Californian city sues Chevron over oil refinery fire

On the anniversary of a massive oil refinery fire, the affected city of Richmond, California, has issued a lawsuit against the Chevron Corp, the company responsible for the facility. According to Richmond, Chevron was wilfully negligent, which led to the huge fire that caused health problems for thousands of people within the city.

The fire at the oil refinery occurred on August 6th 2012 and resulted in a huge smoke cloud rising from the refinery. Ultimately, it was the cloud that meant thousands of residents had to seek medical treatment. The fire started following a pipeline rupture at the facility and meant refinery was unable to resume normal functions until April this year.

The lawsuit was filed by Richmond city officials and asks for unspecified damages for those people that were harmed during and as a result of the refinery fire. It alleges that Chevron Corp ignored warnings concerning the corrosion of pipes at the facility. The suit also claims that the company sacrificed safety by allowing inspections and repairs to be delayed, ultimately placing profits as the top priority. According to the 39-page complaint, the fire could have been avoided and came after a number of other avoidable incidents at the refinery over a 20-year period.

Frank Pitre, one of the city of Richmond's lawyers, said: "The lawsuit seeks damages for the harm caused to the city of Richmond and its community but more importantly is designed to make sure that Chevron changes its corporate culture and makes sure the same thing doesn't happen again."  

Following the fire, around 15,000 Richmond residents needed medical treatment for respiratory complaints. The health problems were caused by the thick plume of smoke that was sent into the air following a fireball at the facility. The smoke hung in the air over Richmond and other cities close by for a number of days before dissipating. Residents reported health problems for days following the incident.

According to Chevron, around $10 million (£6.5 million) had been paid out to 23,300 claimants by January this year. However, the city of Richmond has decided to proceed with the lawsuit following failed negotiations concerning further remuneration.