03/22/2007

By JOE STINEBAKER  / Associated Press

Inspired by the disastrous 2005 explosion at BP's Texas City refinery, a state lawmaker wnats to create a state agency akin to the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration to oversee "high-risk worksites" such as refineries in Texas.

State Rep. Craig Eiland, D-Galveston, whose district includes Texas City, said he proposed the bill to provide "a safety net closer to home" given that investigators said lax oversight by OSHA led to the explosion that killed 15 people and injured 170.

Eiland's bill, dubbed the "Remember the 15" bill, is patterned after a similar law in California. It would empower the state to collect information from employers regarding the frequency of accidents and man-hour losses at their businesses and to create a task force to inspect high-risk worksites, including those manufacturing probable carcinogens and flammable or explosive products.

The bill, which Eiland acknowledged is unlikely to pass during the current legislative session, also would require refineries and chemical manufacturing plants to provide 48 hours written notice before starting up or shutting down a unit. It also bars companies from installing temporary employee housing within 1,000 feet of flammable or explosive materials.

John Bisney, a spokesman for the American Petroleum Institute in Washington, said the legislation would be primarily a state issue, but that the institute's Texas members "would certainly continue to comply with whatever laws or regulations" Texas enacts.

Bisney said, however, that the institute would want assurance that any refinery inspectors are "experienced and knowledgeable in refinery operations."