Overview

• Chevron’s El Segundo refinery was rocked by an Oct. 2 explosion and fire, one of at least a dozen major California refinery incidents over the past decade.
• With the U.S. Chemical Safety Board unfunded under the president’s latest budget, investigations are being handled by Chevron and state, regional and local agencies.
• CalEPA says it is not leading the inquiry and will support the El Segundo Fire Department’s safety review, alongside oversight from SCAQMD and Cal/OSHA.
• The blaze has been contained and the refinery is operating at reduced capacity with a jet-fuel unit offline, a constraint that can tighten Southern California fuel supplies and lift prices.
• Policy and economic pressures are mounting as Gov. Gavin Newsom signs a Kern County production bill, state refinery oversight measures face delays, and closures at Phillips 66 and Valero add to workforce strains after earlier shutdowns.