Congressman DeSaulnier Statement on El Segundo Refinery Fire

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10) issued the following statement on the recent explosion at Chevron’s El Segundo refinery.

“The explosion at El Segundo is the second refinery explosion in California this year alone and the latest in a string of almost a dozen similar safety incidents at refineries across California over the past decade – clear evidence that more aggressive, coordinated oversight is needed to protect our communities,” said Congressman DeSaulnier. “First and foremost, the Chemical Safety Board (CSB), which the Trump Administration has put on the chopping block, must be completely restored and strengthened so that when safety incidents occur, there is one, chief organization responsible for getting answers, holding those responsible to account, and preventing future incidents. The current investigative process is siloed and toothless, leaving our communities vulnerable. Additionally, every federal, state, and local regulatory agency with jurisdiction must act aggressively with all the statutory authority they have to hold refineries accountable when incidents like these occur. As I have said before, without the CSB fully operational and real reforms implemented, it is not a matter of if, but when, someone will die from a preventable refinery safety incident.”

Congressman DeSaulnier is a senior member of the House Committee on Education and Workforce. During his tenure on the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, he played a pivotal role in the Industrial Safety Ordinance and the Refinery Flare Rule for local refineries and chemical facilities following a deadly explosion at the Tosco refinery in 1997. When President Trump previously tried to eliminate the CSB in 2018 and Congressional Republicans proposed to reduce its funding, Congressman DeSaulnier successfully authored an amendment that passed into law to ensure it was fully funded.