Oil Spill History “Torrey Canyon Spill” Off U.K., 1967 One of the first, big “supertanker” oil spills & story of its impacts.		Pipeline Explosion “Pipeline Fireball” Bellingham, WA: 1999 Gasoline pipeline explosion & fireball kills 3 boys; terrorizes urban community.
Refinery History “Exxon at Baton Rouge” Fire & Fume: 1989-2020s For more than 30 years a giant Exxon refinery has had its troubles.		Fires & Explosions “125 Significant Incidents” U.S. Refineries, 2012 Story details CSB’s list of 125 refinery incidents for 2012 — and more.
River Pollution “Burn On, Big River…” River Fires Ignite Change Oil pollution history of Cuyahoga River w/famous song & national politics.		Oil Spill History “Santa Barbara Oil Spill” Union Oil: 1969 Offshore blowout pollutes beaches, kills wildlife; ignites environmental cause.
Oil Refinery Blaze “Inferno At Whiting” Standard Oil: 1955 Big refinery near Chicago explodes & burns for 8 days; 1,500 flee.		2003 Explosion “Barge Explodes in NY” ExxonMobil Depot A Bouchard oil barge blast frightens terrorist- sensitive NY city area.
Oil Disaster Film “Deepwater Horizon” Film & Spill: 2010-2016 Story on Hollywood film also recounts history & politics of real BP oil spill.		Western Pennsylvania “Petrochem Peril” Shell Cracker & Beyond Some history and controversy around Shell’s new 2022 plastics plant.
Offshore Oil Junk “The Brent Spar Fight” Greenpeace:1995 A classic environmental battle over an offshore oil structure in the North Sea.		Chemical Plant History “Shell Plant Explodes” 1994: Belpre, Ohio Shell plastics plant explodes; nearby tanks burn, pollute river; 3 workers killed.
Poplar Pipeline Leak “Oil Fouls Montana” January 2015 Oil pipeline break pollutes Yellowstone River & Glendive’s water.		Gulf Oil Company “Burning Philadelphia” Refinery Inferno: 1975 Eleven-alarm oil blaze kills eight firefighters & frightens city.
Gulf of Mexico “Offshore Oil Blaze” Shell Oil: 1970-71 Oil rig blowout kills four, burns for nearly three months.		Big Tank Failure “Disaster at Pittsburgh” Ashland Oil: 1988 Oil tank collapse pollutes drinking water for millions downstream.
Petrochem History “The Phillips Explosion” 23 Dead, 130 Injured Following Wall Street stock raids, big oil company makes costly job cuts.		Modern Chemistry “Plastic Infernos” A Short History Plastic materials implicated in spread & severity of deadly fires.
Petrochem Pollution “Nurdle Apocalypse” Plastic on the Loose Plastic pellet spills are polluting oceans & rivers, menacing wildlife & more.		Corporate History “Doing Great Things?” Dow Chemical Co. 1980s ad campaign sought to heal a troubled past, yet toxic legacies remain.
Oil Industry History “Texas City Disaster” BP Refinery: 2005 Poorly-maintained oil refinery explodes, killing 15, injuring 180.		Business & The Environment “Applause For Du Pont?” Pollution History Critique of a 1990s Du Pont TV ad & environmental record, plus recent PFAS troubles.

Date Posted: 12 December 2024
Last Update: 12 December 2024
Comments to: jackdoyle47@gmail.com

Article Citation:
Jack Doyle, “Oil/Petrochem History: Selected Stories,
1950s-2020s,” PopHistoryDig.com, December 12,2024.

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Oil/Petrochem Books at Amazon.com…
 

Stephen McGinty’s 2008 book, “Fire in the Night: The Piper Alpha Disaster,” Macmillan, Click for Amazon.

Steve Coll’s book, “Private Empire: ExxonMobil and American Power,” Penguin Books. 2013. Click for copy.

Christopher Leonard’s 2019 book, “Kochland: The Secret History of Koch Industries...” Click for copy.