Passing motorists supplied supportive honks. Kristy Hutchings covers all things Long Beach including local government, politics, and the environment. The explosion also spurred a movement among residents to oppose MHF. 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. Three of them were taken to a nearby hospital, authorities said, after earlier indicating all four had been transported. So far though, it doesn't appear as if any serious damage or injuries have occurred, barring reported explosions in Torrance. 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. MHF opponents have also expressed concerns that the refineries havent done enough to ensure the communities safety. The explosion sent ash raining down on. 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. ET), but there was no . Instead, if a leak occurred, a ground-hugging liquid cloud would form, according to a 2018 report from the Torrance refinery defending its use of the chemical. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Four were taken to hospitals. They have lived in a neighborhood directly adjacent to the Torrance refinery for 48 years. The explosion occurred in the refinerys fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) unit, where a variety of products, mainly gasoline, are produced. 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. Before joining the newsroom in 2016, she was a general assignment reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer, Daily News and Philly.com. Los Angeles, This fabled orchid breeder loves to chat just not about Trader Joes orchids, Calmes: Heres what we should do about Marjorie Taylor Greene, ICE detainees allege retaliation for speaking about medical conditions at Otay Mesa center, Downtown L.A stabbing sends six to hospital; suspect arrested, San Diego Roman Catholic diocese facing yet another lawsuit from its insurance company, K-Pop isnt the only hot ticket in Koreatown how trot is captivating immigrants, Los Angeles is suddenly awash in waterfalls. 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.. 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. All communications are private and confidential. When you think about it, she said, it makes you not want to sleep at night.. 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. The agency's board members are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. Fill out the form below for a free case review with one of our experienced personal injury lawyers. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. And it directs L.A. County to support any new legislation that would help phase out MHF. 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. 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. Three dozen firefighters knocked down the blaze within a half-hour. Explosion Rocks ExxonMobil Refinery in Torrance, California. 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. proporcionarte nuestros sitios y aplicaciones; autenticar usuarios, aplicar medidas de seguridad y evitar el spam y los abusos, y. medir el uso que haces de nuestros sitios y aplicaciones. 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. 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. 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. Torrance fire Capt. Cliff and Donna Heise, for example, serve as secretary and treasurer of the TRAA, respectively. Kim Baldonado, Patrick Healy, Jason Kandel, and Tena Ezzeddine contributed to this report. / KCAL News. 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. If that was the case, we wouldnt have seen another explosion today, she added. The explosion on Feb. 18, 2015, was described by federal regulators as a serious near miss.. Residents reported shaking normally associated with earthquakes throughout the South Bay area. 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 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. Valero, owner of the Wilmington refinery, did not respond to multiple requests for comment. She currently lives in Inglewood. 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. Many in the neighborhood reported being startled by a large blast. For a while, though, flames shot 40 feet into the air. 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. Unfortunately, ExxonMobil, the owner-operator of the refinery at the time of the accident, did not respond to the CSBs requests for information detailing safeguards to prevent or mitigate a release of MHF, and therefore the agency was unable to fully explore this topic in its final report. 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. Some said they heard one of the workers may have turned on the gas inside one of the apartments before it was completely ready. 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. PBF Energy, which now owns the Torrance Refining Co. refinery, denied that an explosion occurred. The governors office confirmed they received the request, but declined further comment. Torrance school officials confirmed that staff and students sheltered in place due to possible air quality issues. The CSB determined that on the day of the incident a slide valve that acted as a barrier failed. 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. 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. In working with inherently dangerous products, it is critical to conduct a robust risk management analysis with the intent of continually safety improvement.. Our Manhattan Beach office is physically closed at this time. Get up to speed with our Essential California newsletter, sent six days a week. All safety systems at the refinery operated correctly and personnel were safe, police said. The machines are responsible for reducing ammonia and particulate emissions in a plant to comply with environmental regulations. The 2015 explosion at the Torrance Refinery was bad, but it easily could have been catastrophic, Hahn said in a press release. 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 Supervisor knew the proffers were toothless, Odendahl said. 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.. And Torrance receives about $7.5 million annually in utility user taxes from the refinerys operation. 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. Member-Designated Transportation Projects, Fire erupts at Torrance refinery just hours before protest rally, announced safety rally at the refinery PBF had planned to hold for workers as a counterpoint to the demonstration, Manhattan Beach Office (By Appointment Only). 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. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Chevron, for example, successfully converted its Salt Lake City refinery from HF to a new alkylation technology last year. 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 blast caused serious property damage to the refinery and scattered catalyst dust up to a mile away from the facility into the nearby community. The shaking was felt primarily in the immediate vicinity of the refinery, according to Caltech. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Gavin Newsom to call for an investigation into the use of modified hydrofluoric acid at the facility, now operated by Torrance Refining Co., as well as by Valeros Wilmington refinery. 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. But in the years since the 2015 explosion, residents have continued decrying MHF. There was a "large fire explosion" at the ExxonMobil Torrance Refinery in Southern California on Wednesday morning, according to the Torrance Police Department. Numerous nearby residents complained about the air quality following the blast. Four apartments have been damaged, two of which sustained "significant damage.". "It was like a loud sonic boom. I urge SCAQMD to act with urgency, said the South Bay Democrat. 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.. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. While the unit where the blast occurred was ordered shut down, the rest of the refinery is still in operation.