Chairperson Sutherland said, Adoption of and adherence to a robust safety management process would have prevented these other incidents. The refinery relied on safeguards that could not be verified, and re-used a previous procedure deviation without a sufficient hazard analysis of the current process conditions. 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. Those safety advances, however, have come since the 2015 explosion and a harsh assessment by federal investigators. April 8, 2018 / 2:50 PM The SCAQMD didnt comment on Hahns request for the organization to reexamine the viability of alternative technologies to MHF, some of which may be more commercially available than they were at the time of the vote. That, the report said, would prevent the chemical from dispersing as widely as it would as an aerosol. 6 Min Read. Get Los Angeles's latest local news on crime, entertainment, weather, schools, COVID, cost of living and more. Congresswoman Maxine Waters and I requested the U.S. Chemical Safety Board to investigate the explosion two years ago, Lieu said in the statement. A blast was reported at the ExxonMobil refinery in Torrance, California. Refineries are not supposed to have explosions. Four contractors at the plant suffered injuries and required medical treatment and eight workers had to be decontaminated. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. torrance News Caught on video: Car-to-car shooting on 91 Freeway Video shows a shooting between people in two cars traveling on the freeway in the Long Beach area. The Torrance refinery, according to its website, has made several improvements, including a leak-detection system, upgraded water monitors, 24/7 automated, continuously monitored unit cameras and an expanded water mitigation system. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Two others sustained minor injuries. Zehl & Associates is always looking for smart, hardworking and talented personal injury attorneys and staff to join our team. Had the tank ruptured, it would have caused a release of MHF, which is highly toxic. Kristy Hutchings covers all things Long Beach including local government, politics, and the environment. No injuries were reported, and the fire did not impact anything offsite. All communications are private and confidential. 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. First thing I thought was to call my wife, my kids, and let them know I'm safe.". For a while, though, flames shot 40 feet into the air. ET), but there was no . More Stories Drone helps. But we had no idea about the danger.. The explosion was mostly contained to two of the buildings units, with each sustaining significant damage. More information will be added as soon as it becomes available. 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.. Feb . The battle over a highly toxic chemical used in oil refining recently received a fresh jolt, seven years after the substance became a regional cause celebre in the wake of an explosion that rocked the Torrance Refinery. "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. In 2004, the South Coast Air Quality Management District said much the same in an environmental analysis the agency did when Valero introduced MHF at its Wilmington refinery. Torrance firefighters . "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.". Alex Wigglesworth is an environment reporter who covers wildfires for the Los Angeles Times. Puedes cambiar tus opciones en cualquier momento haciendo clic en el enlace Panel de control de privacidad de nuestros sitios y aplicaciones. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. The four victims were found suffering varying degrees on injuries. Principal Office: Houston Texas. For a breakdown of the fees and expenses associated with the verdicts and settlements listed on our site, please visit our Results page. It was unclear what caused the fire. 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County, Over $38M stolen from low-income SoCal families, Newport Beach home dangling after cliffside collapse, High-speed rail from L.A. to Vegas: What we know, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Anza Avenue had been closed for a few hoursas emergency personnel responded. No injuries were reported and there were no evacuations. Although there are alternative alkylation technologies under development, Lafayette said, they still need to be proven to be safe, mechanically reliable, and commercially viable at the scale of the Torrance Alkylation Unit.. The motion the LA County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed in mid-February asks Gov. Residents touted the move, introduced by Supervisor Janice Hahn and timed to the anniversary, while PBF, in a statement, criticized the county boards vote. 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. Ryan Zehl is the lawyer responsible for this website. Fire crews knocked down the blaze within 30 minutes. 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. 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. The additive does this by ensuring the chemical used as a liquid during refining doesnt turn into a gas. Electrostatic precipitators are large machines that stand12 stories high and weigh more than 1,000 tons. "I was having my cup of coffee and all of the sudden the whole house shook, the windows vibrated," said Torrance resident John White. Activists carried signs reading Congratulations PBF, zero days explosion free and All lives matter while chanting Hey, hey, ho, ho, MHF has got to go. Some said the turnout demonstrates the series of refinery disruptions has reached a crisis point. TORRANCE, Calif. (KABC) -- The Torrance Police Department issued an alert for the city, notifying them that the Torrance ExxonMobil Refinery had an explosion and fire early Saturday. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. The proposal had plenty of support: Reps. Nanette Barragan, Ted Lieu and Maxine Waters wrote letters urging the AQMD to pass the rule and phase MHF out of Southern California. Some community members do not believe that the company did not enough to respond to the emergency. TORRANCE (CBSLA) Firefighters say four people have been injured in a reported explosion at an apartment complex in Torrance. The explosion occurred in the refinerys fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) unit, where a variety of products, mainly gasoline, are produced. The explosion filled surrounding neighborhoods with ash, fiberglass, and glass wool. in journalism from the University of Southern California. In February, a large explosion occurred at ExxonMobils refinery in Torrance, California. 