BP plans to start restoring a gasonline-producing unit at its Texas City refinery to production after a 3 year shutdown. The plant has been restoring units to production since its shutdown in 2005 after a hurricane and an earlier explosion that killed 15 workers.
The Houston Chronicle reported today that in a filing made by lawyers for victims of the March 2005 explosion at BP's Texas City refinery, victims challenged a proposed $50 million criminal fine saying that medical bills surpassed $100 million for just 29 of the people hurt in the explosion. Documents filed in response to a request last month by U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal said, "The punishment fails to fit the crime".
Last month Rosenthal asked lawyers for both sides to compile a summary of last wages as well as past and future medical bills for the 15 people killed in the accident and others who were injured. She requested the information to help her determine whether the $50 million fine is "unreasonably low".
The victims' filing said lost wages and past and future medical bills for 29 people reached $102.1 million-- more than twice the proposed fine. It noted medical losses ranging from $249,512 for a person who was 65 to more than $30 million for two people who were 32 and 44.
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