Tosco Fined in Fatal Refinery Explosion

Tosco Corp. was fined a record $277,750 for workplace violations as a result of a fatal Jan. 21 explosion at its oil refinery in Martinez, Calif. The fine is the highest ever levied by the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health against a petroleum refinery firm. Tosco said it is reviewing the fine and will make a decision in 10 days on whether to appeal all or part of it. The six-month investigation by Cal/OSHA into the explosion, which killed one employee and injured 46 others, found 22 violations of state workplace safety regulations, 16 of them classified as serious. Stamford, Conn.-based Tosco’s shares fell 19 cents to close at $28.69 on the New York Stock Exchange.