That update was completed last year as well. Investigators are trying to determine what caused the explosion at a Torrance oil refinery that sent four workers to the hospital. And Torrance receives about $7.5 million annually in utility user taxes from the refinerys operation. Were also the only law firm in the country thats currently representing over 65 of the workers who were injured in the Williams Geismar explosion, as well as 3 of the 4 workers who were tragically killed in the October 2015 Williams explosion in Gibson, Louisiana. / KCAL News. They claim nothing has been done, she added, without any proof, other than their beliefs, which are incorrect and misleading.. And the incident was avoidable, CSB said: Mismanagement and improper safety protocols put in place by then-owner ExxonMobil who sold the refinery to PBF Energy shortly after the incident made the explosion likely. Community members who may have been impacted by the explosion can call the ExxonMobil claims hotline at 844-631-2539. Congressman Ted Lieu (D-Los Angeles County) issued the following statement on Saturday's fire: Federal investigators in January said a failure to follow safety guidelines was partly to blame for the blast and that the aftermath could have been "catastrophic" had the equipment hit the unit housing MHF. Nosotros, Yahoo, somos parte de la familia de marcas de Yahoo. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. Living in such close proximity to the refinery, Donna Heise said, makes it hard for the couple to ignore the chemicals potential dangers. The couple was taking a stroll outside of North High Schools football field on the day of the 2015 explosion. 46,739 visits in the last 30 days. 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Workers were seen boarded up the windows of the affected apartments later Sunday afternoon. Gavin Newsom to call for an investigation into the use of modified hydrofluoric acid at the facility, now operated by Torrance Refining Co., as well as by Valeros Wilmington refinery. There, too, the Torrance refinery has disagreed. Just before 9 that morning, pent-up gases at ExxonMobil's Torrance refinery south of Los Angeles had triggered an explosion so massive it registered as a magnitude-1.7 tremor. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. The refineries are the only two in the state that use the substance. The Torrance refinery has completed all safety enhancements and Valero has begun installation of some elements of safety measures structures and additional implementation is ongoing, said SCAQMD spokesperson Nahal Mogharabi in an email. Those safety enhancements, Lafayette said, include installing a new protective steel structure, water mitigation dome and curtain, an enhanced HF/MHF detection system, and additional water mitigation monitors. The explosion also spurred a movement among residents to oppose MHF. The CSB is an independent, non-regulatory federal agency charged with investigating serious chemical incidents. A blast was reported at the ExxonMobil refinery in Torrance, California. Torrance firefighters responded to the 23500 block of Anza Avenue just before 1:20 p.m. Sunday. I cant believe they dont have the guts to stand up and say, This is wrong and MHF needs to be out of our community, she said. The respective responses were predictable: For years, both sides of this battle have zealously defended their positions. Alex Wigglesworth is an environment reporter who covers wildfires for the Los Angeles Times. The explosion filled surrounding neighborhoods with ash, fiberglass, and glass wool. Of the injured, two were said to have sustained significant injuries. Three dozen firefighters knocked down the blaze within a half-hour. The Oscars will air on ABC and can be streamed on ABC.com and the ABC app as well as Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, AT&T TV or FuboTV. She currently lives in Inglewood. TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA Just before 9 a.m. on February 18, the ExxonMobil refinery in Torrance, California exploded, shaking the surrounding community with the force of a 1.7 magnitude earthquake, and sending a quarter ton of sulfur oxide gas into the atmosphere. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Desperate mountain residents trapped by snow beg for help; We are coming, sheriff says, Hidden, illegal casinos are booming in L.A., with organized crime reaping big profits, Look up: The 32 most spectacular ceilings in Los Angeles, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, David Lindley, guitarist best known for work with Jackson Browne, dies at 78, Newsom, IRS give Californians until October to file tax returns, Best coffee city in the world? In February, a large explosion occurred at ExxonMobil's refinery in Torrance, California. Instead, if a leak occurred, a ground-hugging liquid cloud would form, according to a 2018 report from the Torrance refinery defending its use of the chemical. A Redondo