Amoco Fined in Accident: Amoco Oil Co....

Amoco Fined in Accident: Amoco Oil Co. has been fined $17,300 for safety violations discovered after an explosion killed three employees last October at a refinery in Whiting, Ind., state safety officials said. The state cited Amoco for 27 serious violations and 31 non-serious violations. The fines ranged from $400 to $1,000. In a company statement, Amoco spokeswoman Elise Sims said the company would meet today with state officials to review the findings and decide whether to appeal. The October explosion ruptured a tank filled with 177,000 gallons of 530-degree asphalt in an oxidizer unit. Investigators said they believe that the fire and explosion started when workers used a crude torch to try to reignite the oxidizer’s burner.