Contra Costa County Superior Court
On August 6, 2012, there was a terrifying explosion and fire at the Richmond, California, refinery owned and operated by Chevron Corporation. For hours, smoke containing toxic contaminants spewed uncontrolled into the air, dissipating across the neighborhoods of Richmond’s largely low-income and minority residents. Life in Richmond came to a standstill that evening, as city residents were forced to shelter in place for hours until the fire could be brought under control. Subsequent analysis suggested the explosion and fire resulted from a predictable and preventable corrosive failure in a pipe within the refinery.
Working on behalf of the City of Richmond, CPM assembled a multidisciplinary team of scientists and engineers to determine the cause and resultant environmental impact of the explosion. Through their technical analyses, CPM was able to assemble the evidence needed to seek compensation for the City for the costs it incurred not just in responding to the fire, but in subsequent community outreach and overseeing rebuilding efforts at the refinery.
