Really? read one of the signs carried by chanting marchers who endured a steady downpour to protest the use of toxic hydrofluoric acid at the refinery. Organizers estimated the crowd size at more than 400. 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. Get up to speed with our Essential California newsletter, sent six days a week. This is a breaking news story. Valero, owner of the Wilmington refinery, did not respond to multiple requests for comment. 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. Principal Office: Houston Texas. Deuel told The Associated Press the flare system was triggered to burn off fuel that could add to the fire. 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. The fire, possibly triggered by an explosion that has not yet been confirmed, was reported at 6 a.m. Saturday in the plant's crude oil unit, said Torrance Assistant Fire Chief Steve Treskes. Cliff and Donna Heise, for example, serve as secretary and treasurer of the TRAA, respectively. The bottom line is Torrance Refinery now has the most advanced safety systems of any HF Alkylation Unit in California, the U.S., and the world.. A smoke advisory was issued for areas near the ExxonMobil refinery due to Wednesday morning's explosion and fire. Residents touted the move, introduced by Supervisor Janice Hahn and timed to the anniversary, while PBF, in a statement, criticized the county boards vote. On a day when activists marked the two-year anniversary of an explosion that rocked the then-ExxonMobil refinery and showered neighborhoods with industrial debris, another fire erupted at the troubled Torrance plant early Saturday. We knew we were moving in next to a refinery it was here before we were, Cliff Heise said in an interview. 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. 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.. 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. Fill out the form below for a free case review with one of our experienced personal injury lawyers. She currently lives in Inglewood. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. People gathered in protest at the refinery later in the afternoon on the 2-year anniversary of an explosion at the plant that left two people injured. So far though, it doesn't appear as if any serious damage or injuries have occurred, barring reported explosions in Torrance. If you're interested in joining our team, you can apply for a position here. "You could feel it," said refinery worker Jason Hernandez. Before joining the newsroom in 2016, she was a general assignment reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer, Daily News and Philly.com. Four people were injured in an explosion at an apartment building in Torrance Sunday afternoon, officials said. The work of the Safety Auditor was overseen by a Los Angeles Superior Court judge and approved prior to use of MHF at the refinery.. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. 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. (Credit: KTLA) The blast at the refinery, which is located in the 3700 block of West . 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. Congresswoman Maxine Waters and I requested the U.S. Chemical Safety Board to investigate the explosion two years ago, Lieu said in the statement. Si quieres personalizar tus opciones, haz clic en Gestionar configuracin de privacidad. PBF Energy, which now owns the Torrance Refining Co. refinery, denied that an explosion occurred. The motion also instructs county departments to review existing health and safety measures related to MHF including emergency precautions in case of an accidental leak. Its unclear what effect these new calls to action will have on the refineries MHF usage. They heard a loud explosion, kind of like a sonic boom, said Jason Davis, who lives near the complex. That failure ultimately allowed hydrocarbons to flow into the air side of the FCC, where they ignited in a piece of equipment called the electrostatic precipitator, or ESP, causing an explosion of the ESP. The refineries arent going to eat that cost, William Burke, former chairman of the SCAQMDs governing board said in a previous interview. The refinery completed those improvements in 2020. He said the blast happened in a processing facility and the material involved was gasoline. For a breakdown of the fees and expenses associated with the verdicts and settlements listed on our site, please visit our Results page. The CSB notes that it is vital to ensure that safety critical equipment can successfully carry out its intended function. However, our staff is working remotely and can assist you via phone or email. We cant assume we will be so lucky next time, whether that is another refinery accident, an earthquake, or God-forbid, an attack., The passage of the Supervisors motion is disappointing, she said in an email, because many of the points they make are both misleading and the projects are already in place, following agreements with several government agencies to install additional safety measures.. Passing motorists supplied supportive honks. The blast caused serious property damage to the refinery and scattered catalyst dust up to a mile away from the facility into the nearby community. Workers were seen boarded up the windows of the affected apartments later Sunday afternoon. 