Contact:
Leela Yadav, leela.yadav@sunstonestrategies.org
Blake Marquez, blake.marquez@sunstonestrategies.org
El Segundo, CA – Last night, residents of the South Bay felt their homes rocked by an explosion of heat and flames from the El Segundo Chevron refinery. As of 10:08 AM PST, the fire continues to burn at the El Segundo facility.
Environmental justice organizations offered the following quotes in response to the El Segundo Chevron blaze:
“We’re very glad Chevron’s refinery workers are reportedly safe and without injuries. The workers also always strive to keep neighbors safe. We don’t yet know what sparked last night’s explosion, but we do know that California’s oil refiners have been repeatedly found by the State and the U.S. Chemical Safety Board to neglect upkeep and skimp on maintenance. The deeper problem is the inherent danger of oil refining — processing thousands of barrels a day of explosive, flammable, toxic materials, with most of California’s refineries over 100 years old. We need a serious plan for gradual phaseout of this antiquated, dirty energy, through a Just Transition Plan for the community and workers, consumers, and the planet,” said Julia May, Senior Scientist with CBE.
“Last night’s fire is another painful reminder that California families — especially in frontline communities — are paying the price for Big Oil’s recklessness. While families are closing their windows and doors and worrying about toxic exposure, Governor Newsom is handing out deals to oil companies that reward them for their negligence,” said Seng So, Organizing Director with Asian Pacific Environmental Network.
“Time and again, I see patients living near pumpjacks and in the shadow of the refineries struggling to breathe. My patients with asthma and COPD struggle to breathe simply for daring to spend time outside their own homes—homes that sit beside active oil wells. Los Angeles’ most vulnerable residents are paying for the oil industry’s “business as usual” with their health. Last night’s incident is yet another painful reminder of the burdens these communities are forced to endure. Families deserve better—health is not optional,” said Lorenzo González, MD, MPL., Health Professional Ambassador for Physicians for Social Responsibility – Los Angeles
“It is not safe for our communities to live next door to the Chevron refineries. As a lifelong community member of Richmond, CA, we know too well what a refinery explosion does to our community, and we are in complete solidarity with the community of El Segundo,” said Lazuli Trujano, Richmond Community Organizer with Communities for a Better Environment. “When the Richmond Chevron refinery exploded in 2012, it sent more than 14,000 workers and community members to local hospitals. This is not okay, and we must put a stop to the harms that Chevron causes to our frontline communities.”
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