NBey6's Blog

Friday 10-31-09

895, 299, 604, 535, 661, 391, 667, 268

454, 637, 410, 484, 106, 808, 494, 223

486, 6265, 6486, 4941, 1223, 1060, 3808

4100, 6484, 4542, 1637, 6678, 1268, 6614

3391, 6047, 5535, 8952, 8299, 6839, 1166

OSHA fines BP a record $87M for Texas refinery fix

By SAM HANANEL, Associated Press Writer 

3 mins ago

WASHINGTON – The Occupational Safety and Health Administration on Friday imposed a record $87 million fine against oil giant BP PLC for failing to correct safety hazards after a 2005 explosion killed 15 workers at its Texas City refinery.

The fine — the largest in OSHA's history — comes after a 6-month inspection revealed hundreds of violations of a 2005 settlement agreement to repair hazards at the refinery.

BP officials formally contested the fine, saying they believed the company had fully complied with the settlement agreement.

OSHA said the company also committed hundreds of new violations at the nation's third largest refinery by failing to follow industry controls on pressure relief safety systems and other precautions.

Labor Secretary Hilda Solis said BP failed to live up to the terms of its commitment to protect employees. If the problems are not addressed, Solis said it "could lead to another catastrophe."

"An $87 million fine won't restore those lives, but we can't let this happen again," Solis said. "Workplace safety is more than a slogan. It's the law."

The deadly explosion at BP's Texas City refinery, about 40 miles southeast of Houston, also injured more than 170 people.

In a statement, the company said most of the alleged violations relate to an ongoing disagreement between OSHA and BP that is already pending before the Occupational Health and Safety Review Commission, a body that is independent of OSHA.

"We are disappointed that OSHA took this action in advance of the full consideration of the Review Commission," said Keith Casey, BP's manager of the Texas City refinery. "While we strongly disagree with their conclusions, we will continue to work with the agency to resolve our differences."

The largest prior OSHA fine was $21 million, also leveled against BP in connection with the refinery explosion.

In the latest case, OSHA officials found 270 violations totaling $56.7 million in penalties for BP's failure to take corrective action as required by terms of the 2005 settlement agreement with OSHA. Agency inspectors also identified 439 new willful violations totaling $30.7 million in penalties for failure to repair pressure release safety devices.

OSHA officials said the 2005 explosion was caused by defective pressure relief systems. The explosion occurred after a piece of equipment called a blowdown drum overfilled with highly flammable liquid hydrocarbons. Alarms and gauges that were supposed to warn of the overfilled equipment did not work properly.

Jordan Barab, acting assistant secretary of labor for OSHA, said the agency found "some serious systemic safety problems within the corporation" and at the Texas refinery.

"The fact that there are so many still outstanding life-threatening problems at this plant indicates that they still have a systemic safety problem in this refinery," Barab said.

But BP's Casey called efforts to improve safety performance at the refinery "among the most strenuous and comprehensive that the refining industry has ever seen."

Since the 2005 accident, four additional people have died at the Texas refinery, including one employee and three contractors.

Eva Rowe, whose parents, James and Linda Rowe, were killed in the blast as they worked at the refinery, praised OSHA for "standing up to BP."

"I hope this sends a strong message to the industry that this behavior will not be tolerated," Rowe said. "I hope that this will still lead to criminal prosecution and conviction of the BP officials that were responsible."

Brent Coon, an attorney for several blast victims, said Friday that noncompliance with the OSHA agreement would mean BP is not meeting the terms of a highly criticized federal plea agreement between the oil giant and the Justice Department that settled criminal charges in the explosion. The plea deal was approved in March by a federal judge in Houston.

Under the deal, a BP subsidiary pleaded guilty to a violation of the Clean Air Act — a felony — and BP was sentenced to three years probation and fined $50 million.

Coon said he planned to ask the Justice Department to revoke BP's probation and the plea deal and proceed with criminal prosecution in the case.

A Justice Department spokesperson did not immediately return an e-mail seeking comment.

"Their horses were seven hundred thirty and six; their mules, two hundred forty and five;

- Ezra 2:66 -

Midday & Evening

** until 11-3-09 **

1551, 1552, 1553, 1556, 1558, 1559

2061, 2062, 2063, 2065, 2068, 2069

Midday 10-29-09 Evening

** until 11-1-09 **

012  013  017  018  026  027  035  036  039  045  048  049  057  058  067  089  125  126  129  134  135  138  139  147  148  156  157  179  189  234  237  238  246  247  256  269  278  279  359  368  369  378  458  459  468  489  579  589  678  679  003  004  008  009  112  116  117  022  224  225  228  229  233  044  144  449  255  558  066  166  669  778  188  288  588  688  099  399  499  899  111  999 

Thursday 10-29-09

102, 502, 333, 302, 039, 876, 678, 767, 700

617, 197, 593, 345, 794, 098, 603, 107, 489

541, 186, 922, 028, 528, 595, 560, 951, 411

168, 481, 461, 555, 000, 333, 888, 999, 444

777, 0500, 2326, 0669, 5118, 4705, 6839

0942, 4991, 1111, 5555, 7777, 8888

4 charged in alleged gang rape of California girl

  By TERRY COLLINS, Associated Press Writer 1 hr 14 mins ago 

 

RICHMOND, Calif. – Four teens could appear in court as early as Thursday after being charged in the alleged gang rape of a 15-year-old girl outside her high school homecoming dance in Northern California.

