Found out my old town in Texas blocked a story about a chemical spill for 3 days

Back in 2019, a plant near Port Arthur had a leak that sent people to the ER, but the local paper didn't run anything until the state stepped in. I had to pick between driving to Beaumont for the real news or just waiting it out on Facebook rumors.

3 comments

3 Comments

adamellis1mo ago

How many other towns have had this happen and we just never found out? It makes you wonder if local papers are sometimes told to sit on stories to avoid a panic, or worse, to protect a big local business. That gap between something happening and people being told is dangerous, because folks are going about their day right in the middle of it. Relying on social media rumors during a chemical leak is a terrible way to stay safe. It really shows why having real, independent local news matters so much.

charles_chen931mo ago

Seriously, how often does this actually happen? Most leaks are small and get fixed fast without needing a big news story. People worry too much about cover ups.

the_max1mo ago

East Palestine was a real mess though.