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Houston Matters

Should We Trust Texas Companies to Self-Report Industrial Accidents?

While government authorities are tasked with investigating industrial accidents, those efforts, particularly here in Texas, are often triggered by industry “self-reporting.” But how does that work exactly? And how far do we defer to and trust companies to report accidents? We talk about the concept of industry self-reporting, consider some recent examples, and welcome your […]

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About 168,000 gallons of oil were spilled in the Houston Ship Channel after a barge and a tanker collided March 22, 2014.

While government authorities are tasked with investigating industrial accidents, those efforts, particularly here in Texas, are often triggered by industry “self-reporting.” But how does that work exactly? And how far do we defer to and trust companies to report accidents?

We talk about the concept of industry self-reporting, consider some recent examples, and welcome your thoughts for Houston Public Media’s State Impact reporter for energy and the environment, Dave Fehling. Then, we talk with Dr. Neil Carman, Clean Air Program Director with the Sierra Club’s Lone Star Chapter about his organization’s concerns with the concept.

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Michael Hagerty

Michael Hagerty

Senior Producer, Houston Matters

Michael Hagerty is the senior producer for Houston Matters. He's spent more than 20 years in public radio and television and dabbled in minor league baseball, spending four seasons as the public address announcer for the Reno Aces, the Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

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