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. Liz Odendahl, Hahns spokeswoman, said in an interview that the supervisor was furious at the AQMDs decision to accept the refineries proffers. The remainder of the FCC unit is comprised of a portion of the reaction process and a series of pollution control equipment that uses air and is known as the air side of the unit. And it directs L.A. County to support any new legislation that would help phase out MHF. Copyright 2023 KABC Television, LLC. "I was having my cup of coffee and all of the sudden the whole house shook, the windows vibrated," said Torrance resident John White. Had the tank ruptured, it would have caused a release of MHF, which is highly toxic. All communications are private and confidential. 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. The fiercest local opponent of MHF is the Torrance Refinery Action Alliance. Environmentalists and concerned residents say MHF could prove catastrophic if the chemical were to escape, pointing to its corrosivity and studies that show its ability to travel beyond a refinerys footprint. Puedes cambiar tus opciones en cualquier momento haciendo clic en el enlace Panel de control de privacidad de nuestros sitios y aplicaciones. 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. Thousands of people could have been harmed if the MHF had dispersed beyond the Torrance refinery in 2015, the CSB report said. Firefighters found gasoline flowing on the ground as a result of the explosion, Torrance Fire Department Capt. Investigators were trying to determine the cause of the blast, which occurred shortly before 9 a.m. PST . We need to ban MHF as soon as possible. There, too, the Torrance refinery has disagreed. Please enter valid email address to continue. "It was like a loud sonic boom. More information will be added as soon as it becomes available. The CSB is an independent, non-regulatory federal agency charged with investigating serious chemical incidents. Chairperson Sutherland said, Adoption of and adherence to a robust safety management process would have prevented these other incidents. U.S. Rep. Ted Lieu said in a statement Saturday that he plans to ask the U.S. Chemical Safety Board to include Saturdays incident as part of an ongoing investigation into the problems at the trouble-plagued refinery that began two years ago. 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. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. Activists held an event Saturday to mark the fifth anniversary of the explosion at the Exxon Mobil refinery in Torrance that injured four workers. 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. An explosion at the ExxonMobil Refinery in Torrance today sent a plume of black smoke in the air and caused ash to cascade down on the area, but there were only two minor injuries. Numerous nearby residents complained about the air quality following the blast. The Torrance Refinery Action Alliance plans on Tuesday to deliver a letter from its science advisory panel to Newsoms office urging him to request that Atty. 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. Visit our website, www.csb.gov. Several residents noticed what they described as a larger-than-usual flame from the plant's towering flare stack. 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. An ExxonMobil refinery explosion in Torrance injured two, caused a 1.7 magnitude shake and portends pain at the pumps. But in the years since the 2015 explosion, residents have continued decrying MHF. Four contractors at the plant suffered injuries and required medical treatment and eight workers had to be decontaminated. The rule would have required a gradual phase-out of MHF usage at both refineries, requiring an alternative catalyst, such as sulfuric acid. Four apartments have been damaged, two of which sustained "significant damage.". Every one of our lawyers is a Houston personal injury attorney whos undefeated in the courtroom and has recovered some of the largest verdicts and settlements in history. Steve Deuel said. At the center of that debate is the modified part of MHF. No injuries were reported and there were no evacuations. Other than the affected crude unit, the refinery continues to operate, Brien said. 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. 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. 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. Four were taken to hospitals. 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. On Saturday, the Torrance Refinery Action Alliance announced a campaign urging Gov. No further details were immediately available. 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. "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. Eight workers were decontaminated at the scene. Electrostatic precipitators are large machines that stand12 stories high and weigh more than 1,000 tons. In September, the South Coast Air Quality Management District governing board voted instead to accept a voluntary oil industry pledge to enhance safety measures. 