The Washington Post
Oil giant BP has agreed to pay a record $50.6 million fine for safety violations at a Texas oil refinery where a 2005 explosion killed 15 workers.
Although the fine pales in comparison with the billions of dollars BP has committed to pay for damages caused by the oil spill at its well in the Gulf of Mexico, it is the largest penalty in the history of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Under the agreement, BP will also invest $500 million between now and 2016 to upgrade safety conditions for workers at the refinery in Texas City, about 40 miles southeast of Houston.
“The size of the penalty rightly reflects BP’s disregard for workplace safety and shows that we will enforce the law so workers can return home safe at the end of their day,” Labor Secretary Hilda L. Solis said.
Scott Dean, a BP spokesman, disputed the assertion that the company has a disregard for safe working conditions. He said OSHA and BP “have agreed to put our differences aside and move forward collaboratively” to enhance workplace safety at the refinery.
OSHA officials have blamed the explosion in Texas City on a piece of equipment that overfilled with highly flammable liquid hydrocarbons. Alarms and gauges that were supposed to warn of the overfill did not work properly.
Also Thursday, BP said officials were conducting tests to determine whether further work is needed to seal the well in the gulf.
A final decision was expected Friday on whether to drill a relief well to allow for a “bottom kill” procedure, in which mud and cement are pumped from deep underground to seal the well permanently.
— Associated Press
This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.
Royal Dutch Shell conspired directly with Hitler, financed the Nazi Party, was anti-Semitic and sold out its own Dutch Jewish employees to the Nazis. Shell had a close relationship with the Nazis during and after the reign of Sir Henri Deterding, an ardent Nazi, and the founder and decades long leader of the Royal Dutch Shell Group. His burial ceremony, which had all the trappings of a state funeral, was held at his private estate in Mecklenburg, Germany. The spectacle (photographs below) included a funeral procession led by a horse drawn funeral hearse with senior Nazis officials and senior Royal Dutch Shell directors in attendance, Nazi salutes at the graveside, swastika banners on display and wreaths and personal tributes from Adolf Hitler and Reichsmarschall, Hermann Goring. Deterding was an honored associate and supporter of Hitler and a personal friend of Goring.
Deterding was the guest of Hitler during a four day summit meeting at Berchtesgaden. Sir Henri and Hitler both had ambitions on Russian oil fields. Only an honored personal guest would be rewarded with a private four day meeting at Hitler’s mountain top retreat.
IN JULY 2007, MR BILL CAMPBELL (ABOVE, A RETIRED GROUP AUDITOR OF SHELL INTERNATIONAL SENT AN EMAIL TO EVERY UK MP AND MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS: 
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A head-cut image of Alfred Donovan (now deceased) appears courtesy of The Wall Street Journal.
