Had we known then what we know now, Cliff Heise said, we wouldve run, not walked home.. A Philadelphia native, she graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in medical anthropology and global health. But at the time, theyd never heard of MHF and didnt think much of it. Three dozen firefighters knocked down the blaze within a half-hour. Paige Austin, Patch Staff. For a while, though, flames shot 40 feet into the air. 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. "I kind of figured we had an earthquake, then I realized, living by the factory for all those years, they had a problem with the factory.". 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. 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. The governors office confirmed they received the request, but declined further comment. As a result, unraveling the debates complexities remains challenging. 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. Three of them were taken to a nearby hospital, authorities said, after earlier indicating all four had been transported. Three were treated and released. Having affordable fuel that is readily available is a vital part of the California economy.. Tammy Khan, of the Torrance Unified School District, said the shetler-in-place order was lifted early Wednesday afternoon. However, our staff is working remotely and can assist you via phone or email. And then the people who were right by just felt a shake, like an earthquake.. Torrance fire Capt. Congressman Ted Lieu (D-Los Angeles County) issued the following statement on Saturday's fire: Federal investigators in January said a failure to follow safety guidelines was partly to blame for the blast and that the aftermath could have been "catastrophic" had the equipment hit the unit housing MHF. More than a day after the accident, no representative from ExxonMobil had directly contacted the Torrance fire chief and city officials still did not know what was in the substances that were released into the surrounding areas. Notably absent from the event was any sign of Torrance elected officials, although police officers in several patrol cars discreetly kept their eye on the peaceful protesters from a distance. MHF opponents have also expressed concerns that the refineries havent done enough to ensure the communities safety. Organizers estimated the crowd size at more than 400. 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. 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. If you're interested in joining our team, you can apply for a position here. Congresswoman Maxine Waters and I requested the U.S. Chemical Safety Board to investigate the explosion two years ago, Lieu said in the statement. 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. April 8, 2018 / 2:50 PM First published on April 8, 2018 / 2:50 PM. Tests have shown that MHF, which Torrance has used since 1997, rapidly expands upon release and can travel at lethal concentrations up to two miles, according to a presentation from AQMD staff. All rights reserved. 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.. 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. 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. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. Kristy Hutchings covers all things Long Beach including local government, politics, and the environment. Homes shook in . 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. Chairperson Sutherland said, There are valuable lessons to be learned and applied at this refinery, and to all refineries in the U.S. Keeping our refineries operating safely is critical to the well-being of the employees and surrounding communities, as well as to the economy.. Eight workers were decontaminated at the scene. Visit our website, www.csb.gov. Deuel told The Associated Press the flare system was triggered to burn off fuel that could add to the fire. 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. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. 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. 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. We knew we were moving in next to a refinery it was here before we were, Cliff Heise said in an interview. The explosion also spurred a movement among residents to oppose MHF. Some said they heard one of the workers may have turned on the gas inside one of the apartments before it was completely ready. I cant believe they dont have the guts to stand up and say, This is wrong and MHF needs to be out of our community, she said. Bontas office said it hadnt received a letter from the county. The CSB also found that in multiple instances leading up to the incident, the refinery directly violated ExxonMobils corporate safety standards. 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. Prior to joining the Press-Telegram, she served as the Daily Breeze's lead city hall reporter. 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. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. He said the blast happened in a processing facility and the material involved was gasoline. So far though, it doesn't appear as if any serious damage or injuries have occurred, barring reported explosions in Torrance. Those improvements were completed in 2021 and are now in service, Lafayette said. Since the February 2015 explosion, the refinery has experienced multiple incidents. 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. 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. Manhattan Beach, CA crime, fire and public safety news and events, police & fire department updates Other than the affected crude unit, the refinery continues to operate, Brien said. Please enter valid email address to continue. There, too, the Torrance refinery has disagreed. Principal Office: Houston Texas. Living in such close proximity to the refinery, Donna Heise said, makes it hard for the couple to ignore the chemicals potential dangers. The proposal had plenty of support: Reps. Nanette Barragan, Ted Lieu and Maxine Waters wrote letters urging the AQMD to pass the rule and phase MHF out of Southern California. They claim nothing has been done, she added, without any proof, other than their beliefs, which are incorrect and misleading.. The cause of the explosion was not known. The explosion filled surrounding neighborhoods with ash, fiberglass, and glass wool. For instance, the CSB found that during work leading up to the incident, workers violated corporate lock out tag out requirements. 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 fire was reported to the South Coast Air Quality Management District and California Office of Emergency Services, police said. The AQMDs own reports warned that the ability of MHF to prevent formation of a vapor/aerosol cloud is highly uncertain and that a release of MHF will result in exposure to HF with the same health effects.. Four people were injured in an explosion at an apartment building in Torrance Sunday afternoon, officials said. There were also questions asking why the emergency refinery sirens did not sound following the accident. TORRANCE (CBSLA) Firefighters say four people have been injured in a reported explosion at an apartment complex in Torrance. Really? read one of the signs carried by chanting marchers who endured a steady downpour to protest the use of toxic hydrofluoric acid at the refinery. It was unclear what caused the fire. 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 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. / KCAL News. The explosion, the report said, launched a 40-ton piece of debris that nearly struck tanks carrying tens of thousands of pounds of MHF.
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