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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 1, 1978)
the state I Hb BAf lALION TUESDAY, AUGUST 1, 1978 Page 5 Plant explosion prompts 27 citations by agency ing bad ling Am idyposi cal aid memlw Commifj would't Battalion photo by Mark Penny Stoplight of the future? The futuristic appearance of a light pole on the mall west of the Chemistry Building was caused by the sun sneaking out from behind the clouds after a rain shower last week. United Press International TEXAS CITY — The federal job safety agency Monday issued a total of 27 citations against Texas City Re fining Inc. resulting from an early summer explosion at the plant that killed seven workers and hos pitalized six others. The U. S. Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration alleged violations of safety and health rules in three categories — five “willful,’ 17 “seri ous, and five “other than serious.” The agency proposed penalties totaling $48,290 for the citations. The citations resulted from an in spection of the Texas City plant fol lowing the series of early morning explosions on May 30. The alleged willful violations of occupational safety regulations in volve: — Insufficient examination of a pressure vessel tank for wall thick ness on four occasions dating back to 1965. — Improper setting of the relief valve on a pressure vessel tank. — Failure to take necessary ac tion to relieve the pressure inside the pressure vessel tank and stop ped its relief valve from releasing butane into the atmosphere. The tank was being filled with butane at the time the relief valve was con tinuously popping, OSHA said. — Inadequately sized openings used in relief valves on several tanks. — Violations of the National Elec trical Code. Citations for alleged serious violations of federal health standards involved exposure of employees to excessive amounts of lead, improper handling of asbestos materials, and inadequate controls of asbestos fib ers in the atmosphere. The company was directed to stop immediately all cited hazards. Texas City Refining must pay the proposed penalties within 15 work ing days or contest OSHA’s citations and penalties before the Occupa tional Safety Health Review Com mission, an independent judicial agency responsible for reviewing such appeals. The company responded to the OSHA charges in a statement made by spokesman Rick Sherman. “Due to the very short time the company has had to review these al legations, any in-depth comment at this time would be premature,” Sherman said. “It should be pointed out that most of the alleged violations relate to conditions ob served during the period im mediately following the fire and ex plosion and have no apparent bear ing on the events of May 30. “There is no allegation any person was injured as a result of these violations. It is significant that none is claimed to be the cause of the ex plosion. To that end the allegation will be thoroughly investigated. Where justification was found, im mediate and corrective action will be taken. “Where no justification for an al legation exists, that allegation will be disputed as provided by law. lenti Ruling delayed on comatose girls fate Life supports may be removed DISCOUNT TROPHY & ENGRAVING 215 S. MAIN XpertSisI United Press International ossibleBHOUSTON — A state district nam.«jJdge Monday delayed ruling rious Blether life-support systems keep- ■g a comatose 12-year-old girl alive ■d to 'Aiild be shut off. legatkiljudge Wallace H. Miller ordered 10v a scheduled hearing to be post- namexipined after learning that Masil ;d AmBunny” Gray might not survive the i the lB-hour delay requested by an at- jrney representing her mother, ■>ra A. Nixon. The child, who became a county ird July 3, was admitted to Texas ildrens Hospital July 16 uncon- jious from srpoke inhalation. She , Jad been (lulled from a burning ? room at a Harris ,County welfare Wity. it. Bar owners profit during (BcialV & long drought United Press International (AUSTIN — The drought across pas may be bad for farmers and nchers, but it is provoking good ptisiness for bar owners, Comptrol- Bob Bullock said Monday. [Bullock said state revenue from on mixed drinks show drinks le selling in record numbers. ^Texans consumed $167 million in fixed drinks during the April-June parter of this year, a 24 