An attorney representing residents affected by the 2015 explosion at the 155K-b/d Torrance refinery has decided to file a motion for renewed class certification for the lawsuit against the refinery.A gasoline processing unit at the refinery exploded on Feb.18,2015,which sent ash and fumes to nearby residences.According to the US Chemical Safety Board,a nearby tank containing hydrofluoric acid was almost damaged,which would have threatened 300K nearby residents if the hydrofluoric acid was released and reacted with oxygen.The refinery,which is located in Los Angeles County in the US state of California,was owned by US oil major ExxonMobil at the time of the explosion but is now owned by US independent PBF Energy.In 2017,nearby residents filed a class action lawsuit alleging that environmental negligence and inadequate safety standards lead to the explosion.However,US District Judge Dale Fischer earlier denied the lawsuit's class certification in April on the grounds that the residents were not able to state for which subclass they want to be certified and what relief is each subclass seeking.
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