Investigators: Refinery pipe had thinned

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RICHMOND, Calif., Sept. 12 (UPI) -- A pipe at a San Francisco-area Chevron refinery that set off a disastrous fire when it failed had become dangerously thin, federal investigators say.

Don Holmstrom, western director of the Chemical Safety Board, said Tuesday at a Richmond City Council meeting the pipe at the plant appears to have missed inspection last year, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. The wall of the 8-inch-diameter pipe had lost 80 percent of its thickness, from 5/16ths of an inch down to 1/16th.

Chevron's standards require that pipes be replaced when they lose 50 percent, Holmstrom said. Investigators for the board say Chevron officials discussed replacing the section of pipe that failed, decided to do so and then changed their minds.

The fire at the crude unit in Richmond in August sent a cloud of smoke over the city. About 15,000 people sought treatment for respiratory problems.