Refinery safety rules in California face rollback after industry settlement

More than a decade after a catastrophic refinery fire sickened thousands, California regulators are weighing a rollback of key safety reforms under a legal settlement with oil lobbyists.

Jim Morris and Molly Peterson report for Public Health Watch.

In short:

• A secretive legal settlement between California officials and the Western States Petroleum Association could roll back safety rules enacted after the 2012 Chevron refinery fire in Richmond, which sent 15,000 people to hospitals and triggered landmark reforms.
• The proposed changes would narrow definitions of hazardous materials, reduce union influence in safety meetings, and limit workers' power to stop unsafe operations, sparking backlash from labor and environmental groups left out of the negotiations.
• Critics warn that the changes arrive amid ongoing accidents and refinery closures, raising concerns about worker safety, community exposure, and weakened oversight just as the state moves toward phasing out fossil fuels.

Key quote:

“They’re taking the guts out of the regulation … This is happening at the same time as the industry is divesting from its refining assets and the combination of those two things is a ticking time bomb.”

— Greg Karras, independent consulting scientist at Community Energy reSource

Why this matters:

California’s oil refineries sit near neighborhoods, schools, and hospitals, exposing millions to the threat of fires, toxic plumes, and explosions. The 2012 Chevron fire in Richmond was a wake-up call, prompting some of the strongest refinery safety regulations in the nation. The push to roll them back comes at a precarious moment. As California transitions away from fossil fuels, companies are closing or downsizing refineries, leading to understaffing, overwork, and safety concerns as powerful industry groups continue to wield influence behind closed doors. The proposed rollback narrows the list of chemicals that count as hazardous, redefines when safety plans kick in, and weakens union input. With refineries already under stress and oversight gaps growing, loosening protections risks repeating the tragedies these rules were meant to prevent.

Related: California reduces emissions, but low-income communities still breathe dirty air