Local News in Brief : 4 Refineries Are Inspected
Several government inspectors planned to continue their search today for the source of a noxious cloud that hovered over much of the South Bay Wednesday, sending nine people to the hospital.
The inspectors from the South Coast Air Quality Management District are checking plant operation records and equipment at the Unocal oil refinery in Wilmington and three other area refineries, said district spokeswoman Jacqueline Switzer.
The investigation centered on Unocal, where equipment failed twice Wednesday morning, forcing the refinery to burn off excess gases and to release foul-smelling hydrogen sulfide.
Unocal denied responsibility for the cloud. Inspectors will also visit refineries owned by Mobil in Torrance, Union Pacific Resources in Wilmington and Fletcher Oil Co. in Carson.
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