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. The explosion occurred in the refinerys fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) unit, where a variety of products, mainly gasoline, are produced. Some community members do not believe that the company did not enough to respond to the emergency. The governors office confirmed they received the request, but declined further comment. I wish the Torrance City Council had the courage to say that.. 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. Tammy Khan, of the Torrance Unified School District, said the shetler-in-place order was lifted early Wednesday afternoon. The explosion, the report said, launched a 40-ton piece of debris that nearly struck tanks carrying tens of thousands of pounds of MHF. Numerous nearby residents complained about the air quality following the blast. 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. Get up to speed with our Essential California newsletter, sent six days a week. 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. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. MHF opponents have also expressed concerns that the refineries havent done enough to ensure the communities safety. There have also been multiple safety enhancements to prevent leaks, they say. All communications are private and confidential. More Stories Drone helps. Four people were injured in an explosion at an apartment building in Torrance Sunday afternoon, officials said. 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. For decades, hydrofluoric acid was a standard chemical in oil refining, serving as a catalyst during a process known as alkylation. 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. Across California, CA | News | 15h. 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. It provides 362 jobs around $30 million in wages in Torrance, according to its website. Of the injured, two were said to have sustained significant injuries. A Philadelphia native, she graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in medical anthropology and global health. The refineries arent going to eat that cost, William Burke, former chairman of the SCAQMDs governing board said in a previous interview. 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. Inside the refinery, the explosion blew off parts of an electrostatic precipitator and damaged other equipment at the plant. 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. Torrance firefighters responded to the 23500 block of Anza Avenue just before 1:20 p.m. Sunday. 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. Chevron, for example, successfully converted its Salt Lake City refinery from HF to a new alkylation technology last year. The CSB is an independent, non-regulatory federal agency charged with investigating serious chemical incidents. Homes shook in . 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. 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 information, contact Communications Manager Hillary Cohen, cell 202-446-8094 or email public@csb.gov. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Desperate mountain residents trapped by snow beg for help; We are coming, sheriff says, Hidden, illegal casinos are booming in L.A., with organized crime reaping big profits, Look up: The 32 most spectacular ceilings in Los Angeles, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, David Lindley, guitarist best known for work with Jackson Browne, dies at 78, Newsom, IRS give Californians until October to file tax returns, Best coffee city in the world? Several residents noticed what they described as a larger-than-usual flame from the plant's towering flare stack. U.S. Chemical Safety Board. A reaction between hydrocarbons and catalyst takes place in what is known as the hydrocarbon side of the FCC unit. 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. Anza Avenue had been closed for a few hoursas emergency personnel responded. The CSB also found that in multiple instances leading up to the incident, the refinery directly violated ExxonMobils corporate safety standards. in journalism from the University of Southern California. For a while, though, flames shot 40 feet into the air. Our Manhattan Beach office is physically closed at this time. 6 Min Read. We need to ban MHF as soon as possible. TORRANCE (CBSLA) Firefighters say four people have been injured in a reported explosion at an apartment complex in Torrance. 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. 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. Organizers estimated the crowd size at more than 400. Principal Office: Houston Texas. 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.. While the unit where the blast occurred was ordered shut down, the rest of the refinery is still in operation. He said the blast happened in a processing facility and the material involved was gasoline. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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. There were also questions asking why the emergency refinery sirens did not sound following the accident. 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. (Credit: KTLA) The blast at the refinery, which is located in the 3700 block of West . Gen. Xavier Becerras office investigate how the Torrance and Wilmington refineries are able to legally operate using hydrofluoric acid. And then the people who were right by just felt a shake, like an earthquake.. The cause of the explosion is under investigation. So far though, it doesn't appear as if any serious damage or injuries have occurred, barring reported explosions in Torrance. They have lived in a neighborhood directly adjacent to the Torrance refinery for 48 years. 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. 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. Steve Deuel said. In February, a large explosion occurred at ExxonMobil's refinery in Torrance, California. Redondo Beach Local News. Deuel told The Associated Press the flare system was triggered to burn off fuel that could add to the fire. Three dozen firefighters knocked down the blaze within a half-hour. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Had the tank ruptured, it would have caused a release of MHF, which is highly toxic. Hutchings holds a B.A. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. 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. Fill out the form below for a free case review with one of our experienced personal injury lawyers. 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. 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. 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. 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. For instance, the CSB found that during work leading up to the incident, workers violated corporate lock out tag out requirements. Hahn who left the agencys board in December 2019 was one of two votes opposed to accepting the proffers. Im absolutely appalled, said Torrance teacher Julie Stoll, referring to the lack of support from Torrance officials. The incident was reported around 1:15 p.m. on the 23500 block of Anza Avenue, just . The shaking was felt primarily in the immediate vicinity of the refinery, according to Caltech. Liz Odendahl, Hahns spokeswoman, said in an interview that the supervisor was furious at the AQMDs decision to accept the refineries proffers. By then, the husband said, theyd been living in the city long enough to know exactly what the sound was. Two others sustained minor injuries. Visit our website, www.csb.gov. The CSB determined that on the day of the incident a slide valve that acted as a barrier failed. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. 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. However, our staff is working remotely and can assist you via phone or email. Prior to joining the Press-Telegram, she served as the Daily Breeze's lead city hall reporter. The couple was taking a stroll outside of North High Schools football field on the day of the 2015 explosion. 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.. 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.
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