Beaumont Enterprise editorial on Texas chemical fire cites Public Citizen
By Beaumont Enterprise Editorial Board
The advocacy group Public Citizen said the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality didn’t post any information about the fire on its website or social media accounts until Monday afternoon at the earliest, nearly a day after it began. That’s one of the first places people and journalists will consult in trying to figure out what is going on and whether any special precautions should be taken.
These incidents also serve as a reminder about why state and federal regulations are needed for petrochemical production. The work involves inherent dangers, and most large companies try to do it as safely as they can. But all it takes is one oversight or slipup for something bad to happen.