[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 57 (Wednesday, April 21, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H2753-H2755]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
EXPRESSING CONDOLENCES FOR VICTIMS OF TESORO REFINERY FIRE IN
ANACORTES, WASHINGTON
Ms. SPEIER. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to
the resolution (H. Res. 1262) expressing condolences to the families,
friends, and loved ones of the victims of the fire at the Tesoro
refinery in Anacortes, Washington.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
[[Page H2754]]
H. Res. 1262
Whereas the people of the State of Washington experienced a
tragedy on April 2, 2010, when a fire occurred at the Tesoro
refinery in Anacortes, Washington;
Whereas a team of seven Tesoro employees was working in the
refinery's naphtha hydrotreater when the fire occurred;
Whereas three of these individuals died immediately in the
fire, three more died of their injuries, and one more remains
in intensive care after suffering severe burns;
Whereas the fire was quickly brought under control by
Tesoro's fire control team and local first responders;
Whereas Federal, State and local government agencies,
including the Chemical Safety Board, the United States
Environmental Protection Agency, and the Washington State
Department of Labor and Industries, are conducting
investigations to determine the cause of the incident and to
ensure that the risk of similar incidents is minimized in the
future;
Whereas the Tesoro refinery in Anacortes has temporarily
shut down due to the damage sustained; and
Whereas Tesoro and the Skagit Community Foundation have
established the Tesoro Anacortes Refinery Survivors Fund, and
the United Steelworkers Local 12-591 has established the
Tesoro Incident Family Fund to support the victims of the
fire and their families: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) expresses condolences to the families, friends, and
loved ones of the victims of the fire at the Tesoro refinery
in Anacortes, Washington;
(2) honors Matthew C. Bowen, Darrin J. Hoines, Daniel J.
Aldridge, Kathryn Powell, Lew Janz, and Donna Van Dreumel who
died as a result of the fire;
(3) offers best wishes to Matt Gumbel, who suffered severe
burns and is recovering at Harborview Medical Center in
Seattle; and
(4) expresses sympathies to the people of Anacortes, the
entire State of Washington, and the Nation who grieve for the
victims.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
California (Ms. Speier) and the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Flake) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.
General Leave
Ms. SPEIER. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their
remarks.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from California?
There was no objection.
Ms. SPEIER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise in support of H. Res. 1262. This measure expresses condolences
to the families, friends and loved ones of the victims of the fire at
the Tesoro refinery in Anacortes, Washington.
This resolution was introduced by my colleague, the gentleman from
Washington, Representative Rick Larsen, on April 15, 2010. The measure
was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which
worked with leadership to get it to the floor quickly. The measure has
the bipartisan support of over 60 Members of the House.
Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the sponsor of this resolution,
the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Larsen).
Mr. LARSEN of Washington. Madam Speaker, I want to thank the chairman
and ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform
committee for their assistance in bringing the resolution to the House
floor.
Madam Speaker, on April 2, Washington State experienced a tragedy
when a fire occurred in the Naphtha Hydrotreater unit at the Tesoro oil
refinery in Anacortes, Washington, in my district. Six workers died as
a result of the fire. One more was burned and remains in intensive
care.
I offer my condolences to the families, the friends and loved ones of
the victims of this fire. My thoughts and prayers are with Tesoro's
employees and everyone from the city of Anacortes and the State of
Washington and our country who grieve for the workers who died and who
suffered injury.
I encourage my colleagues to join with me in supporting this
resolution to honor the lives of Matthew Bowen, Darrin Hoines, Dan
Aldridge, Kathryn Powell, Donna Van Dreumel and Lew Janz.
This resolution also expresses the best wishes of Congress to Matt
Gumbel, who was severely burned in the fire and is currently in serious
condition at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, Washington. I hope
that Matt recovers as quickly as possible from these terrible injuries.
And earlier this week, Madam Speaker, I received a letter from the
CEO of Tesoro and the chair of United Steelworkers Local 12-591
expressing support for this resolution. And I'd like to enter this
letter in the Congressional Record.
Multiple Federal, State and local agencies, including the Chemical
Safety Board, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Washington
State Department of Labor and Industries, are currently investigating
the cause of the fire. I strongly support the work they are doing to
help us understand what happened and how to prevent a similar accident
in the future.
And although most Americans don't associate northwest Washington with
oil and gas, Skagit and Whatcom Counties in my district have been home
to major oil refineries for over five decades. The four refineries in
northwest Washington process a combined 500,000 barrels of oil a day.
These refineries are central to the local economy, employing nearly
2,500 people and supplying over $200 million in wages to workers and
contractors.
The refining industry is inherently hazardous. As one refinery
employee in my district put it, ``We don't bake cookies; we bake oil.''
