Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, released the following statement after the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) voted to approve the final report on the 2010 Tesoro refinery explosion in Anacortes that killed seven employees.

“Completing the investigation into the tragic refinery explosion is a critical step in providing the Anacortes community with needed closure and in allowing the industry to move forward with improved safety practices.

“Even though the final report is coming many months too late and some groups believe it falls short, it is important for the community to be able to understand what happened and take steps to prevent another tragedy. I will consider the findings in this report and other recommendations as I work with my colleagues in Congress and with refinery employees to improve refinery safety in Washington state,” Larsen said.

Larsen called on CSB to release its final report several times, most recently in February, and expressed frustration at the slow pace of the investigation.

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