explosion in torrance today

TORRANCE TODAY - FEBRUARY 16, 2023 - City of Torrance TorranceCitiCABLE 4.15K subscribers 113 views 1 day ago #184 1. 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. A powerful blast at an ExxonMobil oil refinery rocked Torrance, California, on Wednesday. ExxonMobil said in a statement early Wednesday afternoon that "no harmful emissions have been detected.". But in the years since the 2015 explosion, residents have continued decrying MHF. Para obtener ms informacin sobre cmo utilizamos tus datos personales, consulta nuestra Poltica de privacidad y Poltica de cookies. Deuel told The Associated Press the flare system was triggered to burn off fuel that could add to the fire. 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. 6 Min Read. Residents reported shaking normally associated with earthquakes throughout the South Bay area. 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. In working with inherently dangerous products, it is critical to conduct a robust risk management analysis with the intent of continually safety improvement.. Those improvements were completed in 2021 and are now in service, Lafayette said. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. For a breakdown of the fees and expenses associated with the verdicts and settlements listed on our site, please visit our Results page. in journalism from the University of Southern California. 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. 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. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. 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. "I just appreciate that I'm here. Since the February 2015 explosion, the refinery has experienced multiple incidents. in communication and M.S. 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. 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. 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. I urge SCAQMD to act with urgency, said the South Bay Democrat. Fortunately, the explosion did not release asbestos, but the material released contained fiberglass and glass wool which can cause respiratory issues. There were also questions asking why the emergency refinery sirens did not sound following the accident. 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. April 8, 2018 / 2:50 PM / KCAL News. 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. 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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. When you think about it, she said, it makes you not want to sleep at night.. The CSB is an independent, non-regulatory federal agency charged with investigating serious chemical incidents. PBF, for its part, has repeatedly said concerns from local groups against MHF were unwarranted. TORRANCE (CBSLA) Firefighters say four people have been injured in a reported explosion at an apartment complex in Torrance. 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. 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.. 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. 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. 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. 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. ExxonMobil was fined more than $500 million for workplace violations related to the blast. Our Manhattan Beach office is physically closed at this time. 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.. 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. 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. The four victims were found suffering varying degrees on injuries. The explosion sent ash raining down on vehicles parked near the sprawling 750-acre site and caused what one worker described as intense shaking. All safety systems at the refinery operated correctly and personnel were safe, police said. Investigators are still looking into the cause of the explosion, wh. The explosion sent ash raining down on. They heard a loud explosion, kind of like a sonic boom, said Jason Davis, who lives near the complex. 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. ET), but there was no . 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. Many in the neighborhood reported being startled by a large blast. Across California, CA | News | 15h. Officials were not aware of their exact conditions, but witnesses said some were seriously hurt. We need to ban MHF as soon as possible. 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. Nosotros, Yahoo, somos parte de la familia de marcas de Yahoo. Eight workers were decontaminated at the scene. 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. "I was having my cup of coffee and all of the sudden the whole house shook, the windows vibrated," said Torrance resident John White. If you're interested in joining our team, you can apply for a position here. The refinery completed those improvements in 2020. 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. So far though, it doesn't appear as if any serious damage or injuries have occurred, barring reported explosions in Torrance. Hire a Houston personal injury lawyer with a proven track record. Steve Deuel said. Manhattan Beach, CA crime, fire and public safety news and events, police & fire department updates By then, the husband said, theyd been living in the city long enough to know exactly what the sound was. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. Finally, the slide valve - a safety-critical safeguard within the system - was degraded significantly. Had the tanks ruptured, the report said, it would have caused a massive release of MHF, which can be deadly to anyone who comes in contact with it. 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. First published on April 8, 2018 / 2:50 PM. 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. CSB investigations look into all aspects of chemical accidents, including physical causes such as equipment failure as well as inadequacies in regulations, industry standards, and safety management systems. North Torrance resident Daphne Wong, her husband, Eng, and their three children, ages 5 to 9, all walked to the refinery together despite the rain. Torrance officials said there was no chemical release and a citywide shelter-in-place order is not necessary, but those near the site should keep windows closed. I wish the Torrance City Council had the courage to say that.. TORRANCE (CBSLA) Firefighters say four people have been injured in a reported explosion at an apartment complex in Torrance. 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. The fire was reported to the South Coast Air Quality Management District and California Office of Emergency Services, police said. The explosion, which happened . 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. A smoke advisory was issued for areas near the ExxonMobil refinery due to Wednesday morning's explosion and fire. The crowd gathered at 10 a.m. at Columbia Park on 190th Street, cheering the remarks of Lieu, Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi and other speakers, before marching the short distance to the refinery. And Torrance receives about $7.5 million annually in utility user taxes from the refinerys operation. The incident caused the refinery to be . Those calls for a ban remain. 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. The investigation of the Torrance explosion by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board revealed that a piece of equipment nearly crashed into a tank holding tens of thousands of pounds of modified hydrofluoric acid a highly toxic chemical used to make high-octane gasoline. Organizers estimated the crowd size at more than 400. / KCAL News. