FORMOSA PLASTICS CORPORATION, TEXAS

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, FORMOSA PLASTICS CORPORATION, TEXAS — a plastics material and resin manufacturing facility located at 201 FORMOSA DRIVE, POINT COMFORT, TX 77978 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 185 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $509,319.25. The inspection case was opened on 2011-09-09.

Cumulative penalties significantly exceed the national median for OSHA enforcement actions. The penalty amount suggests multiple high-gravity citations, indicating conditions that presented a substantial probability of death or serious physical harm to employees.

BLS Injury Data: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2022), this industry sector has an occupational injury rate of 3.3 per 100 full-time workers — 22% above the national average of 2.7. The sector fatality rate is 2.3 per 100,000 workers.

EPA Environmental Record: The EPA currently lists this facility under Significant Violation status. EPA penalties total $3,655,889.00 (Clean Air Act: $3,352,189.00; Clean Water Act: $274,500.00). Toxic Release Inventory reports 15894690 lbs in releases/transfers. Source: EPA ECHO database.

Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $509,319.25 is more than 60.5× the national average of $8,414.32 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 325211). This sector encompasses 52,095 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $438.3M.

State Context: Within TX, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 119,485 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $3,783.80.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 185 citations spanning 4 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 15 serious — A workplace hazard that could cause death or serious physical harm exists, and the employer knew or should have known about the condition.

Enforcement Timeline: Citations were issued beginning January 14, 1992 with the latest abatement deadline set for April 1, 1992. Of the 185 total citations, 15 (8%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, which may indicate ongoing compliance gaps requiring further regulatory attention.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $509,319.25 reflects OSHA's gravity-based penalty calculation methodology, which considers the severity of potential injury, the probability of occurrence, the employer's size, good faith, and violation history. The per-citation average of $2,753.08 falls within the standard penalty range.

The sheer volume of 185 citations issued to Formosa Plastics Corporation's Point Comfort facility represents