Beach resident told NBC4 windows rattled at his house, about five miles from the refinery. TORRANCE (CBSLA.com) A New Jersey-based oil refining company announced Wednesday it is purchasing the ExxonMobil refinery in Torrance that was badly damaged in a February explosion, with. The Torrance Fire Department responded to an explosion at the ExxonMobil Torrance Refinery on Feb. 18, 2015. But we had no idea about the danger.. The CSBs report concludes that the unit was operating without proper procedures., MHF was the subject of a thorough technology review by a court-appointed Safety Advisor with input from the City of Torrance, Gesuina Lafayette, PBFs community relations advisor said in a recent email. All Rights Reserved. Activists held an event Saturday to mark the fifth anniversary of the explosion at the Exxon Mobil refinery in Torrance that injured four workers. Four people were injured in an explosion at an apartment building in Torrance Sunday afternoon, officials said. A Philadelphia native, she graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in medical anthropology and global health. In the late 1980s, ExxonMobil and Phillips 66 jointly created modified hydrofluoric acid, which boasts a chemical additive that, when used in high enough concentrations, can prevent the poisonous chemical from dispersing. A smoke advisory was issued for areas near the ExxonMobil refinery due to Wednesday morning's explosion and fire. Refinery spokeswoman Betsy Brien said the fire was quickly extinguished and the Del Amo Boulevard barriers were activated to close the road under an abundance of caution.. Additional locations: Dallas, TX | Midland, TX | Odessa, TX | Louisiana, Plant Explosion Lawyer Refinery & Pipeline, Railroad Crossing Accidents and Train Accidents, Longshore & Harbor Workers Compensation Act. And so, the battle over MHFs future appears set to linger on with the Board of Supervisors call for a ban the latest volley. People, Donna Heise said, are becoming more aware if nothing else over the last seven years.. For decades, hydrofluoric acid was a standard chemical in oil refining, serving as a catalyst during a process known as alkylation. The explosion, which happened . "I kind of figured we had an earthquake, then I realized, living by the factory for all those years, they had a problem with the factory.". Explosion at Torrance refinery - Los Angeles Times SUBSCRIBE Copyright 2022, Los Angeles Times | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | CA Notice of Collection | Do Not Sell My Personal. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Watch: Explosion reported at ExxonMobil refinery in California - CBS News State of the Union CBS News App Ukraine Crisis COVID Pandemic CBS News Live Managing Your Money Essentials Shopping. With the capacity to refine more than 150,000 barrels of gasoline a day, the . Across California, CA | News | 15h. For more than seven years, members of small, local activist groups have been irresponsibly making claims against the Refinerys use of MHF, without any basis in fact, Lafayette wrote recently. No injuries were reported, and the fire did not impact anything offsite. The agency's board members are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. This explosion and near miss should not have happened, and likely would not have happened, had a more robust process safety management system been in place, then-CSB Chairwoman Vanessa Allen Sutherland said in a statement at the time. Lieu commended the AQMD for its proposal to phase out the use of modified hydrofluoric acid at the plant, one of only two refineries in California to rely on MHF. Fortunately, the explosion did not release asbestos, but the material released contained fiberglass and glass wool which can cause respiratory issues. By Nichola Groom TORRANCE, Calif. (Reuters) - An explosion and fire ripped through a gasoline processing unit at an Exxon Mobil refinery in Torrance, California, near Los Angeles on Wednesday, slightly injuring four workers and shattering windows of surrounding buildings, authorities said. The cause of the explosion was not known. Chairperson Sutherland said, There are valuable lessons to be learned and applied at this refinery, and to all refineries in the U.S. Keeping our refineries operating safely is critical to the well-being of the employees and surrounding communities, as well as to the economy.. The refineries arent going to eat that cost, William Burke, former chairman of the SCAQMDs governing board said in a previous interview. If you're interested in joining our team, you can apply for a position here. PBF also reached a separate agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to upgrade an additional water monitor in 2020, according to Lafayette. Kim Baldonado, Patrick Healy, Jason Kandel, and Tena Ezzeddine contributed to this report. TORRANCE TODAY is a 15-minute live news broadcast airing Monday. Theyre going to pass it on to the consumer.. The Torrance refinery, however, also contributes significantly to the citys economy. Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bontas offices to take all possible actions to require refineries in California to convert from MHF to safer alternatives.. The latest salvo in the battle over MHF came last month, when the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors called for a ban on the highly toxic chemical. "I just appreciate that I'm here. A group of activists on Saturday marked the fifth anniversary of an explosion at the Exxon Mobil refinery in Torrance that injured four workers and prompted continuing concerns about the potential for an even more catastrophic incident and the release of toxic chemicals and fumes into local communities. PBF, for its part, has repeatedly said concerns from local groups against MHF were unwarranted. Our Manhattan Beach office is physically closed at this time. There was a "large fire explosion" at the ExxonMobil Torrance Refinery in Southern California on Wednesday morning, according to the Torrance Police Department. Tests have shown that MHF, which Torrance has used since 1997, rapidly expands upon release and can travel at lethal concentrations up to two miles, according to a presentation from AQMD staff. California workplace regulators fined ExxonMobil more than $500 million for the violations related to the explosion. The Board does not issue citations or fines but does make safety recommendations to plants, industry organizations, labor groups, and regulatory agencies such as OSHA and EPA. And it directs L.A. County to support any new legislation that would help phase out MHF. Explosion reported in Torrance Fire department vehicles will patrol Los Angeles with vehicles and helicopters to identify the damage or emergency needs, it was reported. The refinery previously said that the citys Fire Department has the sole responsibility to decide what tools to use, when to use them, and what area within the community to notify. At the bottom of a public notice explaining the Torrance Community Warning System, however, ExxonMobil has the ability to initiate the use of the Community Alert Sirens and Crenshaw Street Barriers if an incident at the refinery warrants immediate community notification., The Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee and the Environmental Quality Committee has planned a joint hearing to address the emergency response in the Torrance refinery explosion. A five-story processing unit had burst open, spewing industrial ash over a mile away that some mistook for snow and propelling a 40-ton hunk of equipment into the air. And those who run the Torrance facility also say its refinery hasnt experienced an off-site leak of either HF or MHF since it opened in 1966. Other than the affected crude unit, the refinery continues to operate, Brien said. More information will be added as soon as it becomes available. The PBF Energy facility has been plagued with a series of incidents since the massive blast two years ago that almost caused a catastrophic release of highly toxic hydrofluoric acid that could have killed and injured thousands. More Stories Drone helps. Torrance fire Capt. We are very proud of the many technical advances we have added to our Alkylation Unit over the years, the refinery says on its website, which is additional proof of our continuing commitment to safe, reliable operations.. Los Angeles, This fabled orchid breeder loves to chat just not about Trader Joes orchids, Calmes: Heres what we should do about Marjorie Taylor Greene, ICE detainees allege retaliation for speaking about medical conditions at Otay Mesa center, Downtown L.A stabbing sends six to hospital; suspect arrested, San Diego Roman Catholic diocese facing yet another lawsuit from its insurance company, K-Pop isnt the only hot ticket in Koreatown how trot is captivating immigrants, Los Angeles is suddenly awash in waterfalls. The explosion was so severe that it caused residents in the area to experience a shock similar to the effects of a 1.7 magnitude earthquake. That 2015 blast registered as a small earthquake that shook nearby houses, injured four of the facilitys workers and covered the area in dust and ash. There was no sign of an announced safety rally at the refinery PBF had planned to hold for workers as a counterpoint to the demonstration so they could reflect upon the (2015) incident.. