Chevron Richmond refinery reopens to public following fire

On its third annual Community Tour Day, Chevron’s Richmond refinery opened its gates to the public on Saturday for the first time since the August 2012 fire that resulted in criminal charges and records fines.

While the fire, caused by a leak in corroded piping, generated no serious injuries, it drew high levels of public scrutiny and cost the company millions of dollars in claims, fines and restitution. A full scale investigation by the Federal Chemical Safety Board highlighted the cause of the accident to have been systemic failures to heed warnings and conduct preventive maintenance.

The State Division of Occupational Safety and Health issued 25 citations and fined Chevron US$ 963 000 in early 2013. Chevron additionally pleaded no contest to six criminal charges brought by country and state prosecutors for negligence.

The company now hopes to assure local residents that it has stepped up safety since the incident.

‘We hope they understand that this is a complex business that we can do very well’, said the refinery’s new general manger, Kory Judd. ‘We’re going to continue to be here and continue to be a positive influence’.

Edited from various sources by Emma McAleavey

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/gas-processing/07102013/chevron_richmond_refinery_reopens_to_public721/