Cuando utilizas nuestros sitios y aplicaciones, usamos. It provides 362 jobs around $30 million in wages in Torrance, according to its website. Those safety enhancements, Lafayette said, include installing a new protective steel structure, water mitigation dome and curtain, an enhanced HF/MHF detection system, and additional water mitigation monitors. 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. Theyre going to pass it on to the consumer.. Explosion at Torrance refinery - Los Angeles Times 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.. April 8, 2018 / 2:50 PM The latest fire in an ongoing series of mishaps including leaks, excessive flaring and power outages that have plagued the refinery in recent months added fuel to the arguments of opponents that the plant is a safety and environmental hazard. The additive does this by ensuring the chemical used as a liquid during refining doesnt turn into a gas. Numerous nearby residents complained about the air quality following the blast. I urge SCAQMD to act with urgency, said the South Bay Democrat. 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. For decades, hydrofluoric acid was a standard chemical in oil refining, serving as a catalyst during a process known as alkylation. Passing motorists supplied supportive honks. The explosion sent ash raining down on. They have not yet completed their final investigation, and I will be asking the Chemical Safety Board to include todays fire and explosion as part of their investigation.. Si no quieres que nosotros ni nuestros socios utilicemos cookies y datos personales para estos propsitos adicionales, haz clic en Rechazar todo. PBF Energy, which now owns the Torrance Refining Co. refinery, denied that an explosion occurred. 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.. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. 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. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. A reaction between hydrocarbons and catalyst takes place in what is known as the hydrocarbon side of the FCC unit. 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. 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. Meantime, the Torrance Refining Company hosted a safety rally for employees. Inside the refinery, the explosion blew off parts of an electrostatic precipitator and damaged other equipment at the plant. The ExxonMobil Explosion That Nobody Is Talking About 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. 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. People, Donna Heise said, are becoming more aware if nothing else over the last seven years.. 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. ExxonMobil Refinery Explosion Injures Two, Rains Ash Upon - Patch Refinery Explosion Shakes Earth and Probably Gas Prices Local battle over toxic chemical at Torrance, Wilmington refineries More Stories Drone helps. 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. The incident caused the refinery to be . Let's get out of here. 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 . 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. For a breakdown of the fees and expenses associated with the verdicts and settlements listed on our site, please visit our Results page. The work of the Safety Auditor was overseen by a Los Angeles Superior Court judge and approved prior to use of MHF at the refinery.. Fire crews knocked down the blaze within 30 minutes. Para obtener ms informacin sobre cmo utilizamos tus datos personales, consulta nuestra Poltica de privacidad y Poltica de cookies. Ryan Zehl is the lawyer responsible for this website. Explosion Rocks ExxonMobil Refinery in Torrance, California. 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. Robert Millea said he couldnt immediately confirm whether an explosion actually occurred, only that one was reported. 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. No further details were immediately available. TORRANCE (CBSLA) Firefighters say four people have been injured in a reported explosion at an apartment complex in Torrance. The CSB is an independent, non-regulatory federal agency charged with investigating serious chemical incidents. Two others sustained minor injuries. 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. Officials were not aware of their exact conditions, but witnesses said some were seriously hurt. Living in such close proximity to the refinery, Donna Heise said, makes it hard for the couple to ignore the chemicals potential dangers. 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. Of the injured, two were said to have sustained significant injuries. 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. The explosion was mostly contained to two of the buildings units, with each sustaining significant damage. 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. And so, the battle over MHFs future appears set to linger on with the Board of Supervisors call for a ban the latest volley. 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 was like a loud sonic boom. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. 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. Those improvements were completed in 2021 and are now in service, Lafayette said. 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. 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 governors office confirmed they received the request, but declined further comment. The Torrance refinery, however, also contributes significantly to the citys economy. Times staff writer Tony Barboza contributed to this report. Three of them were taken to a nearby hospital, authorities said, after earlier indicating all four had been transported. Three were treated and released. 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. ExxonMobil's Torrance Refinery Sold Amid Report Of Potential Disaster 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. In July 2016, the Torrance refinery was sold by ExxonMobil to PBF Holdings Company, LLC, which now operates as the Torrance Refining Company. "Our main concern is for the safety of our employees and our neighbors.". 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. Visit our website, www.csb.gov. TORRANCE, Calif.- An explosion and fire ripped through a gasoline processing unit at an Exxon Mobil refinery in Torrance, California, near Los Angeles on Wednesday, slightly injuring four workers and shattering windows of surrounding buildings, authorities said.Investigators were trying to determine the cause of the blast, which occurred shortly before 9 a.m. PST (12 p.m. TORRANCE TODAY - FEBRUARY 16, 2023 - City of Torrance TorranceCitiCABLE 4.15K subscribers 113 views 1 day ago #184 1. California oil refinery blast sends flames shooting into sky It was unclear what caused the fire. 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.