District Attorney Takes Mobil Case
The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office has taken over prosecution of two top-ranking officials at Mobil’s Torrance refinery on charges that they contributed to the death of a contract worker and the injuries of two others in an explosion on July 15, 1988.
The case, brought originally by Torrance City Prosecutor J. D. Lord, also names three top officials of Cal Cat Chemical Inc. of Benicia. Lord said he asked the district attorney to prosecute the case because of new information that could elevate the charges from misdemeanors to felony manslaughter.
Mobil spokesman Jim Carbonetti said, “The charges are meritless, and we intend to defend our position rigorously.”
The blast occurred as Cal Cat Chemical employees were treating sludge from storage tanks containing water contaminated with sulfur compounds.
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