Better Warning Sought for Refinery Accidents
City and county officials want a better early-warning system to alert residents about oil refinery accidents like one that occurred last week.
Refinery employees at Equilon waited a half-hour before sounding warning sirens Oct. 14 to alert residents to stay inside after a smoky chemical leak. The county controls the early-warning system, but takes cues from the refineries on the seriousness of the incidents.
The warning system is a mix of computer and radio-controlled equipment to alert the public, regulators and others around the refinery. Equilon officials admitted Friday that the delay in sounding the sirens was a mistake.
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