The State : Chevron Faces $877,000 Fine

The Labor Department announced plans to fine Chevron U.S.A. Inc. $877,000 for 114 safety violations in connection with a refinery fire in Richmond, Calif., last spring in which three workers were severely burned. “The great tragedy of these injuries is that they were avoidable,” Labor Secretary Elizabeth Dole said in announcing the findings of the department’s occupational safety and health administration. The safety agency concluded that Chevron was aware that workers responsible for assisting firefighters should have had protective equipment and clothing. Individual refinery workers and union officials have requested protective equipment for several years but the company “failed to provide even this most fundamental, basic equipment,” Dole said. Chevron spokesman Jeff Krag said the company had not finished reviewing the matter, but “on initial glance” saw flaws in OSHA’s analysis of the accident.