Man Sought for Photographing Texas City Refineries
my way news ^ | Jul 19, 2:57 PM (ET) | HOUSTON (Reuters)
Posted on 07/19/2004 8:30:58 PM EDT by RaceBannon
Man Sought for Photographing Texas City Refineries
Jul 19, 2:57 PM (ET)
HOUSTON (Reuters) - Law enforcement officials said on Monday they are looking for a man seen taking pictures of two refineries in Texas City, Texas. Texas City, located on the Texas Gulf coast about 30 miles south of Houston, has three refineries including the largest U.S. plant operated by BP Plc., which is the third-largest U.S. refinery, processing 470,000 barrels of crude oil per day.
The man, described as white with dark hair, was seen taking pictures outside the refineries, all located on the same highway, at about 5 p.m. CDT on Saturday, said Bruce Clawson, emergency management and homeland security director for Texas City.
While it is not illegal to take pictures of a refinery from a highway or street, officials would like to talk to the man to find out his reason for taking the photographs.
"This is based on the idea that al Qaeda does its homework," Clawson said. "That's not to say we don't have enough home-grown idiots already who might want to do something."
The man was seen driving a white van.
Valero Energy Corp. operates a 243,000 barrel per day (bpd) refinery in Texas City. Marathon Ashland Petroleum LLC, a joint venture between Marathon Oil Corp., and Ashland Inc., operates a 76,000 bpd refinery in Texas City.
The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation has repeatedly warned refiners that they are possible targets for would-be terrorists. U.S. refinery security officials say their security guards regularly report people observing or taking pictures of refineries.
During the Independence Day holiday, ExxonMobil Corp. tightened security at the largest U.S. refinery, the 538,000 bpd plant in Baytown, Texas, 30 miles east of Houston, because of general warnings about possible terrorist activity.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1174468/posts
Which brings to mind the incident back in late January of the oil refinery security guard who was shot when he approached a suspicious vehicle - the driver had been photographing the refinery, IIRC. Heaven forbid I mention that the suspect looked "of Middle Eastern descent" - I'd be accused of racial profiling. What was the outcome of this (or is it yet another story that dropped off the face of the earth)?
Also: watched NBC Nightly News to see the interview with the "Terror in the Sky, Again?" author. It DID NOT AIR. Was I on the wrong channel, or did TPTB decide this issue was too volatile and might scare the sheeple?
Does anyone really know who is out in the Gulf of Mexico off of Galveston and the Port of Houston? The eastern beaches of Galveston Island once were the favorite spot for South American drug runners to float things ashore.