All Rights Reserved. And so, the battle over MHFs future appears set to linger on with the Board of Supervisors call for a ban the latest volley. 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. But in the years since the 2015 explosion, residents have continued decrying MHF. 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. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. 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 . By then, the husband said, theyd been living in the city long enough to know exactly what the sound was. "It was like a loud sonic boom. PBF also reached a separate agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to upgrade an additional water monitor in 2020, according to Lafayette. We voluntarily enhanced the Alkylation Units robust, layered safety systems already considered by experts to be amongst the most advanced in the world, Lafayette wrote, by installing additional safety enhancements.. in communication and M.S. 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. 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. 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. 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. Caltech officials said the explosion created ground shaking that was equivalent to a magnitude-1.7 earthquake. The explosion sent ash raining down on vehicles parked near the sprawling 750-acre site and caused what one worker described as intense shaking. Environmentalists and activists, though, argue that the additives levels in MHF have significantly decreased since the modified versions creation. Times staff writer Tony Barboza contributed to this report. The cause of the explosion is under investigation. And Torrance receives about $7.5 million annually in utility user taxes from the refinerys operation. 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. Other groups including the refinerys unions and local businesses feared the potential economic fallout if the refineries were forced to transition to a safer alternative. Another fire? 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. Officials were investigating the cause of the over-pressurization. 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. explosion also launched an 80,000-pound piece of equipment, failure to follow safety guidelines was partly to blame for the blast. 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. 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. So far though, it doesn't appear as if any serious damage or injuries have occurred, barring reported explosions in 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. 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. Three dozen firefighters knocked down the blaze within a half-hour. 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 morning. "I just appreciate that I'm here. 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. 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. 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. 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. But we had no idea about the danger.. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. We knew we were moving in next to a refinery it was here before we were, Cliff Heise said in an interview. He said the blast happened in a processing facility and the material involved was gasoline. The modified HF catalyst reduces acid vapor pressure sufficiently to suppress the usual flash atomization process of hydrofluoric acid, that environmental impact report said, causing most of the acid to fall to the ground as an easily controlled liquid and reduces the potential for off-site consequences of an accidental HF release.. Alex Wigglesworth is an environment reporter who covers wildfires for the Los Angeles Times. Feb . 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. 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. Cliff and Donna Heise, for example, serve as secretary and treasurer of the TRAA, respectively. 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.. Torrance fire Capt. Torrance firefighters . Numerous nearby residents complained about the air quality following the blast. 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. The refinery completed those improvements in 2020. The Supervisor knew the proffers were toothless, Odendahl said. For a while, though, flames shot 40 feet into the air. 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. All communications are private and confidential. In working with inherently dangerous products, it is critical to conduct a robust risk management analysis with the intent of continually safety improvement.. There, too, the Torrance refinery has disagreed. 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 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. Chairperson Sutherland said, Adoption of and adherence to a robust safety management process would have prevented these other incidents. They claim nothing has been done, she added, without any proof, other than their beliefs, which are incorrect and misleading.. For decades, hydrofluoric acid was a standard chemical in oil refining, serving as a catalyst during a process known as alkylation. Theyre going to pass it on to the consumer.. 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. 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. Following the explosion, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health shut down the part of the refinery where the accident occurred. 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. 2022 Zehl & Associates Injury & Accident Lawyers. The governors office confirmed they received the request, but declined further comment. 1750 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Suite 910 | Washington, DC 20006. ET), but there was no . More than a day after the accident, no representative from ExxonMobil had directly contacted the Torrance fire chief and city officials still did not know what was in the substances that were released into the surrounding areas. She currently lives in Inglewood. Inside the refinery, the explosion blew off parts of an electrostatic precipitator and damaged other equipment at the plant. 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. Four were taken to hospitals. 46,739 visits in the last 30 days. 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. The LA County Department of Public Health and former California Attorney General Xavier Becerra followed suit. 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. 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. Robert Millea said he couldnt immediately confirm whether an explosion actually occurred, only that one was reported. A Redondo Beach resident told NBC4 windows rattled at his house, about five miles from the refinery. 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. Refinery officials, though, say MHF was specifically designed to be safer than its non-modified original hydrofluoric acid and has been reviewed by experts and deemed the best catalyst for the refining process. First published on April 8, 2018 / 2:50 PM. Living in such close proximity to the refinery, Donna Heise said, makes it hard for the couple to ignore the chemicals potential dangers. California workplace regulators fined ExxonMobil more than $500 million for the violations related to the explosion. There was also minor damage to two adjoining apartments, according to Millea. 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. PBF, for its part, has repeatedly said concerns from local groups against MHF were unwarranted. The CSB also found that in multiple instances leading up to the incident, the refinery directly violated ExxonMobils corporate safety standards. 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. 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.. The cause of the explosion was not known. The cause of the accident was not immediately known, but it was believed to be caused by over pressurization in the plants electrostatic precipitators. 