Allows Plant to Run
As Leak Fixed, Workers Barely Escape Ignited Vapor Cloud
Investigators are asking why Chevron allowed its Richmond,
California refinery to continue to operate as its employees worked on a pipe
leak that resulted in a fire, sending over 1,000 local citizens to the
hospital.
According to this San
Francisco Chronicle story, the workers – repairing the leak -- barely
escaped a vapor cloud that ignited.
They also are asking why an 8-inch carbon steel pipe that
failed wasn’t replaced in November during a round of maintenance.
Why? Because Chevron cares only about the bottom line, and
if not replacing a pipe saves the company money, then why replace the pipe?
As in Nigeria and Ecuador, the only people who could be
harmed in Richmond are mostly poor people of color.
In Nigeria, Chevron refused to evacuate workers from an
oil rig that exploded and killed two workers. Chevron had no boats to rescue
the workers who jumped into the water. Local fisherman had to do that. See here.
In Ecuador, Chevron refuses to pay a $19 billion judgment
for massive oil contamination of the rainforest, even though the company agreed
to abide by the findings of an Ecuador court, when a U.S. judge sent the case
to the South American country at Chevron’s request in 2002.
The damage award would be used to clean up its pollution
that continues to leech into underground drinking water. It also would provide
health care facilities and clean drinking water for the indigenous groups and other people living near the contamination.
And, then there’s this: In its last earnings statement, Chevron
reported $21 billion in surplus cash.