PAYBACK FOR M L FIRE S.S.
NEARLY 2 MILLION DOLLARS WILL BE PAID TO THE COUNTY OF MONTEREY, TO REIMBURSE THE AGENCIES THAT FOUGHT LAST YEARS FIRE AT THE POWER PLANT IN MOSS LANDING. DUKE ENERGY (WHICH OWNS THE POWER PLANT) WILL PAY 750 THOUSAND DOLLARS, WHILE IT?S SUBCONTRACTOR (EARTH TECH) WAS ORDERED TO PAY 1.2 MILLION DOLLARS.
THE COUNTY CHARGED THAT CONDITIONS ON THE SITE, (WHERE EARTH TECH WORKERS WERE DISMANTLING OLD FUEL TANKS) VIOLATED SEVERAL SAFETY, LABOR, AND BUSINESS CODES. THE FIRE BEGAN WHEN A WORKER USED A 5 THOUSAND-DEGREE CUTTING TORCH TO DISMANTLE THE ROOF OF AN OIL TANK, AND THE HOT BITS OF METAL (MELTED BY THE TORCH) DRIPPED DOWN ONTO THE REMAINING FUEL OIL IN THE TANK, SETTING IT ABLAZE. THE PERMIT THAT ALLOWED THE COMPANIES TO DISMANTLE THE TANK, HOWEVER, PROHIBITED THE USE OF SUCH TORCHES UNTIL ALL OF THE OIL WAS CLEANED FROM THE TANKS.
THE COUNTY CHARGED THAT CONDITIONS ON THE SITE, (WHERE EARTH TECH WORKERS WERE DISMANTLING OLD FUEL TANKS) VIOLATED SEVERAL SAFETY, LABOR, AND BUSINESS CODES. THE FIRE BEGAN WHEN A WORKER USED A 5 THOUSAND-DEGREE CUTTING TORCH TO DISMANTLE THE ROOF OF AN OIL TANK, AND THE HOT BITS OF METAL (MELTED BY THE TORCH) DRIPPED DOWN ONTO THE REMAINING FUEL OIL IN THE TANK, SETTING IT ABLAZE. THE PERMIT THAT ALLOWED THE COMPANIES TO DISMANTLE THE TANK, HOWEVER, PROHIBITED THE USE OF SUCH TORCHES UNTIL ALL OF THE OIL WAS CLEANED FROM THE TANKS.
