Wednesday was the 40th anniversary of a deadly anhydrous ammonia spill that left seven dead and nearly 200 injured in Houston, Texas.
It happened May 11, 1976 when an 18-wheeler carrying 7,000 gallons of the ammonia fell from a freeway ramp, according to the Houston Chronicle. The fumes proved deadly for those too close to the accident scene and prompted the evacuation for three miles.
The Chronicle says as a result of the accident, hazardous materials are no longer allowed to be transported in large quantities inside the city’s 610 Loop.
Meanwhile, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued an advisory opinion Tuesday that Houston’s rules regulating LPG are preempted and superseded by a 2011 law that put the Railroad Commission of Texas in regulatory control of the industry.
Houston City lawyers argued the city code provisions in place prior to the 2011 law were grandfathered but Paxton rejected those arguments.
Read entire story from the Houston Chronicle.