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Torrance firefighters responded to the 23500 block of Anza Avenue just before 1:20 p.m. Sunday. Copyright 2023 KABC Television, LLC. TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA Just before 9 a.m. on February 18, the ExxonMobil refinery in Torrance, California exploded, shaking the surrounding community with the force of a 1.7 magnitude earthquake, and sending a quarter ton of sulfur oxide gas into the atmosphere. The CSBs report concludes that the unit was operating without proper procedures., MHF was the subject of a thorough technology review by a court-appointed Safety Advisor with input from the City of Torrance, Gesuina Lafayette, PBFs community relations advisor said in a recent email. MHF opponents have also expressed concerns that the refineries havent done enough to ensure the communities safety. 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.. Lieu commended the AQMD for its proposal to phase out the use of modified hydrofluoric acid at the plant, one of only two refineries in California to rely on MHF. Environmentalists and activists, though, argue that the additives levels in MHF have significantly decreased since the modified versions creation. 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. Three dozen firefighters knocked down the blaze within a half-hour. And it directs L.A. County to support any new legislation that would help phase out MHF. Living in such close proximity to the refinery, Donna Heise said, makes it hard for the couple to ignore the chemicals potential dangers. "You could feel it," said refinery worker Jason Hernandez. Here's your go-to source for today's LA news. 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. More information will be added as soon as it becomes available. 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. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. The latest salvo in the battle over MHF came last month, when the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors called for a ban on the highly toxic chemical. The refinery, where about 155,000 barrels of crude oil are processed each day, has been part of the South Bay landscape since the 1920s. Electrostatic precipitators are large machines that stand12 stories high and weigh more than 1,000 tons. 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. However, our staff is working remotely and can assist you via phone or email. She currently lives in Inglewood. U.S. Chemical Safety Board. 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. 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. The Supervisor knew the proffers were toothless, Odendahl said. The bottom line is Torrance Refinery now has the most advanced safety systems of any HF Alkylation Unit in California, the U.S., and the world.. (Credit: KTLA) The blast at the refinery, which is located in the 3700 block of West . Get Los Angeles's latest local news on crime, entertainment, weather, schools, COVID, cost of living and more. Numerous nearby residents complained about the air quality following the blast. God may not warn us again.. We cant assume we will be so lucky next time, whether that is another refinery accident, an earthquake, or God-forbid, an attack., The passage of the Supervisors motion is disappointing, she said in an email, because many of the points they make are both misleading and the projects are already in place, following agreements with several government agencies to install additional safety measures.. Before joining the newsroom in 2016, she was a general assignment reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer, Daily News and Philly.com. The CSBs report concludes that the unit was operating without proper procedures.. As a result, unraveling the debates complexities remains challenging. Bontas office said it hadnt received a letter from the county. Kristy Hutchings covers all things Long Beach including local government, politics, and the environment. 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. Those safety advances, however, have come since the 2015 explosion and a harsh assessment by federal investigators. Inside the refinery, the explosion blew off parts of an electrostatic precipitator and damaged other equipment at the plant. Had the tank ruptured, it would have caused a release of MHF, which is highly toxic. 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. It appeared it was a gas explosion, but a hazardous materials team was on scene Sunday afternoon working to determine exactly what occurred. 46,739 visits in the last 30 days. 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. The CSB notes that it is vital to ensure that safety critical equipment can successfully carry out its intended function. The cause of the explosion was not known. "It was like a loud sonic boom. Redondo Beach Local News. Various elected officials have periodically attempted to rein in its use at the Torrance refinery and another in Wilmington, the only two in the state that use the chemical. If that was the case, we wouldnt have seen another explosion today, she added. 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. 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.. The explosion, the report said, launched a 40-ton piece of debris that nearly struck tanks carrying tens of thousands of pounds of MHF. The improvements, though, also came after sustained pressure from the community and watchdog agencies. 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. Edited by Rachel Barnes. The state could potentially lose thousands of jobs, and it could result in higher gasoline prices at the pump for California residents, businesses, and government, Californians for a Sustainable Economy an association representing hundreds of local businesses wrote in opposition to the ban. The explosion occurred in the refinerys fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) unit, where a variety of products, mainly gasoline, are produced. 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. "I have second thoughts about being out here right now," said resident Anthony Scales. That update was completed last year as well. TORRANCE TODAY is a 15-minute live news broadcast airing Monday. CSB Releases Final Report into 2015 Explosion at ExxonMobil Refinery in Torrance, California, Drivers of Critical Chemical Safety Change, Process Safety Management for the 21st Century, Emergency Planning and Response (Preparedness), Website design & development by Americaneagle.com. 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. For more information, contact Communications Manager Hillary Cohen, cell 202-446-8094 or email public@csb.gov. 2022 Zehl & Associates Injury & Accident Lawyers. Caltech officials said the explosion created ground shaking that was equivalent to a magnitude-1.7 earthquake. The machines are responsible for reducing ammonia and particulate emissions in a plant to comply with environmental regulations. Investigators were trying to determine the cause of the blast, which occurred shortly before 9 a.m. PST . 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. All the while, officials at those facilities have defended the chemicals use as safe. More Stories Drone helps. A reaction between hydrocarbons and catalyst takes place in what is known as the hydrocarbon side of the FCC unit. 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. The cause of the accident was not immediately known, but it was believed to be caused by over pressurization in the plants electrostatic precipitators. 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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. Economic factors, such as job creation and the regional and global importance of oil, further complicate the issue, at least for elected officials. The motion the LA County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed in mid-February asks Gov. 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. Torrance firefighters . Cuando utilizas nuestros sitios y aplicaciones, usamos. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. 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.

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