Refineries are not supposed to have explosions. A Redondo Beach resident told NBC4 windows rattled at his house, about five miles from the refinery. Copyright 2023 KABC Television, LLC. The explosion filled surrounding neighborhoods with ash, fiberglass, and glass wool. 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. At the center of that debate is the modified part of MHF. The ExxonMobil Explosion That Nobody Is Talking About Explosion at Exxon Mobil refinery in Torrance, California, injures four 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.. There have also been multiple safety enhancements to prevent leaks, they say. Robert Millea said he couldnt immediately confirm whether an explosion actually occurred, only that one was reported. 'Large fire explosion' rocks ExxonMobil's Torrance Refinery in 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.. On Saturday, the Torrance Refinery Action Alliance announced a campaign urging Gov. 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 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. 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 more information, contact Communications Manager Hillary Cohen, cell 202-446-8094 or email public@csb.gov. 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 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. Since the February 2015 explosion, the refinery has experienced multiple incidents. 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. The CSB also found that in multiple instances leading up to the incident, the refinery directly violated ExxonMobils corporate safety standards. Overturned gas tanker explodes, killing 1 person, Texas mom in custody after 5 of her kids were stabbed, leaving 3 dead, Ja Morant says he'll get help after video shows apparent gun. 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. Its been a few years now, and there has been very little progress.. Visit our website, www.csb.gov. The explosion sent ash raining down on. in journalism from the University of Southern California. Torrance Refinery cited for failing to properly maintain equipment 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. 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. 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.. Investigators are still looking into the cause of the explosion, wh. Valero, owner of the Wilmington refinery, did not respond to multiple requests for comment. The explosion was mostly contained to two of the buildings units, with each sustaining significant damage. 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. 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. Caltech officials said the explosion created ground shaking that was equivalent to a magnitude-1.7 earthquake. 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. 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. Torrance fire Capt. Two others sustained minor injuries. All rights reserved. The incident caused the refinery to be . But at the time, theyd never heard of MHF and didnt think much of it. Community members who may have been impacted by the explosion can call the ExxonMobil claims hotline at 844-631-2539. Meantime, the Torrance Refining Company hosted a safety rally for employees. 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. Authorities said the incident happened around 6 a.m. and 36 firefighters responded to the refinery. 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. A smoke advisory was issued for areas near the ExxonMobil refinery due to Wednesday morning's explosion and fire. 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. There was also minor damage to two adjoining apartments, according to Millea. Paige Austin, Patch Staff. All the while, officials at those facilities have defended the chemicals use as safe. 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. ExxonMobil Refinery Explosion Injures Two, Rains Ash Upon - Patch And so, the battle over MHFs future appears set to linger on with the Board of Supervisors call for a ban the latest volley. 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.. Passing motorists supplied supportive honks. Three were treated and released. The cause of the explosion was not known. Hahn who left the agencys board in December 2019 was one of two votes opposed to accepting the proffers. It provides 362 jobs around $30 million in wages in Torrance, according to its website. Some said they heard one of the workers may have turned on the gas inside one of the apartments before it was completely ready. There were also questions asking why the emergency refinery sirens did not sound following the accident. Fire erupts at Torrance refinery just hours before protest rally / KCAL News. 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. For a breakdown of the fees and expenses associated with the verdicts and settlements listed on our site, please visit our Results page. The cause of the explosion is under investigation. 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. 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. Firefighters found gasoline flowing on the ground as a result of the explosion, Torrance Fire Department Capt. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The refineries are the only two in the state that use the substance. The refineries are required to provide quarterly updates to the agency.. California oil refinery blast sends flames shooting into sky Prior to joining the Press-Telegram, she served as the Daily Breeze's lead city hall reporter. Alex Wigglesworth is an environment reporter who covers wildfires for the Los Angeles Times. First published on April 8, 2018 / 2:50 PM. Im absolutely appalled, said Torrance teacher Julie Stoll, referring to the lack of support from Torrance officials. U.S. Chemical Safety Board. 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. Final CSB Report of Explosion at ExxonMobil Refinery in Torrance, CA 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 CSB notes that it is vital to ensure that safety critical equipment can successfully carry out its intended function. 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. 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. 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. 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. Tammy Khan, of the Torrance Unified School District, said the shetler-in-place order was lifted early Wednesday afternoon. explosion also launched an 80,000-pound piece of equipment, failure to follow safety guidelines was partly to blame for the blast. Get Los Angeles's latest local news on crime, entertainment, weather, schools, COVID, cost of living and more. 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. ExxonMobil Refinery Explosion Injures Two, Rains Ash Upon Neighborhood - Redondo Beach, CA - The blast at the Torrance refinery could be seen for miles and caused 1.7 magnitude ground-shaking. Liz Odendahl, Hahns spokeswoman, said in an interview that the supervisor was furious at the AQMDs decision to accept the refineries proffers. 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. The ExxonMobil near-disaster you probably haven't heard of "Our main concern is for the safety of our employees and our neighbors.". For a while, though, flames shot 40 feet into the air. In February, a large explosion occurred at ExxonMobil's refinery in Torrance, California. Fill Out the Form Below for a Free Case Review with our Undefeated Personal Injury Lawyers. And Torrance receives about $7.5 million annually in utility user taxes from the refinerys operation. Hire a Houston personal injury lawyer with a proven track record. 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. Watch: Explosion reported at ExxonMobil refinery in California 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. "I just appreciate that I'm here. Three dozen firefighters knocked down the blaze within a half-hour. 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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. Fill out the form below for a free case review with one of our experienced personal injury lawyers. This is a breaking news story. "It was like a loud sonic boom. And it directs L.A. County to support any new legislation that would help phase out MHF. ExxonMobil's Torrance Refinery Sold Amid Report Of Potential Disaster 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. There, too, the Torrance refinery has disagreed. 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. Numerous nearby residents complained about the air quality following the blast. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. It was unclear what caused the fire.

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