6 Min Read. After protests and intensified public pressure from such activists as the Heises mounted in 2017, the AQMDs Proposed Rule 1410 became a key focus of the agencys Governing Board. The explosion sent ash raining down on. And so, the battle over MHFs future appears set to linger on with the Board of Supervisors call for a ban the latest volley. My first reaction was, this doesn't sound good, this doesn't look good. All safety systems at the refinery operated correctly and personnel were safe, police said. For more information, contact Communications Manager Hillary Cohen, cell 202-446-8094 or email public@csb.gov. The AQMDs own reports warned that the ability of MHF to prevent formation of a vapor/aerosol cloud is highly uncertain and that a release of MHF will result in exposure to HF with the same health effects.. Weve won over $1 Billion for our clients, recovered some of the largest verdicts and settlement in history, and obtained record-setting victories against the biggest trucking, oil and gas, maritime and petrochemical companies in the world. First published on April 8, 2018 / 2:50 PM. A powerful blast at an ExxonMobil oil refinery rocked Torrance, California, on Wednesday. Zehl & Associates is always looking for smart, hardworking and talented personal injury attorneys and staff to join our team. There was a "large fire explosion" at the ExxonMobil Torrance Refinery in Southern California on Wednesday morning, according to the Torrance Police Department. Finally, the slide valve - a safety-critical safeguard within the system - was degraded significantly. I wish the Torrance City Council had the courage to say that.. Three were treated and released. 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. April 8, 2018 / 2:50 PM / KCAL News. 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. Hutchings holds a B.A. Another fire? 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. TORRANCE An explosion and fire in a gasoline processing unit rocked the ExxonMobil refinery in Torrance today, injuring three workers and sending flames and ash into the sky. Get Los Angeles's latest local news on crime, entertainment, weather, schools, COVID, cost of living and more. Caltech officials said the explosion created ground shaking that was equivalent to a magnitude-1.7 earthquake. 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? The LA County Department of Public Health and former California Attorney General Xavier Becerra followed suit. 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.. Bontas office said it hadnt received a letter from the county. The state could potentially lose thousands of jobs, and it could result in higher gasoline prices at the pump for California residents, businesses, and government, Californians for a Sustainable Economy an association representing hundreds of local businesses wrote in opposition to the ban. 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.. Si no quieres que nosotros ni nuestros socios utilicemos cookies y datos personales para estos propsitos adicionales, haz clic en Rechazar todo. The explosion was mostly contained to two of the buildings units, with each sustaining significant damage. If that was the case, we wouldnt have seen another explosion today, she added. The AQMD estimated that replacing the MHF alkylation units with a safer sulfuric acid unit would cost the Torrance refinery about $900 million, and could temporarily impact gasoline supply and cost. Its unacceptable we were put in harms way, said Daphne Wong, who added that she does not believe the official line that Torrance is a safe community. 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. One person remained hospitalized with a knee injury. 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. Those safety advances, however, have come since the 2015 explosion and a harsh assessment by federal investigators. Member-Designated Transportation Projects, Fire erupts at Torrance refinery just hours before protest rally, announced safety rally at the refinery PBF had planned to hold for workers as a counterpoint to the demonstration, Manhattan Beach Office (By Appointment Only). PBF also reached a separate agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to upgrade an additional water monitor in 2020, according to Lafayette. 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. Tammy Khan, of the Torrance Unified School District, said the shetler-in-place order was lifted early Wednesday afternoon. While the unit where the blast occurred was ordered shut down, the rest of the refinery is still in operation. 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. Four people were injured in an explosion at an apartment building in Torrance Sunday afternoon, officials said. 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.. 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. I urge SCAQMD to act with urgency, said the South Bay Democrat. 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. Minor injuries were reported after the explosion ripped apart structures at the oil refinery and shook homes for miles around the blast site in southern Los Angeles County. Across California, CA | News | 15h. 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. The Heises, for their part, are still working to educate residents in Torrance and Wilmington about their MHF concerns and are grateful the issue is still being monitored. Hahn who left the agencys board in December 2019 was one of two votes opposed to accepting the proffers. Zehl & Associates Injury & Accident Lawyers is a Houston Personal Injury Law Firm that represents accident victims across Texas, Louisiana and the United States. All communications are private and confidential. Had we known then what we know now, Cliff Heise said, we wouldve run, not walked home.. Redondo Beach Local News. Torrance firefighters . By then, the husband said, theyd been living in the city long enough to know exactly what the sound was. 