Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, issued the following statement following the Chemical Safety Board’s release of its draft report on the 2010 explosion at the Tesoro refinery in Anacortes that claimed seven lives.

“This long overdue report tells us this accident was not only tragic, it was preventable,” Larsen said. “It is totally unacceptable that Tesoro management allowed non-standard safety practices to become routine.

“My thoughts remain with the families of the victims. I am focused on steps to prevent the next tragedy from happening. We need to improve resources for inspectors, tighten the standards for the materials used in refineries and find a way to implement a more timely review process by the Chemical Safety Board.”

Larsen and other members of the Washington delegation have pressed the Chemical Safety Board for years to complete this report, which provides a roadmap for regulators and Congress to take actions to improve safety for refinery workers.

The draft report is available here.