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. The cause of the explosion was not known. My first reaction was, this doesn't sound good, this doesn't look good. Officials were investigating the cause of the over-pressurization. The refinery has been under constant scrutiny since the explosion as small fires and flare ups have been reported since and raised concern among residents living nearby. Notably absent from the event was any sign of Torrance elected officials, although police officers in several patrol cars discreetly kept their eye on the peaceful protesters from a distance. 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. Living in such close proximity to the refinery, Donna Heise said, makes it hard for the couple to ignore the chemicals potential dangers. Fortunately, the explosion did not release asbestos, but the material released contained fiberglass and glass wool which can cause respiratory issues. mostrar anuncios y contenido personalizados basados en perfiles de inters; medir la efectividad de los anuncios y el contenido personalizados, y. desarrollar y mejorar nuestros productos y servicios. The CSB investigation also discovered that a large piece of debris from the explosion narrowly missed hitting a tank containing tens of thousands of pounds of modified hydrofluoric acid, or MHF. / KCAL News. But the proposed ban on MHF is far from the first cost passed onto consumers: The 2015 explosion, according to the CSB, caused the refinery to run at limited capacity for more than a year and raised gas prices in California costing drivers in the state an estimated $2.4 billion. Three of them were taken to a nearby hospital, authorities said, after earlier indicating all four had been transported. 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. "I just appreciate that I'm here. Many in the neighborhood reported being startled by a large blast. 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The building has been undergoing renovations for some time, and the victims are believed to be remodelers working in one of the involved units, neighbors said. The cause of the explosion is under investigation. 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.. Please enter valid email address to continue. The explosion, the report said, launched a 40-ton piece of debris that nearly struck tanks carrying tens of thousands of pounds of MHF. 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. At the center of that debate is the modified part of MHF. Fill Out the Form Below for a Free Case Review with our Undefeated Personal Injury Lawyers. As a result, unraveling the debates complexities remains challenging. proporcionarte nuestros sitios y aplicaciones; autenticar usuarios, aplicar medidas de seguridad y evitar el spam y los abusos, y. medir el uso que haces de nuestros sitios y aplicaciones. The CSBs report emphasizes that it is critical that hydrocarbons do not flow into the air side of the FCC unit, as this can create an explosive atmosphere. ExxonMobil said in a statement early Wednesday afternoon that "no harmful emissions have been detected.". May 3, 2017, Torrance, CA, -- Today, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) released its final report into the February 18, 2015, explosion at the ExxonMobil refinery in Torrance, California. Workers were seen boarded up the windows of the affected apartments later Sunday afternoon. A powerful blast at an ExxonMobil oil refinery rocked Torrance, California, on Wednesday. The refinery, where about 155,000 barrels of crude oil are processed each day, has been part of the South Bay landscape since the 1920s. The issues to be discussed include A decision not to use the ExxonMobil emergency siren to alert the community to the explosion and subsequent ash and dust fallout.. Had we known then what we know now, Cliff Heise said, we wouldve run, not walked home.. "I have second thoughts about being out here right now," said resident Anthony Scales. The respective responses were predictable: For years, both sides of this battle have zealously defended their positions. So far though, it doesn't appear as if any serious damage or injuries have occurred, barring reported explosions in Torrance. When you think about it, she said, it makes you not want to sleep at night.. Various elected officials have periodically attempted to rein in its use at the Torrance refinery and another in Wilmington, the only two in the state that use the chemical. Tammy Khan, of the Torrance Unified School District, said the shetler-in-place order was lifted early Wednesday afternoon. TORRANCE, Calif.- 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.Investigators were trying to determine the cause of the blast, which occurred shortly before 9 a.m. PST (12 p.m. The AQMD scrapped the potential ban in 2019 instead accepting proffers from both refineries that promised to make safety enhancements to their existing MHF units. PBF Energy, which now owns the Torrance Refining Co. refinery, denied that an explosion occurred. Refinery officials those from ExxonMobil, which owned the Torrance Refining Company during the explosion, and current owner PBF Energy have repeatedly pushed back on that conclusion, saying MHF doesnt pose a widespread threat. All the while, officials at those facilities have defended the chemicals use as safe. Investigators are trying to determine what caused the explosion at a Torrance oil refinery that sent four workers to the hospital. 1750 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Suite 910 | Washington, DC 20006. U.S. Chemical Safety Board. Those improvements were completed in 2021 and are now in service, Lafayette said. The Torrance refinery, however, also contributes significantly to the citys economy. TORRANCE, Calif. -- An explosion rocked an Exxon Mobil refinery on Wednesday morning, triggering a huge smokestack flare, raining down ash and leaving four with minor injuries, company and. The explosion sent ash raining down on. 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.. Torrance Refinery on April 22 reported an unplanned flaring event, induced by damaged equipment, that sent an additional 765 pounds of SOx and 143 pounds of volatile organic compounds into the.
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