial government shutdown is delaying the federal investigation of the fertilizer plant explosion in West and efforts to improve chemical safety, Sen. Barbara Boxer of California said.Deadlines set by President...

BP Exposed Neighbors to Toxic Gases, Jury Told at Trial End

Oct 8 2013 // BP Plc deliberately exposed neighbors of a Texas refinery to tons of cancer-causing gases and then misled regulators and community leaders about the dangers, a lawyer told a Texas jury.Jurors are expected to begin...

Lawsuit: Pollution from Louisiana Fire Making Residents Sick

Sep 26 2013 // About a dozen Slaughter, La., residents allege respiratory problems and diminished property values in a lawsuit filed in the wake of the Nov. 19 blaze that destroyed the Monolyte Laboratories Inc. chemical facility.The...

In Flood-Struck Colorado, Concerns About Fracking Spills

Sep 19 2013 // Contaminated water spilling from flooded oil and gas drilling sites in Colorado is refocusing attention on the environmental risks surrounding America’s fracking boom.Floods that have devastated north-central...

BP Texas Refinery Neighbors Seek Billions at Toxic-Gas Trial

Sep 11 2013 // BP Plc faces the first of almost 48,000 toxic exposure claims from neighbors of a Texas refinery who say they’ll give the billions of dollars in punitive damages they’re seeking to charity if they win at...

Senate Bill on Chemical Safety Runs Into Roadbloack

Aug 1 2013 // A bipartisan measure on federal toxic chemical standards would undercut state efforts, the head of a Senate committee said in comments that may imperil a compromise to overhaul U.S. consumer-safety regulations.Senator...

Obama Administration Under Fire for Delay on Chemical Plant Safety

Jul 16 2013 // The Obama administration’s lack of action to impose recommended changes to make refineries, chemical factories and sugar plants safer is set to get a public rebuke from the U.S. Chemical Safety Board.The independent...

Sites of 2 Deadly Louisiana Plant Explosions Still Closed

Jul 3 2013 // Plants that were the sites of two chemical explosions a day apart in south Louisiana remain closed, and it could be months before federal investigators determine the causes of the blasts that killed three workers and sent...

Agency Investigating Plant Blast Finds Lax Chemical Regulation

Jun 28 2013 // A federal agency investigating a deadly explosion at a Texas fertilizer plant will tell a Senate committee that regulation of the dangerous chemicals used in the industry fall under a “patchwork” of standards...

Report: Louisiana Plant Explosion Released Toxic Chemicals

Jun 28 2013 // The deadly June 13 explosion and fire at the Williams Olefins chemical plant in Geismar, La., released more than 62,000 pounds of toxic chemicals during the accident that killed two workers and injured 114 others,...

Investigators to Examine Heat Exchanger at Louisiana Blast Site

Jun 26 2013 // State and federal officials investigating the cause of the deadly blast on June 13 at the Williams Companies Inc. plant near Gonzales, La., plan to inspect a key element of the facility that one federal investigator said...

Indianapolis Facing Heavy Costs Over Pool Evacuation

Jun 24 2013 // Dozens of people who were sickened by fumes after a chemical reaction at an Indianapolis public pool a year ago have filed claims against the city, raising the possibility that the accident and ensuing evacuation could...

2nd Victim Dies After Blast at Geismar, Louisiana Chemical Plant

Jun 17 2013 // An explosion and fire at a Louisiana chemical plant claimed a second victim on June 14 as federal authorities were piecing together the cause of the blast that injured dozens more.Scott Thrower, 47, of St. Amant, died at...

1 Dead in Blast, Fire at Louisiana Chemical Plant

Jun 14 2013 // One person was killed as the result of an explosion and fire at a chemical plant in Geismar, La. on June 13The Times-Picayune reported that 77 people were taken to the hospital with injuries. Louisiana State Police...

Chemical Shippers Lose Court Bid to Derail Train Safety Technology

Jun 13 2013 // Chemical shippers failed to show any business harm from a regulation requiring railroads to deploy new train-safety technology, a U.S. appeals court said, throwing out a lawsuit challenging the 2012 rule.The Arlington,...

Montreal Protocol Shows the Way for Action on Climate Change

Jun 12 2013 // A new deal to curb carbon emissions could copy features from the Montreal Protocol, which the United States and China favored over its Kyoto counterpart in an agreement on greenhouse gases at the weekend.The 1987 Montreal...

Fracking Companies Silence Water Complaints With Sealed Settlements

Jun 10 2013 // Chris and Stephanie Hallowich were sure drilling for natural gas near their Pennsylvania home was to blame for the headaches, burning eyes and sore throats they suffered after the work began.The companies insisted...

Inquiry Into Texas Blast Plagued by Regulatory Gap

Apr 30 2013 // Federal and state officials investigating the April 17 deadly blast at a Central Texas fertilizer company are trying to determine whether a fire at the plant could have ignited a supply of ammonium nitrate. But how much of...

What Did Regulators Know Before Texas Plant Exploded?

Apr 19 2013 // Despite being located within a short walk of a nursing home, school and residential buildings, West Fertilizer Co. in central Texas had no blast walls and had filed no contingency plan to the Environmental Protection...