Defendants in Refinery Blast Plead No Contest

Defendants in a three-week criminal trial stemming from a 1988 explosion at Mobil Oil’s Torrance refinery pleaded no contest Tuesday, just as a judge was preparing to instruct jurors on how to conduct their deliberations.

Attorneys for Cal Cat Chemical Co., a Benecia-based contract company, and its president, Paul Taylor, entered the pleas to misdemeanor charges after both sides had rested. Taylor, the company and two other Cal Cat employees had been charged with failing to follow state labor codes requiring that they inform workers about chemical hazards. Municipal Judge Josh Fredricks ordered the company to pay $26,500 in fines and penalties, and ordered Taylor to pay $14,750.