Politics & Government
Federal Report on Refinery Fire Critical of Chevron, Cal/OSHA
Chevron's lack of adequate replacement of components and inadequate time spent inspecting the refinery by Cal/OSHA staff were highlighted in a report issued by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board.
Federal officials criticized both Chevron and California's Division of Occupational Health and Safety (Cal/OSHA) during a press conference on last August's fire at Chevron's Richmond refinery, according to a Contra Costa Times article.
The press conference, held in Emeryville, accompanied the release of a report on the U.S. Chemical Safety Board's investigation of the fire and its causes.
Speakers at the conference said Chevron failed to replace aging components of the system over a 10-year period and pointed to clamps used at the refinery as stopgap reapir measures, the Times reported.
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Chemical Safety Board officials also said Cal/OSHA's oversight of refinery conditions was very lax.
The board's investigation also showed that 19 Chevron employees were engulfed by a vapor cloud during the fire and that a firefighter was trapped in a fire engine 65 feet from the leaking pipe, which carried high-pressure petroleum products, the Times said.
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You may read the complete Contra Costa Times article here.
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