(Washington, D.C.) –
Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) released the following statement
following the release of investigation results that showed that the Tesoro
refinery explosion in Anacortes could have been prevented.
“The results of this
investigation show that the tragedy in Anacortes that took seven lives and tore
this community apart could and should have been prevented.
“Workers in Washington
state ought to be able to feel confident that while they’re working hard and
doing their jobs, their employers are doing everything possible to keep them
safe. That clearly didn’t happen at the Tesoro refinery, and seven workers and
their families ended up paying the price.
“We owe it to our
workers to make sure a preventable tragedy like this never happens again. I am
going to keep fighting to improve safety conditions for workers and to
strengthen enforcement procedures against companies that fail to meet their obligation
to protect their workers.
“I believe that
companies like Tesoro can continue adding jobs and offering economic
opportunity to local communities while keeping their workers safe.”