The machines are responsible for reducing ammonia and particulate emissions in a plant to comply with environmental regulations. A Philadelphia native, she graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in medical anthropology and global health. 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. Another fire? 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. in journalism from the University of Southern California. 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. Congresswoman Maxine Waters and I requested the U.S. Chemical Safety Board to investigate the explosion two years ago, Lieu said in the statement. April 8, 2018 / 2:50 PM As a result, when the valve was needed during an emergency, it did not work as intended, and hydrocarbons were able to reach an ignition source. 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. And it directs L.A. County to support any new legislation that would help phase out MHF. 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. TORRANCE (CBSLA) Firefighters say four people have been injured in a reported explosion at an apartment complex in Torrance. The CSB notes that it is vital to ensure that safety critical equipment can successfully carry out its intended function. 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. Refineries are not supposed to have explosions. The new campaign comes several months after air quality regulators killed a years-long push for stronger regulation of hydrofluoric acid at the two refineries. 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 refinery completed those improvements in 2020. Please enter valid email address to continue. Torrance Refinery cited for failing to properly maintain equipment The 2015 explosion at the Torrance Refinery was bad, but it easily could have been catastrophic, Hahn said in a press release. First thing I thought was to call my wife, my kids, and let them know I'm safe.". 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. The shaking was felt primarily in the immediate vicinity of the refinery, according to Caltech. Anza Avenue had been closed for a few hoursas emergency personnel responded. 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. 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.. Some said they heard one of the workers may have turned on the gas inside one of the apartments before it was completely ready. Local battle over toxic chemical at Torrance,, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Local battle over toxic chemical at Torrance, Wilmington refineries continues, Baby girl Winter of Lake Arrowhead is born amid raging blizzard, Texas congressman who broke with GOP is censured, Biden expected to tighten rules on US investment in China, More Iranian schoolgirls sickened in suspected poisoning wave, explosion that rocked the Torrance Refinery, according to a 2018 report from the Torrance refinery defending its use of the chemical, protests and intensified public pressure from such activists, Heres why AQMD committee chose enhanced safety measures over a ban on MHF at refineries in Wilmington and Torrance, LA public health official urges phasing out MHF chemical at Torrance, Wilmington refineries, Activists call for state investigation into use of toxic chemical at two South Bay refineries, Court rules ExxonMobil must give feds crucial data on 2015 Torrance refinery explosion, Explosion at Torrance ExxonMobil refinery injures 4; spike in gas prices expected, Alpine Village shopkeepers get confirmation: theyre being evicted, San Pedro Fish Market bids a sad goodbye to legacy location, Alpine Village, for decades a German American hub, faces unknown future, Appeals court ruling in Lunada Bay Boys case could make cities liable for surf localism, Gracie Abrams behind Good Riddance message in Los Angeles sky, Tax filing deadline moves to mid-October for most Californians, 6 suspects wanted for holding up armored cars for $550,000-plus in Hawthorne, LA and Inglewood, California weighs $360,000 in reparations to eligible Black residents, Hermosa Beach Police arrest 2 men suspected in shooting attempt, As Adderall shortage continues, DEA plans to limit some telemedicine prescriptions, House where JonBenet Ramsey was found dead listed for sale for almost $7M, Columbia University permanently drops SAT, ACT admissions requirement, The Waterbed Doctor: California retailer lays claim to retro bed with nearly 40 years of service, sales, Felonious Florida podcast: Missing teenage girl leads to several cases of child sex trafficking, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. 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. 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. All communications are private and confidential. 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. 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. 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. The CSBs report concludes that the unit was operating without proper procedures.. 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.. Residents touted the move, introduced by Supervisor Janice Hahn and timed to the anniversary, while PBF, in a statement, criticized the county boards vote. In February, a large explosion occurred at ExxonMobil's refinery in Torrance, California. Eight workers were decontaminated at the scene. Those improvements were completed in 2021 and are now in service, Lafayette said. While the unit where the blast occurred was ordered shut down, the rest of the refinery is still in operation. In February, a large explosion occurred at ExxonMobils refinery in Torrance, California. He said the blast happened in a processing facility and the material involved was gasoline. 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.. Final CSB Report of Explosion at ExxonMobil Refinery in Torrance, CA And then the people who were right by just felt a shake, like an earthquake.. 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. The CSB is an independent, non-regulatory federal agency charged with investigating serious chemical incidents. Inside the refinery, the explosion blew off parts of an electrostatic precipitator and damaged other equipment at the plant. At the center of that debate is the modified part of MHF. 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.. But in the years since the 2015 explosion, residents have continued decrying MHF. ET), but there was no . There have also been multiple safety enhancements to prevent leaks, they say. 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. All rights reserved. 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. 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. Edited by Rachel Barnes. A blast was reported at the ExxonMobil refinery in Torrance, California. 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. 