Living in such close proximity to the refinery, Donna Heise said, makes it hard for the couple to ignore the chemicals potential dangers. In February, a large explosion occurred at ExxonMobils refinery in Torrance, California. Two others sustained minor injuries. The explosion on Feb. 18, 2015, was described by federal regulators as a serious near miss.. torrance News Caught on video: Car-to-car shooting on 91 Freeway Video shows a shooting between people in two cars traveling on the freeway in the Long Beach area. 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. 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. They heard a loud explosion, kind of like a sonic boom, said Jason Davis, who lives near the complex. 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. The respective responses were predictable: For years, both sides of this battle have zealously defended their positions. Principal Office: Houston Texas. Please enter valid email address to continue. All rights reserved. The CSBs report emphasizes that it is critical that hydrocarbons do not flow into the air side of the FCC unit, as this can create an explosive atmosphere. Bontas office said it hadnt received a letter from the county. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. The motion the LA County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed in mid-February asks Gov. Homes shook in . Officials were not aware of their exact conditions, but witnesses said some were seriously hurt. 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 potential for an even more catastrophic incident and the release of toxic chemicals and fumes into local communities. 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. 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 we known then what we know now, Cliff Heise said, we wouldve run, not walked home.. 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. More Stories Drone helps. As a result, unraveling the debates complexities remains challenging. Fortunately, the explosion did not release asbestos, but the material released contained fiberglass and glass wool which can cause respiratory issues. 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. Para obtener ms informacin sobre cmo utilizamos tus datos personales, consulta nuestra Poltica de privacidad y Poltica de cookies. The PBF Energy facility has been plagued with a series of incidents since the massive blast two years ago that almost caused a catastrophic release of highly toxic hydrofluoric acid that could have killed and injured thousands. Other than the affected crude unit, the refinery continues to operate, Brien said. 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. They have lived in a neighborhood directly adjacent to the Torrance refinery for 48 years. "Our main concern is for the safety of our employees and our neighbors.". April 8, 2018 / 2:50 PM / KCAL News. 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. Si quieres personalizar tus opciones, haz clic en Gestionar configuracin de privacidad. We need to ban MHF as soon as possible. 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.. 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. Organizers estimated the crowd size at more than 400. 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. Feb . Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. Paige Austin, Patch Staff. Anza Avenue had been closed for a few hoursas emergency personnel responded. The explosion sent ash raining down on. 2022 Zehl & Associates Injury & Accident Lawyers. Eight workers were decontaminated at the scene. 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. Three dozen firefighters knocked down the blaze within a half-hour. 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. Caltech officials said the explosion created ground shaking that was equivalent to a magnitude-1.7 earthquake. Hahns February motion also asks the AQMDs refinery committee to provide an update on the status of safety improvements listed in the refineries proffers. Environmentalists and activists, though, argue that the additives levels in MHF have significantly decreased since the modified versions creation. Valero, owner of the Wilmington refinery, did not respond to multiple requests for comment. For more information, contact Communications Manager Hillary Cohen, cell 202-446-8094 or email [email protected]. 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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. In working with inherently dangerous products, it is critical to conduct a robust risk management analysis with the intent of continually safety improvement.. And Torrance receives about $7.5 million annually in utility user taxes from the refinerys operation. 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. 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 CSBs report concludes that the unit was operating without proper procedures.. One person remained hospitalized with a knee injury. For decades, hydrofluoric acid was a standard chemical in oil refining, serving as a catalyst during a process known as alkylation. 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. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Three were treated and released. The AQMD scrapped the potential ban in 2019 instead accepting proffers from both refineries that promised to make safety enhancements to their existing MHF units. 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. At the center of that debate is the modified part of MHF. 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. 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. Three of them were taken to a nearby hospital, authorities said, after earlier indicating all four had been transported. 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. Nosotros, Yahoo, somos parte de la familia de marcas de Yahoo. 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. U.S. Chemical Safety Board. 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. Torrance firefighters responded to the 23500 block of Anza Avenue just before 1:20 p.m. Sunday. No further details were immediately available. He said the blast happened in a processing facility and the material involved was gasoline. For a while, though, flames shot 40 feet into the air. 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. 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