Mississippi holds firm on safety measures at oil, gas sites
Law prompted by tragic accident upheld in court
The Mississippi Supreme Court last week upheld a Forrest County law requiring fencing, gates and warning signs at oil and gas sites – an ordinance passed after a 2009 accident that killed two teenagers.
The ruling was a defeat for the Delphi Energy Corporation, which argued that its facilities were regulated by the state Oil and Gas Board (OGB), not the county, and so were not subject to the county ordinance. The OGB also joined in challenging the ruling, arguing that fencing around the sites would affect emergency preparedness by preventing first responders and state inspectors from gaining easy access to the site and hindering workers attempting to leave the site.