While national headlines worried over the impact that a fire at a high-production California Chevron refinery would have on gas prices, neighbors of the Richmond plant had safety and health issues on the mind.
Local residents reportedly shouted “shut it down” during a a town hall meeting on the fire Tuesday night with Chevron and city officials. Others donned gas masks and booed.
“Does my grandchild have to look forward to having cancer?” one woman asked.
The refinery’s manager Nigel Hearne apologized to those in attendance and said the company is working to determining the cause of the fire. The company also offered a claims line where those impacted by the fire could request payment for health expenses and property damage. Local officials said the fire did not raise the level of toxics in the air to unhealthy levels, but nearly 1,000 people headed to local emergency rooms.
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