The governors office confirmed they received the request, but declined further comment. 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. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. The refineries are the only two in the state that use the substance. For instance, the CSB found that during work leading up to the incident, workers violated corporate lock out tag out requirements. Before joining the newsroom in 2016, she was a general assignment reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer, Daily News and Philly.com. 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.. 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. No further details were immediately available. The additive does this by ensuring the chemical used as a liquid during refining doesnt turn into a gas. The couple was taking a stroll outside of North High Schools football field on the day of the 2015 explosion. TORRANCE TODAY - FEBRUARY 16, 2023 - City of Torrance TorranceCitiCABLE 4.15K subscribers 113 views 1 day ago #184 1. "Our main concern is for the safety of our employees and our neighbors.". The 2015 explosion at the Torrance Refinery was bad, but it easily could have been catastrophic, Hahn said in a press release. 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. The refineries are required to provide quarterly updates to the agency.. 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. "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.". Electrostatic precipitators are large machines that stand12 stories high and weigh more than 1,000 tons. The machines are responsible for reducing ammonia and particulate emissions in a plant to comply with environmental regulations. First thing I thought was to call my wife, my kids, and let them know I'm safe.". The large turnout surprised even the diverse group of participants unaccustomed to seeing such political activism in a conservative community. "You could feel it," said refinery worker Jason Hernandez. In July 2016, the Torrance refinery was sold by ExxonMobil to PBF Holdings Company, LLC, which now operates as the Torrance Refining Company. 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. By then, the husband said, theyd been living in the city long enough to know exactly what the sound was. 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. Across California, CA | News | 15h. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. At least 12 dead after winter storm slams South, Midwest, The Saturday Six: Dental device controversy, scientist's bug find and more, Trump speaks at CPAC after winning straw poll, 3 children killed, 2 others wounded at Texas home, Man charged for alleged involvement in 2 transformer explosions, Nikki Haley slams potential GOP contenders, and Trump and George W. Bush, Duo of 81-year-old women plan to see the world in 80 days, Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant to "take some time away" from the team after allegedly brandishing a gun in a club, Alex Murdaugh trial: What to know about the double murder case. The explosion also spurred a movement among residents to oppose MHF. 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. 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. 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 cause of the explosion was not known. 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. The improvements, though, also came after sustained pressure from the community and watchdog agencies. 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. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. For a while, though, flames shot 40 feet into the air. God may not warn us again.. The incident caused the refinery to be run at limited capacity for over a year, raising gas prices in California and costing drivers in the state an estimated $2.4 billion. Firefighters found gasoline flowing on the ground as a result of the explosion, Torrance Fire Department Capt. Tammy Khan, of the Torrance Unified School District, said the shetler-in-place order was lifted early Wednesday afternoon. 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. 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. Four people were injured in an explosion at an apartment building in Torrance Sunday afternoon, officials said. The Torrance refinery, however, also contributes significantly to the citys economy. The explosion, the report said, launched a 40-ton piece of debris that nearly struck tanks carrying tens of thousands of pounds of MHF. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. 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. A smoke advisory was issued for areas near the ExxonMobil refinery due to Wednesday morning's explosion and fire. "I just appreciate that I'm here. 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. 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. Officials were investigating the cause of the over-pressurization. They claim nothing has been done, she added, without any proof, other than their beliefs, which are incorrect and misleading.. 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. When you think about it, she said, it makes you not want to sleep at night.. All rights reserved. explosion also launched an 80,000-pound piece of equipment, failure to follow safety guidelines was partly to blame for the blast. 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 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. TORRANCE (CBSLA) Firefighters say four people have been injured in a reported explosion at an apartment complex in Torrance. 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. 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. Deuel told The Associated Press the flare system was triggered to burn off fuel that could add to the fire. 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. Liz Odendahl, Hahns spokeswoman, said in an interview that the supervisor was furious at the AQMDs decision to accept the refineries proffers. 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.. But at the time, theyd never heard of MHF and didnt think much of it. 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. 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.. There were also questions asking why the emergency refinery sirens did not sound following the accident. 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. / KCAL News. 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. Get Los Angeles's latest local news on crime, entertainment, weather, schools, COVID, cost of living and more. in communication and M.S. Finally, the slide valve - a safety-critical safeguard within the system - was degraded significantly. 6 Min Read. 46,739 visits in the last 30 days. 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. That update was completed last year as well. TORRANCE TODAY is a 15-minute live news broadcast airing Monday. The fire was reported to the South Coast Air Quality Management District and California Office of Emergency Services, police said. The CSB is an independent, non-regulatory federal agency charged with investigating serious chemical incidents. 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. Si no quieres que nosotros ni nuestros socios utilicemos cookies y datos personales para estos propsitos adicionales, haz clic en Rechazar todo. 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. Puedes cambiar tus opciones en cualquier momento haciendo clic en el enlace Panel de control de privacidad de nuestros sitios y aplicaciones. 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. 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.. In February, a large explosion occurred at ExxonMobils refinery in Torrance, California. Torrance firefighters responded to the 23500 block of Anza Avenue just before 1:20 p.m. Sunday. Kim Baldonado, Patrick Healy, Jason Kandel, and Tena Ezzeddine contributed to this report. Had we known then what we know now, Cliff Heise said, we wouldve run, not walked home.. Cal/OSHA has shut down the fluid catalytic cracker and will only allow operations to resume once it can be exhibited that the unit can operate safely. April 8, 2018 / 2:50 PM / KCAL News. 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. 