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. 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. 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. But at least for now, environmentalists and the refineries remain entrenched in their positions. That update was completed last year as well. California Occupational Safety and Health officials were at the site investigating. 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. The Torrance Fire Department responded to an explosion at the ExxonMobil Torrance Refinery on Feb. 18, 2015. In the past 5 years alone, our Plant Explosion Lawyers have Won over $1 Billion for workers who were seriously injured and burned in refinery and industrial accidents, represented workers in connection with every major plant and refinery explosion in recent history, and recovered record-setting verdicts and settlements against the largest oil and gas companies in the world, including ExxonMobil, Williams, Chevron, and ConocoPhillips. Torrance officials said there was no chemical release and a citywide shelter-in-place order is not necessary, but those near the site should keep windows closed. Some community members do not believe that the company did not enough to respond to the emergency. They have lived in a neighborhood directly adjacent to the Torrance refinery for 48 years. Three of them were taken to a nearby hospital, authorities said, after earlier indicating all four had been transported. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. CSB Chairperson Vanessa Allen Sutherland said, 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. There have also been multiple safety enhancements to prevent leaks, they say. No injuries were reported, and the fire did not impact anything offsite. In working with inherently dangerous products, it is critical to conduct a robust risk management analysis with the intent of continually safety improvement.. The explosion on Feb. 18, 2015, was described by federal regulators as a serious near miss.. Investigators are trying to determine what caused the explosion at a Torrance oil refinery that sent four workers to the hospital. Living in such close proximity to the refinery, Donna Heise said, makes it hard for the couple to ignore the chemicals potential dangers. Let's get out of here. Robert Millea said he couldnt immediately confirm whether an explosion actually occurred, only that one was reported. MHF opponents have also expressed concerns that the refineries havent done enough to ensure the communities safety. Times staff writer Tony Barboza contributed to this 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. 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. 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. 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.. Our Manhattan Beach office is physically closed at this time. The explosion, the report said, launched a 40-ton piece of debris that nearly struck tanks carrying tens of thousands of pounds of MHF. As a result, unraveling the debates complexities remains challenging. explosion also launched an 80,000-pound piece of equipment, failure to follow safety guidelines was partly to blame for the blast. All rights reserved. When released, the chemical can form a deadly, ground-hugging cloud that, in the event of a major leak, could have caused serious injury or death to many community members, according to the agency. "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.". 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 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. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Had the tanks ruptured, the report said, it would have caused a massive release of MHF, which can be deadly to anyone who comes in contact with it. Since the February 2015 explosion, the refinery has experienced multiple incidents. The CSB determined that on the day of the incident a slide valve that acted as a barrier failed. PUBLISHED: February 18, 2023 at 8:00 a.m. | UPDATED: February 18, 2023 at 8:01 a.m. It's been eight years since a massive explosion at the Torrance Refinery shook the South Bay with the blast. 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. In February, a large explosion occurred at ExxonMobils refinery in Torrance, California. Anza Avenue had been closed for a few hoursas emergency personnel responded. The fire was reported to the South Coast Air Quality Management District and California Office of Emergency Services, police said. 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. God may not warn us again.. The couple was taking a stroll outside of North High Schools football field on the day of the 2015 explosion. CSB investigations look into all aspects of chemical accidents, including physical causes such as equipment failure as well as inadequacies in regulations, industry standards, and safety management systems. Here's your go-to source for today's LA news. The Torrance refinery, however, also contributes significantly to the citys economy. 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.

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