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. All rights reserved. No further details were immediately available. Living in such close proximity to the refinery, Donna Heise said, makes it hard for the couple to ignore the chemicals potential dangers. Advocates renew call for MHF ban on 8th anniversary of Torrance "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. 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. With the addition of these voluntary safety enhancements and other obligations completed and operating, we have fulfilled our obligation to further protect Refinery personnel and the community, Lafayette said. Following the explosion, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health shut down the part of the refinery where the accident occurred. Robert Millea said he couldnt immediately confirm whether an explosion actually occurred, only that one was reported. Para obtener ms informacin sobre cmo utilizamos tus datos personales, consulta nuestra Poltica de privacidad y Poltica de cookies. The information you review on this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice.The verdicts and settlements that we have listed are simply intended to be representative of the cases that Zehl & Associates has handled for past clients; they are not a guarantee or prediction of the outcome in your or any other lawsuit. Explosion Rips Through Torrance Refinery, Shakes South Bay All Rights Reserved. Torrance firefighters responded to the 23500 block of Anza Avenue just before 1:20 p.m. Sunday. The four victims were found suffering varying degrees on injuries. They have lived in a neighborhood directly adjacent to the Torrance refinery for 48 years. Theyre going to pass it on to the consumer.. The crowd gathered at 10 a.m. at Columbia Park on 190th Street, cheering the remarks of Lieu, Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi and other speakers, before marching the short distance to the refinery. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. The explosion sent ash raining down on vehicles parked near the sprawling 750-acre site and caused what one worker described as intense shaking. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. But at least for now, environmentalists and the refineries remain entrenched in their positions. 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. Officials were investigating the cause of the over-pressurization. TORRANCE TODAY - FEBRUARY 16, 2023 - City of Torrance TorranceCitiCABLE 4.15K subscribers 113 views 1 day ago #184 1. 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. Two others sustained minor injuries. 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. 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. 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. California workplace regulators fined ExxonMobil more than $500 million for the violations related to the explosion. Posted Wed, Feb 18, 2015 at 5:20 pm PT. Blast Blamed on Gas Buildup - Los Angeles Times PBF also reached a separate agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to upgrade an additional water monitor in 2020, according to Lafayette. Its unclear what effect these new calls to action will have on the refineries MHF usage. 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. "I was having my cup of coffee and all of the sudden the whole house shook, the windows vibrated," said Torrance resident John White. A powerful blast at an ExxonMobil oil refinery rocked Torrance, California, on Wednesday. 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. Flares from the stack, part of a safety relief valve system, are part of normal operations that occasionally produce a rumbling sound, like distant thunder, caused by turbulent mixing of vapors. 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. My first reaction was, this doesn't sound good, this doesn't look good. 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. Other than the affected crude unit, the refinery continues to operate, Brien said. Its been a few years now, and there has been very little progress.. The fiercest local opponent of MHF is the Torrance Refinery Action Alliance. 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. In working with inherently dangerous products, it is critical to conduct a robust risk management analysis with the intent of continually safety improvement.. But the consequences, according to federal investigators, could have been far worse: The explosion, investigators wrote in a report two years later, nearly released tons of modified hydrofluoric acid, potentially putting thousands in the South Bay at risk. Ryan Zehl is the lawyer responsible for this website. Passing motorists supplied supportive honks. All rights reserved, Los Angeles County Holds Stable COVID-19 Hospitalization Rate, Tax Deadlines Extended to October for Most Californians Due to Storms, Check Your Pockets: These Coins Can Be Worth Up To $24,000, Glendale Neighborhood Frustrated After an Illegal Hostel Moves In, Road Rage Incident Kicks Off Pursuit, Carjacking, and Weapon Fired Out Window in Wild Chase, NASA Images Show Southern California Mountains Before and After Winter Storm. California oil refinery blast sends flames shooting into sky The explosion also launched an 80,000-pound piece of equipment within feet of a structure that housed a highly volatile and toxic substance, modified hydrofluoric acid. Prior to joining the Press-Telegram, she served as the Daily Breeze's lead city hall reporter. Torrance News - ABC7 Los Angeles Cuando utilizas nuestros sitios y aplicaciones, usamos. The fire was reported to the South Coast Air Quality Management District and California Office of Emergency Services, police said. The governors office confirmed they received the request, but declined further comment. Before joining the newsroom in 2016, she was a general assignment reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer, Daily News and Philly.com. Gen. Xavier Becerras office investigate how the Torrance and Wilmington refineries are able to legally operate using hydrofluoric acid. 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 ExxonMobil near-disaster you probably haven't heard of Authorities said the incident happened around 6 a.m. and 36 firefighters responded to the refinery. For more information, contact Communications Manager Hillary Cohen, cell 202-446-8094 or email public@csb.gov. Investigators are still looking into the cause of the explosion, wh. 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. All safety systems at the refinery operated correctly and personnel were safe, police said. 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. 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. Explosion Rocks ExxonMobil Refinery in Torrance, California - NBC News