Texas Workers Sue BP, Others for Benzene Exposure

Eight workers have filed a lawsuit against BP Products North America Inc. and Pasadena Tank Corp. for exposing them to “extremely high levels of benzene” on the job.

The contract workers claim they were injured and had their long-term health jeopardized after an August 2009 incident allegedly caused by a damaged pipe at BP’s Texas City refinery, according to a report in the Southeast Texas Record.

The lawsuit, filed Jan. 13 in Galveston County Court No. 1, seeks $500 million in for the workers’ pain and suffering, mental anguish, and other damages.

The injured workers claim they were hurt when a vapor and strong odor overcame their work area, the Record reports. The workers later determined the mysterious vapor was coming from a broken pipe spewing chemicals, according to their suit.

“The plaintiffs quickly evacuated the area,” their lawsuit says. “Upon experiencing various symptoms, the plaintiffs sought medical treatment.”

Benzene Linked to Serious Health Complications

The workers were rushed to the hospital, where doctors told them they had been exposed to benzene, a toxic chemical that is a leading cause of deadly cancers, including Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, and anemia.

Benzene is one of the most common chemicals in the world and used in countless chemical compounds and products, including paints and stains, plastics, detergents, glues and dyes, pesticides, and cigarettes.

BP Accused of Down-Playing Emission

In their lawsuit, the injured workers accuse of BP of trying to minimize the seriousness of the toxic emission after the incident.

“Despite the plaintiffs reporting the actual volume of benzene that was spilled, BP, as has been its custom, minimized the leak and release, and its effects in both its internal documentation, as well as the documentation with the authorities,” the complaint states.

Also, the suit claims BP has a “long and tortured history of failure in the area of process safety management,” including explosions in March 2005, numerous violations of state and federal safety regulations, and other offenses.

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