Time to connect the ink dots:

July 19 – The US Department of Labor’s Occupational Health and Safety Administration issues citations British Petroleum for one willful and four serious violations of safety codes at their Texas City plant. This is the same Texas City plant at which 15 people died and 170 were injured during a massive and avoidable accident in March 2005. In the press release, OSHA’s Dallas chief Dean McDaniel said, “The citations issued today are based on the identification of hazardous conditions similar to those that led to the tragic March 2005 explosion.”

July 24 – British Petroleum releases their second quarter 2007 results. In the report, the company refers in buoyant terms to the “planned maintenance” and “ongoing recommissioning at the Texas City refinery.”

This article appears in July 20 • 2007.

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The Chronicle's first Culture Desk editor, Richard has reported on Austin's growing film production and appreciation scene for over a decade. A graduate of the universities of York, Stirling, and UT-Austin, a Rotten Tomatoes certified critic, and eight-time Best of Austin winner, he's currently at work on two books and a play.