VOICES - While hundreds of earthquakes as high as magnitude 5.5, rattle nerves in Brawley, CA recently jittery homeowners in San Pedro continue to eye the massive liquid petroleum gas tanks that teeter close to seismic peril while perched upon the Palos Verdes Fault close to their neighborhoods. Adding to their demonstrative fear is the fact that the 40 year old Rancho LPG tanks are built to a seismic substandard of 5.5 to 6.0.
On August 6, the Chevron refinery in Richmond burned after leaking 600 degree hydrocarbon liquid from a “40 year old” 8 inch pipe that created a huge “vapor cloud” erupting into flames. In more recent weeks, the Chevron fire has cast renewed light on the health of aging refineries nationwide, which critics say are monitored by “overmatched, underfunded government agencies.” Certainly, this analysis falls into line with what activists in San Pedro have experienced with the Rancho LPG debacle.
Only a few days ago on August 25, a huge explosion rocked an oil refinery in the northwestern part of Venezuela killing at least 41 people and injuring over 50 others. The explosion occurred early on Saturday morning, from a gas leak at the Amuay facility and started a vicious blaze that lasted 3 days. The explosion reportedly sent a shock wave through neighboring homes and even damaged some residential structures. It caused significant structural damage to the facility.
Recently discovered archived news articles about the Rancho facility (originally Petrolane), show that there were attempts by neighborhood leaders in those early years to remove the LPG facility with its risks. It seems that everything we activists have done so far today had been done years ago without success. Furthering our dismay we learned that even with the aggressive leadership of Assemblyman Vincent Thomas who served from 1941 to 1979, their efforts still failed to bring about responsible action.
To many of us who are active on this problematic issue, it seems as though we are being given warning signs in a very purposeful manner, These warning signs feel like a deliberate attempt to generate greater concern and action on the Rancho situation before it is too late. As the years roll by, aging storage facilities and inadequate regulatory controls would seem to increase the risk of catastrophe.
Where public safety is concerned, sometimes nothing is done to eliminate the risk until an accident happens together with loss of life and property. In this Rancho case, it is our hope to overcome public apathy as well as that of regulatory officials and our responsible elected representatives.
(Janet Gunter and Leo Kowalski are long time community activists and members of the San Pedro Peninsula Homeowners United Inc. The SPPHU was one of the litigants in the successful China Shipping lawsuit that was represented by the NRDC in 2001-2003 on the issue of air pollution and aesthetics. )
-cw
CityWatch
Vol 10 Issue 73
Pub: Sept 11, 2012
