Gas prices may rise after local refinery leak (previously had vented toxic gases into air)

[The Straight Story]

Gas prices may rise after local refinery leak

BAKERSFIELD - Bakersfield's Flying J Refinery is leaking toxic chemicals into local groundwater and part of the Rosedale Highway facility has been shut down.

The implications are statewide: Even a small reduction in the state's gasoline production can mean higher prices at the pump.

Kern County Environmental Health officials say there is no immediate danger to drinking water in the area, but the California Regional Water Quality Control Board has ordered parts of the refinery closed until the problem can be located.
....

When Shell owned the property, there was an ongoing problem with pollutants getting into the water supply of nearby homes and businesses. That was now-banned gasoline additive MTBE. Remediation of that problem is ongoing.

Big West, the company that owns Flying J, has applied for county permits to expand the refinery by half. But the county cited the company two months ago for allegedly venting toxic gases into the air. And, the county said, nearby residents were sickened when an airborne gas leak reached local homes in 2004.

http://www.kget.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=6ca49173-0b1d-4790-8d6c-88fe32139b7d

Ok - Ongoing problems, now a leak, people sickened by toxic gases - and with all those profits they cannot fix the problem??

[TahitiNut]

1. Sounds like it's time for another fire at the Richmond refinery.

They seem to schedule them for times like this. :puke:

[HCE SuiGeneris]

3. Yep. My thoughts as well. Rolling blackouts... etc.

[charlie]

2. Gas prices may rise

because there's no piano lessons next Tuesday. I mean really, why do they bother anymore? Raise the prices and if anyone asks, it's because they fucking felt like it. A little truth -- that they're incompetent at pretty much everything but generating profits -- would make me a shade less disgusted with them.

[Canuckistanian]

4. But of course, no new refineries to prevent future price increases

I wonder why no one ever made the argument that America needs to have a constant, unimpeded supply of gasoline to properly defend herself in times of war?

Seems to me that all these relatively minor problems are considered so debilitating that prices *MUST* be raised.

All a terrorist would need to do is inflict minor damage on a refinery and gas production is shut down.

A pretty fragile system, wouldn't you think?

[TahitiNut]

5. "Myths and Facts about Oil Refineries in the United States"

http://www.citizen.org/print_article.cfm?ID=11829

[Donnachaidh]

7. THANKS for that link!

Wow. That's another weapon against freeper madness. :bounce:

[Canuckistanian]

10. Ah, thanks

I was meaning to read that......

[IChing]

6. Love the headline......"Gas prices may rise because......."

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

gezz what a "get used to it headline"

[Donnachaidh]

8. just completed a Zogby poll today about gas prices

They asked if I was *WILLING* to pay higher gas prices and how much would I be *WILLING* to go.

WILLING?

Oh yeah, we're ALL volunteers in the price-gouging, aren't we? :sarcasm:

[bluestateguy]

9. They have an excuse for everything

nt