The U.S. Department of Labor proposed more than $3.5 million in fines against three companies on June 26, 2026, after OSHA investigators found each one failed to protect workers during the cleanup that followed a sulfuric acid spill at the BWC Terminals facility in Channelview, Texas.
The spill happened on December 27, 2025. According to OSHA, BWC Terminals mixed fresh and spent sulfuric acid despite existing safety warnings against doing so. The mixture caused a storage tank to become overpressurized, and the resulting rupture released about one million gallons of sulfuric acid. Some of it reached the Houston Ship Channel. Two people were hospitalized, and 44 others were treated for injuries at the scene, according to Houston Public Media.
BWC Terminals hired Coastal Environmental Solutions Inc. to handle the hazardous waste cleanup. Coastal then brought in a subcontractor, One Way Environmental Services LLC, to supply laborers for the cleanup and remediation work. OSHA's investigation focused on how those cleanup workers were treated, not on the original cause of the spill.
Breakdown of the Penalties:
- One Way Environmental Services LLC faces the largest fine, $3,045,452, for 18 willful egregious violations and five serious violations. OSHA found the company sent workers to clean up the spill without adequate training, respirator fit testing, or other required safety measures.
- Coastal Environmental Solutions Inc. faces $392,501 in proposed penalties for two willful and five serious violations, including a missing safety and health program, no emergency response plan for hazardous waste operations, and gaps in respirator use.
- BWC Terminals was cited for six serious violations and faces $82,750 in proposed penalties, tied to hazmat training gaps, respirator deficiencies, and exposing workers to chemical burns.
David Keeling, OSHA's Assistant Secretary for Occupational Health and Safety, said the three employers understood the hazards involved and chose to bypass federal requirements anyway. BWC Terminals disputed the findings in a statement, saying it intends to appeal the citations and does not agree that it bypassed OSHA requirements.
All three companies have 15 business days from receiving their citations to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
The case is a reminder that post-spill cleanup carries its own distinct set of safety obligations, separate from whatever caused the original release. A facility operator, a primary contractor, and a subcontractor several layers removed from the original incident can each be held liable independently, and hiring a cleanup vendor does not transfer that responsibility away automatically.
Verifying that a contractor's hazmat training records and safety data sheets are current before cleanup work begins takes minutes, not days. Keeping safety data sheets and hazard information accessible to every party working on-site, including subcontractors brought in after the fact, closes exactly the gap that turned this cleanup into a $3.5 million enforcement case.
References U.S. Department of Labor: OSHA Proposes $3.5M in Fines for Houston Facility Chemical Spill Response | Houston Public Media: Companies Involved in Channelview Sulfuric Acid Spill Face More Than $3.5 Million in Proposed F
Mehreen Iqbal
Started with a Bachelors in Microbiology, then a Masters in Public Health; Currently a Workplace Safety Expert.