In recent months, a string of refinery fires, chemical releases and other disasters has put Californians on edge. Yet California regulators are quietly proposing to weaken the state’s safety rules ...

A Chevron refinery in El Segundo, Calif., burns on Oct. 3, 2025. Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images When fire erupted at the Intercontinental Terminals Co. bulk liquid petroleum ...

These workers account for approximately two-thirds of total US refining capacity, placing them at the center of the country’s energy infrastructure and the global oil supply chain.

(THE CONVERSATION) When fire erupted at the Intercontinental Terminals Co. bulk liquid petroleum storage terminal, large plumes of dark smoke billowed into the clear skies over Deer Park, Texas.

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Philip Steenstra, University of Michigan; Rachel O’Brien, University of Michigan, and ...