Refinery Questions Safety Investigation

Tesoro, the owner of a refinery where two workers suffered first- and second-degree acid burns last month, is pushing back against a probe by the Chemical Safety & Hazard Investigation Board (CSB). Tesoro says two employees at its refinery in Martinez, Calif., were sprayed with sulfuric acid, taken to the hospital, and discharged a few hours later. The San Antonio, Texas-based company describes the Feb. 12 incident as “a minor chemical release.” But in a Feb. 26 letter to Tesoro, CSB responds, “A sulfuric acid release is a serious chemical process safety incident subject to CSB investigative jurisdiction.” The injured employees were airlifted to a burn unit and lost significant time at work, the letter says. Tesoro has indicated it won’t comply with a subpoena for documents, CSB says. Tesoro responds that it “simply asked the agency to explain its basis for conducting a full investigation into an incident of this nature” and is cooperating with California regulators “as it is clearly within their jurisdiction.”