BP agrees to $13 million fine from OSHA

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WASHINGTON, July 12 (UPI) -- The oil company BP agreed to pay a $13 million fine in connection with safety violations, a U.S. Department of Labor statement said Thursday.

The Labor Department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the British oil giant resolved 409 of the 439 citations OSHA issued in Oct. 2009 for safety violations at BP's Texas City, Texas refinery, site of a Mar. 2005 explosion that killed 15 workers.

BP was fined $21 million after the incident, $50.6 million more after a 2009 follow-up investigation indicated a failure to resolve other safety issues, and $30.7 million in a separate 2009 settlement involving 439 violations of OSHA's Process Safety Management standards for handling hazardous chemicals, the statement said.

"For the workers at BP's Texas City refinery, this [Thursday's] settlement will help establish a culture of safety," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis.