Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in California after a toxic chemical leak at a refinery in Richmond threatened to ignite a major fire disaster. Sources confirm the leak originated from a corroded storage tank at the Chevron refinery, releasing a cloud of hydrofluoric acid that drifted over residential areas. Documents obtained by this publication reveal that Chevron had previously reported the tank’s condition as ‘substandard’ but failed to replace it.
The company’s own internal safety audits warned of a ‘catastrophic failure’ risk. Yet the leak went unaddressed for months. Now, emergency crews are battling to contain the plume before it reaches an ignition source.
The state emergency declaration unlocks additional resources for evacuation and hazmat teams, but for residents living in the shadow of the refinery, this is a crisis decades in the making. This is not a natural disaster. This is corporate negligence dressed up as a state emergency.
