Eric Reyes-Barriga

Under Gallogly's leadership, the company not only emerged from bankruptcy, but made a stunning turnaround, helped by the shale boom.

Its stock price rose roughly 200%.

They were also recognized for their strong safety record.

Gallogly retired from Lyondell Basel in 2015, and the company's track record has faltered since.

In 2021, there was a fatal accident at a plant in La Porte, Texas, that killed two workers and put dozens more at risk.

We reached out to Lyondell Bissell, and they said they have a best-in-class safety record that puts the company's safety performance in the top 10% among its peers.

They cited key safety metrics, including one that has improved by 50% over the past decade.

In 2023, the most recent year for which we have government data, workplace injuries and fatalities were down from recent years.

Deaths from occupational illnesses are harder to track, but according to the Union Federation AFL-CIO, at least 135,304 people died from illness and disease caused by their work.

The AFL-CIO estimates that the real toll is likely much higher.

This year, the Trump administration has proposed major cuts to OSHA's funding.

In January 2025, Representative Andy Biggs, a Republican from Arizona, introduced a bill to abolish OSHA.

And earlier this year, the Trump administration all but gutted NIOSH, the agency that produces scientific evidence for OSHA.

NIOSH had a team of scientists setting the dust from engineered stone countertops, like the ones that sickened Eric Reyes-Barriga in L.A.

The cuts were challenged in court, but these scientists remain on administrative leave.

In response to our request for comment, a Health and Human Services spokesperson said that, quote, "...the Trump administration is committed to protecting essential services like those that support masons, coal miners, and firefighters through NIOSH."

Without a complete team of government scientists to research up-and-coming hazards, Dr. David Michaels, the former OSHA chief, doesn't see a way to fill this gap.

While industry has at times stepped in and made positive changes, the outlook for the safety of American employees is far from certain.

Many workers remain at risk.

And that's it for this special edition of What's New Sunday for December 21st.