New Refinery Regulations Will Benefit Workers and Communities

Recent Accidents Have Sent Residents to the Hospital, Cost California Billions

Four years ago, Chevron’s oil refinery in Richmond, Calif. was the scene of an industrial disaster. An 8-inch diameter pipe carrying fuel oil ruptured, releasing a burst of flammable vapors that quickly expanded 100 meters in all directions, engulfing 19 refinery workers. Less than two minutes later, the vapor ignited into a massive fireball and a plume of smoke and toxic gases that spread over the northeastern Bay Area.

During that brief window, 18 of the workers crawled to safety through a blinding atmosphere of hot, flammable vapor. The last …