MARTINEZ, Calif. (CN) - A total of 4,296 people joined a lawsuit against Chevron for the August 2012 refinery explosion that sent poisonous fumes into homes and businesses across the North Bay, blotting out the afternoon sun.
The refinery explosion, caused by a gas leak, burned for more than a day and could be seen more than 35 miles away.
The plaintiffs say in the complaint that the explosion was caused by Chevron's "despicable, intentional, reckless and grossly negligent, and probably criminal conduct."
The plaintiffs - all residents of Richmond, San Pablo, Hercules, Pinole and other cities northeast of San Francisco - claim Chevron knew as early as November 2011 that an 8-inch pipe at the Richmond refinery had corroded and needed repair.
But Chevron "chose not to replace the compromised pipe but rather placed it back online and recertified its fitness for five additional years," according to the complaint in Contra Costa County Court.
Chevron's century-old Richmond refinery is California's second-largest. The company, whose headquarters are in nearby Alameda County, employs nearly 10,000 Californians and is the largest corporation in the state.
At 4:15 p.m. on Aug. 6, 2012 Chevron workers discovered a leak in a 5-foot section of a 200-foot-long pipe that carried 1,100-degree hot gas oil.
"Rather than immediately shutting down the leaking unit, Chevron knowingly and deliberately decided to continue operations," the complaint states. "Defendant Chevron knew, based on its history of toxic releases and prior lawsuits around the world for personal injuries, property and environmental damages resulting from its toxic releases, that its failure to immediately shut down and stop production would cause a continuing release of toxic cancer-causing pollutants, which would harm plaintiffs and all of the residents of Richmond and the adjoining communities of San Pablo, Hercules, Pinole and others. Chevron further intentionally elected not to notify and inform the city of Richmond authorities, including the fire department, of the brewing, impending disaster as Chevron was knowingly taking the chance of parachuting the deadly toxins on the plaintiffs and the public in general. After approximately two hours of consistent leaking, Chevron then decided to remove the pipe's insulation. Upon removal, defendants discovered the existence of a major rupture in the pipe's integrity. Yet they still did not shut down, nor did they call for help and still tried to hide the problem. At approximately 6:15 p.m., with the buildup of gas from the uncurtailed leak as well as a release of highly flammable and volatile hydrocarbons, Crude Unit Four ignited into a ferocious fireball and subsequent gigantic plume cloud of toxic smoke."
Lead plaintiff Paula Shields claims Chevron should have called a level three "shelter in place" warning two hours before the explosion, but could be bothered to alert Contra Costa County officials only after the black mushroom cloud - visible across 10 counties - blotted out the late afternoon sun.
"The warning instructed residents to sequester and lock themselves in their homes and to seal all windows, doors and fireplace flues. This warning remained in effect until late in the evening, approximately three hours after the initial warning was sounded. Many of the plaintiffs in this action as well as others failed to receive this warning call. Not only did many not receive the warning, but by then the toxins had already entered and settled inside their homes, therefore in effect sealing the poisons in with them," according to the complaint.