Mobil Party Gets Smaller, but Torrance Still Dubious

Mobil Oil, which earlier had announced plans to have 10,000 to 12,000 people attend a daylong open house at its Torrance refinery Oct. 7, now estimates that only 6,000 to 8,000 people will come, with no more than 2,000 at any one time.

But Torrance Assistant City Manager Albert Ng, who had opposed holding the gathering at the refinery because of safety concerns, said Thursday that he continues to think a city park would be a better place for such a large group.

‘Still a Lot of People’

“They could have the assembly in a park site and bus the people (to the refinery) for tours,” he said. “Two thousand is still a lot of people.”

Torrance Fire Marshal Richard Nanney said the city’s fire prevention office is reviewing Mobil applications for permits to hold a public assembly and to erect canopies.

“Part of the review is on the maximum size,” he said.

The refinery--the focus of investigations prompted by a series of explosions, fires, gas releases and fatal accidents--was planning to spend up to $200,000 for jugglers, clowns, hot dogs, hamburgers, a Ferris wheel, a carousel, bus tours of refinery process and control units and informational booths.

Mobil spokesman Barry Engelberg said the lower estimate of attendance is not an attempt to mollify the city by planning a smaller celebration.

“We have not planned to downsize our open house,” he said. “You refine things as you go along. I just didn’t want to give the impression that we were going to scale down the thing. The estimate of people changed.”

Mobil officials say the party is to polish the beleaguered refinery’s image, part of a campaign that has also included advertisements in local newspapers and the publication of a newsletter sent to all Torrance residents.

They say the campaign is not intended to influence a lawsuit filed against Mobil in April, in which the city of Torrance seeks to have the refinery declared a public nuisance, or to sway Torrance voters, who will face a ballot measure in March that would effectively eliminate the use of acutely hazardous hydrofluoric acid at the plant.

Mobil reacted bitterly to the city’s initial opposition to its open-house plans in mid-August, accusing the city of unconstitutionally violating its rights.

City Atty. Kenneth Nelson said then, however, that there are limited grounds on which the city can refuse permits, and Mobil continued to pursue its party plans.