in journalism from the University of Southern California. 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. Since the February 2015 explosion, the refinery has experienced multiple incidents. Thousands of people could have been harmed if the MHF had dispersed beyond the Torrance refinery in 2015, the CSB report said. 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. 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. 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. The refinery completed those improvements in 2020. It appeared it was a gas explosion, but a hazardous materials team was on scene Sunday afternoon working to determine exactly what occurred. Another fire? (Credit: KTLA) The blast at the refinery, which is located in the 3700 block of West . Theyre going to pass it on to the consumer.. Local battle over toxic chemical at Torrance, Wilmington refineries The cause of the accident was not immediately known, but it was believed to be caused by over pressurization in the plants electrostatic precipitators. So far though, it doesn't appear as if any serious damage or injuries have occurred, barring reported explosions in Torrance. 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. 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. Some said they heard one of the workers may have turned on the gas inside one of the apartments before it was completely ready. Get up to speed with our Essential California newsletter, sent six days a week. I wish the Torrance City Council had the courage to say that.. The cause of the explosion is under investigation. All Rights Reserved. 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 motion the LA County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed in mid-February asks Gov. "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. The improvements, though, also came after sustained pressure from the community and watchdog agencies. 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. 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. Explosion Rocks ExxonMobil Refinery in Torrance, California. 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. 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. No injuries were reported, and the fire did not impact anything offsite. PBF Energy, which now owns the Torrance Refining Co. refinery, denied that an explosion occurred. 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. / KCAL News. Our Manhattan Beach office is physically closed at this time. Authorities said the incident happened around 6 a.m. and 36 firefighters responded to the refinery. California oil refinery blast sends flames shooting into sky People, Donna Heise said, are becoming more aware if nothing else over the last seven years.. Before joining the newsroom in 2016, she was a general assignment reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer, Daily News and Philly.com. The South Coast Air Quality Management District issued a smoke advisory for any areas where residents can see or smell smoke. 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. Eight workers were decontaminated at the scene. 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. Explosion at Exxon Mobil refinery in Torrance, California, injures four 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. We knew we were moving in next to a refinery it was here before we were, Cliff Heise said in an interview. 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. 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. It was unclear what caused the fire. 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. California Occupational Safety and Health officials were at the site investigating. "Our main concern is for the safety of our employees and our neighbors.". 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. TORRANCE TODAY is a 15-minute live news broadcast airing Monday. 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. Fire crews knocked down the blaze within 30 minutes. 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. 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. Fortunately, the explosion did not release asbestos, but the material released contained fiberglass and glass wool which can cause respiratory issues. 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. 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. 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. All safety systems at the refinery operated correctly and personnel were safe, police said. The 2015 explosion at the Torrance Refinery was bad, but it easily could have been catastrophic, Hahn said in a press release. But in the years since the 2015 explosion, residents have continued decrying MHF. Four people were injured in an explosion at an apartment building in Torrance Sunday afternoon, officials said. Those safety advances, however, have come since the 2015 explosion and a harsh assessment by federal investigators. MHF opponents have also expressed concerns that the refineries havent done enough to ensure the communities safety. 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. Explosion at Torrance refinery - Los Angeles Times Tammy Khan, of the Torrance Unified School District, said the shetler-in-place order was lifted early Wednesday afternoon. 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 . Several contractors were injured in the Feb. 18, 2015, blast that shut down the refinery for more than a year, leading to soaring gas prices in Southern California. 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.. They have lived in a neighborhood directly adjacent to the Torrance refinery for 48 years. Watch: Explosion reported at ExxonMobil refinery in California Posted Wed, Feb 18, 2015 at 5:20 pm PT. 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 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. 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 blast caused serious property damage to the refinery and scattered catalyst dust up to a mile away from the facility into the nearby community. 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. Torrance firefighters . PBF also reached a separate agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to upgrade an additional water monitor in 2020, according to Lafayette. Let's get out of here. Four apartments have been damaged, two of which sustained "significant damage.". 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 incident was reported around 1:15 p.m. on the 23500 block of Anza Avenue, just north of the Pacific Coast Highway, Assistant Torrance Fire Chief Robert Millea said. Kim Baldonado, Patrick Healy, Jason Kandel, and Tena Ezzeddine contributed to this report. 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. All communications are private and confidential. Alex Wigglesworth is an environment reporter who covers wildfires for the Los Angeles Times. That, the report said, would prevent the chemical from dispersing as widely as it would as an aerosol. An ExxonMobil refinery explosion in Torrance injured two, caused a 1.7 magnitude shake and portends pain at the pumps. One person remained hospitalized with a knee injury. 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. "It was like a loud sonic boom. 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. She currently lives in Inglewood. 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. 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. Community members who may have been impacted by the explosion can call the ExxonMobil claims hotline at 844-631-2539. 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. 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. 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Explosion, fire at ExxonMobil refinery rocks Torrance The refineries are the only two in the state that use the substance. Puedes cambiar tus opciones en cualquier momento haciendo clic en el enlace Panel de control de privacidad de nuestros sitios y aplicaciones. Nosotros, Yahoo, somos parte de la familia de marcas de Yahoo. Manhattan Beach, CA crime, fire and public safety news and events, police & fire department updates 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. Redondo Beach News, Breaking News in Redondo Beach, CA No further details were immediately available. 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. The governors office confirmed they received the request, but declined further comment. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. And Torrance receives about $7.5 million annually in utility user taxes from the refinerys operation. Hahn who left the agencys board in December 2019 was one of two votes opposed to accepting the proffers. A blast was reported at the ExxonMobil refinery in Torrance, California. Of the injured, two were said to have sustained significant injuries. 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. 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.. At the center of that debate is the modified part of MHF. ET), but there was no . If you're interested in joining our team, you can apply for a position here. 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. 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.
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