Local News in Brief : Mobil to Receive Safety Citations

Federal investigators who have just completed an intensive six-week safety inspection of Mobil’s troubled Torrance refinery intend to cite the oil company for a significant number of safety violations next week, authorities said.

The inspection, which began Sept. 13, was triggered by two unrelated incidents on the same day--an explosion and a fire July 15--that killed one worker and seriously injured four. The citations followed an 18-month series of incidents that included three deaths as well as explosions, fires, toxic releases and air pollution.

Leslie W. Michael, district director of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, confirmed that his office will issue citations against Mobil, possibly as early as Monday.