In the wake of the Chevron refinery fire in Richmond last year, which sent thousands of local residents to the hospital, a federal report today recommended big changes to how California oversees its oil refineries.
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board report calls for a replacement of “the current patchwork of largely reactive and activity-based regulations” with a more rigorous safety case system that regulates based on performance. Similar systems have been adopted in the U.K., Norway and Australia.
The draft report, which can be read in its entirety below, will be available for public comment until Jan. 3.
KQED’s Cy Musiker spoke with State Senator Loni Hancock, who represents Richmond and has followed the issue since the 2012 fire. Hancock said the report was an important step in the right direction, because it, in no uncertain terms, laid out the problems with the current regulatory system.