Molly Peterson

2 months ago | publichealthwatch.org | Jim Morris |Molly Peterson

On August 6, 2012, a corroded, eight-inch pipe at Chevron’s oil refinery in Richmond, California, cracked open, sending a white cloud hundreds of feet into the air. The cloud quickly engulfed the 19 refinery firefighters, managers and other workers who had been trying to fix what had been a small leak in the pipe. Some of them went to ground, unable to see past their hands; most ran or crawled out of the way. Then the vapor ignited, trapping a firefighter in a truck.

2 months ago | sej.org | Molly Peterson |Caleigh Wells

Journalists with expertise in covering wildfires say that physical and mental preparation are needed to protect reporters and the quality of their work. Above, the edge of the Eaton Fire near Mt. Wilson, in Los Angeles County, Jan. 14, 2025. Photo: USDA Forest Service/Andrew Avitt via Flickr Creative Commons (Public Domain).

Mar 18, 2025 | publichealthwatch.org | Molly Peterson

OAKLAND, California — The engine from Oakland Fire Department’s Station Number 2 had rolled out to Schnitzer Steel before, but this call was different. It wasn’t the typical smoldering nugget of debris. Instead, smoke was billowing from a massive pile of scrap as flames shot outward from an orange glow deep within. Lt. Eduardo Ibarra was on that engine, the first to respond to the metal shredder’s bayside yard that night in August 2023.

Feb 4, 2025 | publichealthwatch.org | Molly Peterson

California’s only lead battery recycling facility has admitted violating its hazardous waste permit and related state laws, caused by tanks the company allowed to become corroded, including one leaking toxic sludge, according to a consent order made public Tuesday by the state. Ecobat Resources California, formerly known as Quemetco, will pay a fine of $315,000 as a result of the legally binding order.

Jan 23, 2025 | medium.com | Molly Peterson

Molly Peterson·Follow8 min read·--That first Tuesday in January, well south of the fires, wind put out just about every third streetlight on Figueroa in northeast LA. Nobody could decide whether lights mattered, what rules to follow or not. I shouldn’t have been out, but I had just gotten back and needed food and water in case we needed to evacuate. The red and white gates at the Metro train crossing didn’t drop, by the Smart and Final.