City of Richmond, CA sues Chevron over August 6, 2012 refinery fire!
Today, the City of Richmond, California, sued Chevron Corporation over last year’s disastrous refinery fire and accused Chevron of placing profits and executive pay over public safety. SFGate.com says:
The crude-oil pipeline leak that led to the blaze Aug. 6, 2012, was “a continuation of years of neglect, lax oversight and corporate indifference to necessary safety inspection and repairs,” said the suit filed against Chevron Corp. in Contra Costa County Superior Court.
At a news conference at City Hall, Mayor Gayle McLaughlin said the City Council voted unanimously to sue after talks with Chevron failed to reach an agreement.
“This is not about money, although there are certainly costs attached to the impact of this fire,” McLaughlin said. “This is about a change in Chevron’s corporate culture, to place safety of the community as a top priority.”
Chevron called the lawsuit “a waste of the city’s resources and yet another example of its failed leadership.”
The company said it would vigorously fight the lawsuit, which it said was designed to divert attention from a “dysfunctional” City Council.
Meanwhile, back at the profits…. Chevron’s Q2 profit, though HUGE at $5.37 billion, was down 26% from last year due to lower oil prices, less production, and maintenance work at some refineries. Chevron shares fell $1.49, or 1.2%, to $124.95 today.
The fire last year occurred whtn leaking crude oil from a corroded pipe ignited. The cloud of smoke and gas caused 15,000 people in Richmond and surrounding cities to seek medical treatment at hospitals for respiratory problems.<emphasis mine> SFGate.com continues:
In an interim report in April, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board said the fire happened because weak state regulations allowed the company to monitor rather than simply fix potential problems. Company engineers had recommended that the corroded pipe be replaced.
As Chevron was ignoring public-safety concerns at the refinery, it was paying $52.8 million to compensate its top three executives in 2011 alone, the city said in its suit.
The suit against Chevron lists 14 other incidents since 1989 in which Chevron released toxic substances into the air, “each time issuing an apology and promising the Richmond community that they will undertake safety improvements to assure that further releases will be avoided.”
McLaughlin, a Green Party member who has not received campaign donations from Chevron, accused the company of pinching pennies on safety while it bankrolled the campaigns of friendly City Council candidates. “This is a failure in Chevron’s accountability,” she said. “They have failed us.”
On Saturday, a rally is scheduled with protestors marching to the Chevron refinery from the Richmond BART station.
The city is seeking unspecified damages in its lawsuit, including compensation for emergency response, fire suppression, environmental cleanup and loss of property values.
(Note added Tuesday, August 6, 2013: Chevron has agree to pay $2 in fines and restitution with regard to the fire, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in other costs.)
-Bill at
Cheshire Cat Photo™ – “Your Guide to California’s Wonderland™”
You can view higher-resolution photos at the Cheshire Cat Photo™ Pro Gallery on Shutterfly™, where you can also order prints and gifts decorated with the photos of your choice from the gallery. The Cheshire Cat Photo Store on Zazzle® contains a wide variety of apparel and gifts decorated with our images of California. All locations are accessible from here. LIKE Cheshire Cat Photo on Facebook here! If you don’t see what you want or would be on our email list for updates, send us an email at info@cheshirecatphoto.com.