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. For a breakdown of the fees and expenses associated with the verdicts and settlements listed on our site, please visit our Results page. I urge SCAQMD to act with urgency, said the South Bay Democrat. Thick smoke rose from a mangled, multiple-story portion of the Torrance ExxonMobil Refinery, located south of the 405 Freeway, after the 8:50 a.m. blast. Explosion Rocks ExxonMobil Refinery in Torrance, California. Feb . The fire, possibly triggered by an explosion that has not yet been confirmed, was reported at 6 a.m. Saturday in the plants crude oil unit, said Torrance Assistant Fire Chief Steve Treskes. North Torrance resident Daphne Wong, her husband, Eng, and their three children, ages 5 to 9, all walked to the refinery together despite the rain. Si quieres personalizar tus opciones, haz clic en Gestionar configuracin de privacidad. Still, the explosion led to further safety measures, some the refineries put in voluntarily and others they did so essentially at the behest of government agencies. MHF opponents have also expressed concerns that the refineries havent done enough to ensure the communities safety. But HF is highly corrosive, posing a threat to nearby communities if it were dispersed as a gas during a fire, explosion or the like. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. The decision by the board came one week after the two refineries sent letters offering to install improved safety systems in the coming years if regulators ended their pursuit of new rules for the chemical. But at least for now, environmentalists and the refineries remain entrenched in their positions. God may not warn us again.. The improvements, though, also came after sustained pressure from the community and watchdog agencies. Electrostatic precipitators are large machines that stand12 stories high and weigh more than 1,000 tons. They have not yet completed their final investigation, and I will be asking the Chemical Safety Board to include todays fire and explosion as part of their investigation.. Fill Out the Form Below for a Free Case Review with our Undefeated Personal Injury Lawyers. When you think about it, she said, it makes you not want to sleep at night.. Had the tank ruptured, it would have caused a release of MHF, which is highly toxic. CSB Releases Final Report into 2015 Explosion at ExxonMobil Refinery in Torrance, California, Drivers of Critical Chemical Safety Change, Process Safety Management for the 21st Century, Emergency Planning and Response (Preparedness), Website design & development by Americaneagle.com. They have lived in a neighborhood directly adjacent to the Torrance refinery for 48 years. "You could feel it," said refinery worker Jason Hernandez. Some community members do not believe that the company did not enough to respond to the emergency. "Emergency procedures have been activated to address the incident, and employees are working with the appropriate agencies," a statement by the ExxonMobil Torrance Refinery said. Get up to speed with our Essential California newsletter, sent six days a week. Paige Austin, Patch Staff. Unfortunately, ExxonMobil, the owner-operator of the refinery at the time of the accident, did not respond to the CSBs requests for information detailing safeguards to prevent or mitigate a release of MHF, and therefore the agency was unable to fully explore this topic in its final report. The investigation of the Torrance explosion by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board revealed that a piece of equipment nearly crashed into a tank holding tens of thousands of pounds of modified hydrofluoric acid a highly toxic chemical used to make high-octane gasoline. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Ryan Zehl is the lawyer responsible for this website. Prior to joining the Press-Telegram, she served as the Daily Breeze's lead city hall reporter. Both the PBF and Valero refineries are situated in densely populated areas of the South Bay: About 245,000 people live within three miles of the Torrance refinery and another 153,000 live within that same distance of Valeros refinery, AQMD said. My first reaction was, this doesn't sound good, this doesn't look good. Cal/OSHA has shut down the fluid catalytic cracker and will only allow operations to resume once it can be exhibited that the unit can operate safely. Hours after an explosion ripped through a Torrance refinery, residents for miles around continue to grapple with ash, a gas odor and concerns over poor air quality while inspectors confirmed that a filtration device was the source of the blast. The cause of the fire, which Millea said burned an unspecified amount of crude oil, is under scrutiny by investigators from Cal-OSHA, the states worker safety agency, while a county hazardous materials team also was on the scene. That, the report said, would prevent the chemical from dispersing as widely as it would as an aerosol. An ExxonMobil refinery explosion in Torrance injured two, caused a 1.7 magnitude shake and portends pain at the pumps. The incident caused the refinery to be . No further details were immediately available. Investigators were trying to determine the cause of the blast, which occurred shortly before 9 a.m. PST . If you or a loved one were injured or burned in a plant or refinery fire, contact ourplant and refinery accident attorneysfor a free consultation at 1-888-603-3636 or by Clicking Here.
What Does The Bible Say About Rh Negative Blood,
Devon Culture Birthday,
How To Use Oregano Leaves For Skin,
Articles E