State authorities of the Contra Costa County closed the NuStar Energy facility after its tanks caught fire, followed by investigations to determine how the fire commenced and to determine when the operations can continue safely.
As the San Fransisco Chronicle reports, an explosion of two tanks containing 250,000 gallons to burn took place on October 16, with the causes still being unknown.
The authorities are considering whether the explosion was the result of an earthquake that struck about 10 miles away in Pleasant Hill a day before, October 15. Yet, Steve Hill, a spokesman for the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District commented that it’s still too early to know the cause of the explosion.
Following, two tankers carrying ethanol anchored in San Francisco’s Bay because of the fire; The Eco California arrived from Los Angeles on October 12, whereas the Sadah Silver from Brazil on September 28.
In the meantime, NuStar spokesperson Chris Cho, reported to the San Francisco Chronicle that they were expecting an ethanol shipment one day after the incident; that explains why both vessels carried 1% full of ethanol. The company now reviews its commercial options, as the fire was a setback for the facility’s operations.
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