Federal investigators on Monday called for a dramatic overhaul of oil refinery regulation in California and across the nation, saying the massive fire at Chevron’s Richmond refinery last year is evidence that the current system does not force the state’s 15 refineries to operate as safely as possible.
“We are here because we have a refinery safety problem in the United States,” said the chairman of theU.S. Chemical Safety Board,Rafael Moure-Eraso, in introducing his agency’s draft report on the blaze that sent clouds of smoke through the region on Aug. 6, 2012, prompting more than 15,000 people to go to hospitals to complain of breathing problems.
Speaking at a news conference in Emeryville, he said his agency logged 125 refinery accidents last year, including 17 in California, a record that demonstrates the need for “sweeping change.”
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