The four — ages 15, 16, 17 and 19 — were charged Wednesday with rape and enhancements that they acted in concert, which could make them eligible for life in prison.

"These are people who played a significant role in the incident," Richmond Police Lt. Mark Gagan said. "I'm confident that more arrests will be made."

Besides rape, the 19-year-old, Manuel Ortega of Richmond, was charged with robbery and assault causing great bodily injury. It was unknown if he had an attorney.

The other three face one count each of felony rape with a foreign object. They were charged as adults because of the severity of the crime, Gagan said. The 16-year-old also faces robbery charges.

All four remained in custody Wednesday. A fifth suspect arrested Tuesday, 21-year-old Salvador Rodriguez of Richmond, also remained jailed but had not been charged.

The alleged gang rape and beating Saturday night at Richmond High School have rattled the city of about 120,000 in the San Francisco Bay area.

Police believe as many as 10 people ranging in age from 15 to mid-20s attacked the girl for more than two hours in a dimly lit area. As many as two dozen people witnessed the rape without notifying police.

Dara Cashman, head of the Contra Costa District Attorney's Office sex crimes unit, told the Contra Costa Times, a Bay area newspaper, that those who witnessed the alleged rape and did not report it could face aiding and abetting charges — if it can be proven that their actions facilitated or goaded the perpetrators.

Police hope a $20,000 reward will bring more people forward with information.

Police received a tip about a possible assault on campus from a former student, who heard two males bragging about it. Officers found the girl semiconscious and naked from the waist down near a picnic table.

Margarita Vargas, who was watching television Saturday night with others at her home two blocks from the school campus, told the newspaper she reported the assault as soon as she heard about it. The newspaper did not say whether Vargas was a student at the school.

"They think it's cool," Vargas said of the alleged perpetrators. "They weren't raised to respect girls."

Gagan said the victim, a sophomore, left the dance and was walking to meet her father for a ride home when a classmate invited her to join a group drinking in the courtyard. The girl had consumed a large amount of alcohol by the time the assault began, police said.

Gagan said the girl's father tried to call her cell phone, but no one answered.

She was released from the hospital Wednesday.

The Carolinas (NC & SC)

** until 10-31-09 **

411, 114, 168, 861, 810, 018, 595, 559, 955

870, 672, 179, 917, 481, 028, 802, 820, 082

782, 792, 914, 867, 876, 453, 435, 543, 135

9056, 0563, 6607, 2946, 1853, 3057, 2326

1661, 7029, 0782

Midday & Evening

** until 10-29-09 **

015 019 024 028 029 037 038 046 047 056 069 078 079 123 127 128 136 137 145 146 159 168 169 178 235 236 245 249 258 259 267 268 348 349 357 358 367 389 456 457 479 569 578 001 006 114 118 119 226 227 033 334 335 339 244 344 447 448 055 155 556 366 466 668 177 277 677 088 488 889 299 799 222 555

Midday 10-26-09 Evening

** until 10-29-09 **

012 016 017 025 026 029 034 035 038 039 047 048 056 057 079 089 124 125 128 129 134 137 138 146 147 156 169 178 179 236 237 245 246 259 268 269 278 349 358 359 367 368 389 457 458 467 479 489 569 578 579 678 002 003 007 008 011 115 116 119 223 224 227 228 133 233 044 448 449 155 255 557 066 668 669 277 377 677 088 188 488 588 889 299 399 799 899 111 777

 "Motivation will almost always beat mere talent."

- Norman R. Augustine -

Midday 10-25-09 Evening

** until 10-28-09 **

012 016 017 025 026 029 034 035 038 039 047 048 056 057 079 089 124 125 128 129 134 137 138 146 147 156 169 178 179 236 237 245 246 259 268 269 278 349 358 359 367 368 389 457 458 467 479 489 569 578 579 678 002 003 007 008 011 115 116 119 223 224 227 228 133 233 044 448 449 155 255 557 066 668 669 277 377 677 088 188 488 588 889 299 399 799 899 111 777

Maya Calendar

Year of the Yellow Self-Existing Seed

Self-Existing Moon Day 8

Kin 95:  Blue Self-Existing Eagle

044, 835, 665, 496, 750, 404, 6778, 0578, 4246

0669, 5118, 4705, 6839, 0942, 4991, 696, 996

321, 838, 312, 082, 900, 1238, 1328

Sunday 10-25-09

292, 444, 747, 999, 846, 889, 391, 334, 131, 897

686, 342, 752, 773, 207, 228, 288, 816, 733, 361

344, 918, 899, 463, 168, 613, 726, 800, 271, 355

173, 407, 628, 952, 780, 096, 235, 541, 333, 888