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.. The CSB also found that in multiple instances leading up to the incident, the refinery directly violated ExxonMobils corporate safety standards. There have also been multiple safety enhancements to prevent leaks, they say. 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. The cause of the accident was not immediately known, but it was believed to be caused by over pressurization in the plants electrostatic precipitators. 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 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. Feb . That, the report said, would prevent the chemical from dispersing as widely as it would as an aerosol. 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. ET), but there was no . Community members who may have been impacted by the explosion can call the ExxonMobil claims hotline at 844-631-2539. Copyright 2023 KABC Television, LLC. TORRANCE (CBSLA) Firefighters say four people have been injured in a reported explosion at an apartment complex in Torrance. We need to ban MHF as soon as possible. Those safety advances, however, have come since the 2015 explosion and a harsh assessment by federal investigators. For a while, though, flames shot 40 feet into the air. Valero, owner of the Wilmington refinery, did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Organizers estimated the crowd size at more than 400. There, too, the Torrance refinery has disagreed. Some said they heard one of the workers may have turned on the gas inside one of the apartments before it was completely ready. Its been a few years now, and there has been very little progress.. The respective responses were predictable: For years, both sides of this battle have zealously defended their positions. 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. Investigators were trying to determine the cause of the blast, which occurred shortly before 9 a.m. PST . U.S. Chemical Safety Board. Zehl & Associates Injury & Accident Lawyers is a Houston Personal Injury Law Firm that represents accident victims across Texas, Louisiana and the United States. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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. 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. All communications are private and confidential. 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. Four were taken to hospitals. Fill Out the Form Below for a Free Case Review with our Undefeated Personal Injury Lawyers. 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. One person remained hospitalized with a knee injury. Two others sustained minor injuries. The explosion sent ash raining down on. Cliff and Donna Heise, for example, serve as secretary and treasurer of the TRAA, respectively. For more than seven years, members of small, local activist groups have been irresponsibly making claims against the Refinerys use of MHF, without any basis in fact, Lafayette wrote recently. 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 Torrance receives about $7.5 million annually in utility user taxes from the refinerys operation. 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. In September, the South Coast Air Quality Management District governing board voted instead to accept a voluntary oil industry pledge to enhance safety measures. Many in the neighborhood reported being startled by a large blast. Para obtener ms informacin sobre cmo utilizamos tus datos personales, consulta nuestra Poltica de privacidad y Poltica de cookies. 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. PBF Energy, which now owns the Torrance Refining Co. refinery, denied that an explosion occurred. The explosion, which happened . Since the February 2015 explosion, the refinery has experienced multiple incidents. Some community members do not believe that the company did not enough to respond to the emergency. A reaction between hydrocarbons and catalyst takes place in what is known as the hydrocarbon side of the FCC unit. Zehl & Associates is always looking for smart, hardworking and talented personal injury attorneys and staff to join our team. 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. All safety systems at the refinery operated correctly and personnel were safe, police said. The incident was reported around 1:15 p.m. on the 23500 block of Anza Avenue, just . Edited by Rachel Barnes. As a result, unraveling the debates complexities remains challenging. 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. I wish the Torrance City Council had the courage to say that.. My first reaction was, this doesn't sound good, this doesn't look good. Steve Deuel said. 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. Chevron, for example, successfully converted its Salt Lake City refinery from HF to a new alkylation technology last year. 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. Get up to speed with our Essential California newsletter, sent six days a week. Workers were seen boarded up the windows of the affected apartments later Sunday afternoon. All rights reserved. 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. 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. ExxonMobil was fined more than $500 million for workplace violations related to the blast. So far though, it doesn't appear as if any serious damage or injuries have occurred, barring reported explosions in Torrance. The incident caused the refinery to be . All Rights Reserved. Congresswoman Maxine Waters and I requested the U.S. Chemical Safety Board to investigate the explosion two years ago, Lieu said in the statement. The refineries arent going to eat that cost, William Burke, former chairman of the SCAQMDs governing board said in a previous interview. 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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. Three of them were taken to a nearby hospital, authorities said, after earlier indicating all four had been transported. 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. Cuando utilizas nuestros sitios y aplicaciones, usamos. The Torrance Fire Department responded to an explosion at the ExxonMobil Torrance Refinery on Feb. 18, 2015. The cause of the fire, which Millea said burned an unspecified amount of crude oil, is under scrutiny by investigators from Cal-OSHA, the states worker safety agency, while a county hazardous materials team also was on the scene. The LA County Department of Public Health and former California Attorney General Xavier Becerra followed suit. 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 . Homes shook in . The explosion on Feb. 18, 2015, was described by federal regulators as a serious near miss.. Nosotros, Yahoo, somos parte de la familia de marcas de Yahoo. 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. More information will be added as soon as it becomes available. Its unclear what effect these new calls to action will have on the refineries MHF usage. Numerous nearby residents complained about the air quality following the blast. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Economic factors, such as job creation and the regional and global importance of oil, further complicate the issue, at least for elected officials. People, Donna Heise said, are becoming more aware if nothing else over the last seven years.. There was also minor damage to two adjoining apartments, according to Millea. Hours after an explosion ripped through a Torrance refinery, residents for miles around continue to grapple with ash, a gas odor and concerns over poor air quality while inspectors confirmed that a filtration device was the source of the blast. Investigators are still looking into the cause of the explosion, wh. 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. "I was having my cup of coffee and all of the sudden the whole house shook, the windows vibrated," said Torrance resident John White. 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. Residents reported shaking normally associated with earthquakes throughout the South Bay area. Activists held an event Saturday to mark the fifth anniversary of the explosion at the Exxon Mobil refinery in Torrance that injured four workers. 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..
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