WILMINGTON : Texaco Fined $83,500 in October Explosion

The state Division of Occupational Safety and Health has fined Texaco Inc. $83,500 and issued seven citations as a result of an explosion and fire last October at the company’s Wilmington refinery.

The Oct. 8 explosion sent a cloud of flames into the night sky and rocked the neighborhood, shattering windows in nearby houses. About 500 people who live within two miles of the plant were evacuated; 16 workers were injured.

The citations followed an investigation by the state and by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The federal agency is also expected to issue citations and fines.

The most severe citation, which carries a $70,000 fine, was issued for failure to maintain piping in a condition “to safely withstand the stresses imposed by the internal loads,” said Rick Rice, a Cal/OSHA spokesman.

Investigators determined that the explosion happened when a six-inch steel elbow pipe, weakened by erosion and corrosion, burst and sent up a hydrogen cloud that caught fire.