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. In July 2016, the Torrance refinery was sold by ExxonMobil to PBF Holdings Company, LLC, which now operates as the Torrance Refining Company. 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 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. While the unit where the blast occurred was ordered shut down, the rest of the refinery is still in operation. The motion the LA County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed in mid-February asks Gov. In September, the South Coast Air Quality Management District governing board voted instead to accept a voluntary oil industry pledge to enhance safety measures. Four contractors at the plant suffered injuries and required medical treatment and eight workers had to be decontaminated. Thousands of people could have been harmed if the MHF had dispersed beyond the Torrance refinery in 2015, the CSB report 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. 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. No injuries were reported, and the fire did not impact anything offsite. 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. God may not warn us again.. 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. Liz Odendahl, Hahns spokeswoman, said in an interview that the supervisor was furious at the AQMDs decision to accept the refineries proffers. With the capacity to refine more than 150,000 barrels of gasoline a day, the . The refineries are the only two in the state that use the substance. The CSB determined that on the day of the incident a slide valve that acted as a barrier failed. In its final report, the CSB describes multiple gaps in the refinerys process safety management system, allowing for the operation of the FCC unit without pre-established safe operating limits and criteria for a shut down. 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. The CSB notes that it is vital to ensure that safety critical equipment can successfully carry out its intended function. ExxonMobil said in a statement early Wednesday afternoon that "no harmful emissions have been detected.". 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. All safety systems at the refinery operated correctly and personnel were safe, police said. A blast was reported at the ExxonMobil refinery in Torrance, California. Those calls for a ban remain. Two others sustained minor injuries. Having affordable fuel that is readily available is a vital part of the California economy.. The explosion was mostly contained to two of the buildings units, with each sustaining significant damage. Four people were injured in an explosion at an apartment building in Torrance Sunday afternoon, officials said. The incident caused the refinery to be . 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Firefighters found gasoline flowing on the ground as a result of the explosion, Torrance Fire Department Capt. 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. Cuando utilizas nuestros sitios y aplicaciones, usamos. ExxonMobil was fined more than $500 million for workplace violations related to the blast. 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. 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. 6 Min Read. 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. TORRANCE TODAY - FEBRUARY 16, 2023 - City of Torrance TorranceCitiCABLE 4.15K subscribers 113 views 1 day ago #184 1. For more information, contact Communications Manager Hillary Cohen, cell 202-446-8094 or email public@csb.gov. Since then, at least one leak of hydrofluoric acid and several fires have prompted the South Coast Air Quality Management District to propose a ban on hydrofluoric acid. 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. Hahns February motion also asks the AQMDs refinery committee to provide an update on the status of safety improvements listed in the refineries proffers. More information will be added as soon as it becomes available. The South Coast Air Quality Management District issued a smoke advisory for any areas where residents can see or smell smoke. Here's your go-to source for today's LA news. 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. 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. 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. The refineries are required to provide quarterly updates to the agency.. 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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. Investigators are trying to determine what caused the explosion at a Torrance oil refinery that sent four workers to the hospital. Fortunately, the explosion did not release asbestos, but the material released contained fiberglass and glass wool which can cause respiratory issues. For a breakdown of the fees and expenses associated with the verdicts and settlements listed on our site, please visit our Results page. Redondo Beach Local News. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. TORRANCE (CBSLA) Firefighters say four people have been injured in a reported explosion at an apartment complex in Torrance. Fill out the form below for a free case review with one of our experienced personal injury lawyers. Chevron, for example, successfully converted its Salt Lake City refinery from HF to a new alkylation technology last year. Please enter valid email address to continue. Get Los Angeles's latest local news on crime, entertainment, weather, schools, COVID, cost of living and more. Manhattan Beach, CA crime, fire and public safety news and events, police & fire department updates Kim Baldonado, Patrick Healy, Jason Kandel, and Tena Ezzeddine contributed to this report. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. 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 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. The 2015 explosion at the Torrance Refinery was bad, but it easily could have been catastrophic, Hahn said in a press release. 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. A buildup of natural gas caused the explosion that leveled a Torrance home, damaged scores of others and rained glass, stucco and other debris over a two-block area, investigators said. The fire was reported to the South Coast Air Quality Management District and California Office of Emergency Services, police said. 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. 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. 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. Had the tank ruptured, it would have caused a release of MHF, which is highly toxic. 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. For a while, though, flames shot 40 feet into the air. 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. Si quieres personalizar tus opciones, haz clic en Gestionar configuracin de privacidad. The Torrance Fire Department responded to an explosion at the ExxonMobil Torrance Refinery on Feb. 18, 2015. 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. "I have second thoughts about being out here right now," said resident Anthony Scales. Tammy Khan, of the Torrance Unified School District, said the shetler-in-place order was lifted early Wednesday afternoon. (Credit: KTLA) The blast at the refinery, which is located in the 3700 block of West . Let's get out of here. PBF Energy, which now owns the Torrance Refining Co. refinery, denied that an explosion occurred. One person remained hospitalized with a knee injury. Kristy Hutchings covers all things Long Beach including local government, politics, and the environment. 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. 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. 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 communications are private and confidential. 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. However, our staff is working remotely and can assist you via phone or email. Activists held an event Saturday to mark the fifth anniversary of the explosion at the Exxon Mobil refinery in Torrance that injured four workers. Hahn who left the agencys board in December 2019 was one of two votes opposed to accepting the proffers.
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