Spate of Texas Chemical Accidents Leads to Investigations, Suits

A fire at a Chesapeake Energy Corp. gas well Jan. 30 that killed three workers is at least the seventh incident in the Houston area since mid-2018 to trigger a probe by the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, a marked increase in scrutiny by the agency.

In the aftermath, workers and county officials allege in lawsuits that oil and gas companies are violating safety and other regulations, and local officials worry about the potential for more explosions and chemical releases. At the same time, attorneys for oil and gas companies say their fears of criminal prosecutions against managers ...