SEATTLE (AP) — Relatives of six of the seven workers killed in an April 2010 explosion and fire at Tesoro Corp.’s Anacortes, Wash., oil refinery have filed a wrongful death lawsuit. The action filed Wednesday in Skagit County Superior Court alleges the company deliberately ignored dangerous conditions that led to the blast.
A contractor who was burned but survived joined the families in the lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages.
The Seattle Times says the lawsuit accuses Tesoro of failing to inspect decaying equipment and ignoring industry safety standards and federal laws governing refinery safety.
Washington state Department of Labor & Industries investigators determined the explosion was preventable. The department fined Tesoro $2.39 million. San Antonio, Texas-based Tesoro has appealed the fine.
