Former oil and gas refinery engineer Mr Dodson subsequently went bust and is now living with his son on state sickness benefits.
Last week's desert siege began Wednesday when Mali-based, al-Qaida-linked militants attempted to hijack two buses at the plant, were repelled, and then seized the gas refinery.
Had the refinery closed, gas shortages could have pushed up prices by an estimated 20 cents to 30 cents a gallon in the Northeast, and some 850 union jobs would have been lost in an important electoral swing state decidedly not what the president wants people to be complaining about a few months before an election.
It owns a 17.1% stake in New Zealand's only oil refinery, more than 200 gas stations and truck stops, pipelines and storage infrastructure.
The EPA mentions the cost to bring coal-fired plants into compliance, but does not mention the much more expensive cost of piping natural gas to a refinery.
FORBES: Cheap Natural Gas Will Kill More Coal Plants Than Us: EPA
These plants are connected to the exhaust flues of the refinery and also to a nearby gas-fired power station.
Last August a gas leak at the Amuay refinery in western Venezuela led to an explosion and fire that burned for days and killed more than 40.
FORBES: What Does Chavez's Death Mean For Venezuelan Oil Giant Pdvsa?
The firm blamed the slide largely on lower oil prices - compared with a year before - a 70% slump in North American gas prices and the toughest refinery and product sales markets "since the mid-1980s".
Emergency director Marcogliese asked terminal managers to line up fuel trucks that could be sent to resupply a gas station near the Texas City refinery so workers at least would have fuel to get around.
Renamed Cornerstone Natural Gas, Endevco sold off an oil refinery and some pipeline assets to help pay down debt, and trimmed staff to lower operating costs.
You will no doubt see the president make frequent references to how his administration swooped in and helped a struggling refinery stay in business, saving 850 union jobs and keeping gas prices low.
ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) The death toll from the terrorist siege at a natural gas plant in the Sahara climbed past 80 on Sunday as Algerian forces searching the refinery for explosives found dozens more bodies, many so badly disfigured it was unclear whether they were hostages or militants, a security official said.
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