percent in ease over the same period of last bar. Total mixed drink sales for the rst half of 1978 reached $321 mil- bn, Bullock said. Riley Hetherington, attorney for Nixon, told the judge that on Sun day the child’s blood pressure had dropped to 38, far below that which can support life. The child s brain waves registered flat. Doctors de clared her medically dead. "We would like to have time for the condition to stabilize, if it’s going to, Hetherington told the judge. “Respiratory and cardiac functions could cease at any point.” Russell McMains, an attorney for the hospital, agreed to maintaining Child abuse in Texas results in 129 deaths United Press International AUSTIN — The Texas Depart ment of Human Resources reported Monday that 129 children died of abuse or neglect in Texas last year. Most of the victims were Anglo males from one to three years old, the agency said. “It’s hard to draw a picture of child abuse, but it exists, said Jerome Chapman, DHR commis sioner. “Thousands of Texas children are suffering from serious lack of care. At least 129 died of it last year. Others will be scarred physically and emotionally, affecting those children in the way they see them selves and the world around them. ” Chapman said most of the abuse and neglect victims are mistreated by members of their family. He said the department in 1977 had 42,347 reports of child abuse and neglect involving 90,000 chil dren. More than half the deaths were caused by neglect, with lack of supervision as the most frequent cause. Medical and physical neglect such as malnutrition ^and abandon ment were other leading causes of death. DHR officials said only 18 persons were charged with child abuse and 15 were convicted. the status quo. The court initially was asked for a ruling on the matter because the Texas statute on legal death origi nates in common law and is consid ered confusing by legal scholars. The law considers only heartbeat and not the effects of life-support devices. The judge on July 20 forbade the hospital from removing the child from her life-support systems. Another reason for granting the original injunction was that the child’s natural father had not been located. The child’s mother had asked that the county become Bunny’s guard ian because the phild had run away, from home and her mother fearea she was becoming delinquent. Judy Hay, community relations director of Harris County Child Welfare, said the father had been contacted and both parents wanted custody of the child and control of the medical care, which they are providing. “They are well aware of what is happening,” Hay said. “They want to take it (custody) back. We will ask the court to return it.” 822- 5923 GET ACQUAINTED OFFER BRASS BELT BUCKLES ONLY AT THE WITH PURCHASE " OF ANY PAIR OF BOOTS OR SHOES. OF SOOTS 112 NAGLE • IN THE GREYHOUND BUS STATION •NORTHGATE LOWEST BOOT PRICES IN TEXAS NOCONA BOOTS/CASUAL SHOES ASTRO TENNIS SHOES MSC S ummer Dinner Theatre Presents August 3,4&5 MSC Ballroom Tickets At MSC BoxOffice Call 845-2916 General Public TAMU Student $4.95 Reservations Close 24 Hrs. Prior To Show $7.00 Dinner Show 6:45 pm 8:00 pm Produce d By: MSC Summer Programming Committee and The Aggie Players Special IMon - Dinner Show August 2 8 pm Student $2.00 Gen. Public $3.00 WHY SEARCH?? it’s A Free Service A&M Apt. PLACEMENT SERVICE WM PLACEMENT SERVICE ARTS • HOUSES • DUPLEXES 693-3777 2339 S. Texas, C.S. Next to the Dairy Queen Brazos Valley Amateur Soccer League Summer Tournament 1978 Locker Room Phenomenal BOOK SALE Tuesday, August 1 6:30 p.m., Thomas Park Hughes Homes (Bye) Real Estate Mart Schlitz Kickers Thursday, August 3 6:30 p.m., Thomas Park Saturday, August 5 6:00 p.m., Thomas Park Champions! Selected Group of Books Paperbacks 19c Hardbacks 49c 'Records Too . . LP’s 49c _ 45’s 19c TEXAS BOOKSTORE IN THE MSC) Tuesday, August 1 6:30 p.m., Sul Ross Duddley’s Dynamo Straight Sail’n The Public Is Invited — NoAdmis- sion Awards Presentation Immed iately Following Saturday’s Champ ionship Match at Thomas Park. Wednesday, August 2 6:30 p.m., Thomas Park Danver’s Ecraseurs B-CS Jaycees Friday, August 4 6:30 p.m., Thomas Park Consolation Wednesday, August 2 6:30 p.m., Sul Ross Tejas Royales THOMAS PARK — SOUTHEAST OF COLLEGE STATION POUCE DEPT. SUL ROSS AT CORNER OF CARTER CREEK & VILLA MARIA. Come See Local Soccer at It's