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Chevron Says It Has Paid $10M After Richmond Refinery Fire

RICHMOND (CBS / AP) -- Officials at Chevron Corp. said the company has paid about $10 million and begun what they're terming "corrective actions" after a fire last summer at its Richmond refinery.

In a report filed with the Contra Costa County Health Services Department on Monday, Chevron said it has paid the money in connection to nearly 24,000 claims from residents and in compensation to area hospitals and local government agencies in Richmond and in Contra Costa County.

Chevron Says It Has Paid $10M After Richmond Refinery Fire

The payments follow a fire in a crude oil unit of the refinery on Aug. 6 that sent a cloud of gas and black smoke over residential areas, prompting thousands of people to seek medical treatment.

Federal investigators have said that Chevron firefighters responding to a small leak at the facility may have accidentally punctured a main pipeline that sparked the massive blaze.

(Copyright 2013 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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