That being said, preventing accidents that harm workers is vitally
important. As the fire at the Tesoro refinery in Anacortes fades from
newspaper headlines, we must remain sharply focused on worker safety,
at the Tesoro refinery in Anacortes and at refineries and industrial
sites around the country.
While it's not possible to prevent all refinery accidents, we need to
learn from what happened in Anacortes. We need to make sure that we are
doing everything we can to reduce the risk of similar accidents in the
future.
So I urge my colleagues to join with me in supporting this resolution
expressing the condolences of the House of Representatives to those who
lost families, friends and loved ones in this terrible, terrible
tragedy.
April 20, 2010.
Hon. Rick Larsen,
U.S. Congress,
Washington, DC.
Dear Congressman Larsen: The Tesoro Corporation, United
Steelworkers Local 12-591, and our family of employees wish
to express our collective gratitude for your Resolution being
considered in the U.S. House of Representatives that
expresses condolences for and honors the victims of the
recent tragic fire at our Anacortes, Washington facility. We
are deeply touched by your concern and that of your
colleagues in the House. Please know that we welcome and
appreciate the comfort your words provide to all those
affected.
Bruce Smith,
Chairman & CEO, Tesoro Corporation.
Walter Cleve,
United Steel Workers Union, Local 12-591 Unit Chair.
Mr. FLAKE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Washington (Mr.
Larsen) for introducing this resolution. And I urge my colleagues to
support it.
We want to express our condolences to the families and the friends
and loved ones of those who perished in the fire and wish a speedy
recovery to the one who is still injured.
We want to make sure also that this fire is investigated and we, to
the extent possible, can make sure that it doesn't happen again.
And so I want to encourage all my colleagues to support this
important resolution.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. SPEIER. Madam Speaker, I now yield 2 minutes to the
Representative from Wisconsin, Representative Tammy Baldwin.
Ms. BALDWIN. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from California
(Ms. Speier) for recognizing me out of order to speak to a previous
resolution.
Many years ago Gaylord Nelson, from my home State of Wisconsin, had a
vision. He envisioned a world where our pristine oceans and lakes are
protected, our air clean to breathe, and our planet preserved for
future generations.
Being the wise man that Senator Nelson was, he recognized the
environmental degradation that everyone around him was acknowledging,
everyone, that is, but the political establishment, which wasn't
interested in action.
[[Page H2755]]
He knew that if the environment was to have its place on the
political agenda, it had to be brought there by the people. So he
announced that there would be a nationwide grassroots demonstration on
behalf of the environment. He called it Earth Day. At the time it was a
gamble, but worth the try.
No one expected the turnout: 20 million people came out to
participate. The sheer numbers gathered the attention of the Congress,
and it was those voices that led to congressional action on some of our
most treasured environmental laws: the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water
Act, and the Safe Drinking Water Act.
I commend my colleague from Wisconsin, Mr. Obey, for bringing the
resolution to honor the late Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin to the
floor. And the resolution also commemorates the 40th anniversary of
Earth Day.
In the words of Senator Nelson: ``Our goal is an environment of
decency, quality, and mutual respect for all human beings and all other
living creatures.
I urge my colleagues to support the resolution.
announcement by the speaker pro tempore
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair would remind people in the
Chamber, people in the gallery, that little whispers turn into loud
roars. Business is being conducted on the floor.
Ms. SPEIER. Madam Speaker, I yield to my good friend, the gentleman
from Washington (Mr. Inslee), as much time as he may consume.
Mr. INSLEE. Madam Speaker, I would like to speak in favor of this
resolution that commemorates and honors those who were lost in the
Tesoro explosion in Washington State. And this is something that is
felt, I think, nationwide. And I appreciate Rick Larsen and his
leadership bringing this for the Congress to consider this tragedy. And
the reason is maybe twofold. One, we really look forward to a day in
this country that our loved ones can go to work without the fear of
them not coming home in these jobs, and we hope that this will help
focus Congress and our continuing efforts to improve safety in the
workplace for our loved ones.
My son worked on a pipeline project that terminated at the Tesoro
facility and got to know some of these hardworking people, and they
were aware of the dangers associated with the product they work with.
And he was impressed, and I think we're all impressed, with their
dedication to their jobs.
And I just want to express from the folks I represent our empathy for
the families.
I also want to express my admiration for a fellow named Matt Gumbel
who today is recovering at Harborview Hospital from his burns and doing
well and is very impressed, as I just read some comments on his Web
site of people saying, if Matt could get 100 feet following his
injuries to the control room to help get help for the people who were
injured, he'll be able to get through this. So we're thinking of him.
And we commend this resolution to the Chamber.
{time} 1400
Mr. FLAKE. I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. SPEIER. Madam Speaker, I again urge my colleagues to join me in
supporting this measure, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Speier) that the House suspend the
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1262.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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