Join Us for Presentation on Oil Refinery and Community Safety

Learn about Proposed regulations to protect workers, communities and ecosystems and how you can help.  

When:   Thursday, May 2, 6:30-8:00 p.m.

Where:  Burlington Community Center, 1011 Greenleaf Avenue, Burlington, WA

Hosted by:  The United Steelworkers, BlueGreen Alliance, Evergreen Islands, and RE Sources for Sustainable Communities

The event is free.  Light refreshments will be provided. 

Nine years after the fatal Tesoro explosion and fire in Anacortes, the state’s Department of Labor and Industries will soon hold public hearings to introduce new regulations, which are intended to prevent another catastrophic explosion in Washington’s refineries. Strong regulations on these issues—known as Process Safety Management—will better protect refinery workers from tragedies like Tesoro. And they will protect our communities and ecosystems from explosions, fires, and releases of toxic substances at refineries.

Updated strong refinery safety rules are vital to protect refinery workers, surrounding communities, and the natural environment from explosions, fires, and releases of toxic substances into our air, water and ecosystems. 

Come learn about investigations of catastrophic explosions, fires, and releases of toxic substances at refineries; the history of refinery safety regulations; how California updated its regulations; and public comment opportunities. We expect continued opposition to the regulations by the refinery industry and we need your help to get informed and be ready to weigh in about the importance of keeping Washington’s workers, communities, and our natural environment safe! 

Speakers will include: Rick Engler, U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) and Dr. Mike Wilson, former firefighter, paramedic, and EMT, and now National Director for Occupational and Environmental Health at the BlueGreen Alliance and an expert on recent improvements to California’s refinery safety regulations. We will also have speakers from the United Steelworkers, Evergreen Islands, and RE Sources for Sustainable Communities.

See you there!