In 2014, a methyl mercaptan gas release killed three operators and a shift supervisor at the DuPont facility in La Porte. The company wound up on OSHA's Severe Violator Enforcement Program as a result. Now, a state legislator has introduced a bill that would establish a system of alerts that could assist the public during such [...]
The city of Pasadena will not fight an appellate court's decision to uphold a district judge's voting rights ruling on city council elections. In a high profile case, Chief U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal ruled that a six neighborhood and two at-large city council seat system was discriminatory against Latino voters. The city sought a [...]
Jacobs Field Services North American Inc. filed a petition for the U. S. Supreme Court to review an OSHA case against the chemical plant contractor. The Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission found that Jacobs committed two serious violations related to a March 2013 accident at a chemical plant in La Porte that burned a Jacobs technician. [...]
Sulzer began construction on a new Pasadena pump services facility with a groundbreaking ceremony in January. Sulzer is an independent service provider for repair and maintenance of turbomachinery, pumps and electro-mechanical equipment. The company currently operates a Houston location, and the Pasadena service center will be the new regional headquarters for pump services. The new [...]
The Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has agreed to hear expedited arguments in the voting rights lawsuit that found Pasadena's City Council elections restructuring discriminated against Latino voters. The court will consider Feb. 1 whether to temporarily halt a federal judge's order that undid the city's recent election system and called for Federal oversight in upcoming [...]
After years of construction and months of announcements, a new Braskem America plant started up in La Porte. The plant makes ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, or “UTEC." Braskem states that UTEC is eight times lighter than steel and lasts 10 times longer than high density polyethylene. UTEC applications include automotive, transportation, electronics, fibers, textiles and [...]
Upcoming maintenance at Pasadena Refining Systems could release massive quantities of air pollution. Plant officials informed the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality that the first few days of an estimated 50 day turnaround could result in the release of a ton of fine particulate matter, on top of nearly as much sulfur dioxide. An estimated 15 [...]
Chief U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal agreed that a redistricting scheme intentionally discriminated against Hispanic and Latino residents by diluting their ability to elect preferred candidates to City Council. In 2014, voters narrowly approved the controversial voting plan that called for electing six members from districts and two at large. This was changed from an eight-single-member City [...]
Gulbrandsen Technologies finds itself repeatedly under scrutiny with Harris County. Multiple mishaps have proven enough to touch off a lawsuit. Last month the the Harris County Attorney's Office filed a legal claim asking for stiff civil penalties and an injunction that would force Gulbrandsen Technologies to implement a site-specific Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan, decommission [...]
Environmental groups announced their plan to sue the Pasadena refinery over allegations the location consistently released illegal levels of particulate matter. Environment Texas and Sierra Club said in a statement they intend to file a suit within the 60-day grace period against Pasadena Refining System, Inc. or PRSI which is owned by Petrobras, the state-controlled [...]