(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) released the following statement following the release of investigation results that showed that the Tesoro refinery explosion in Anacortes could have been prevented.

“The results of this investigation show that the tragedy in Anacortes that took seven lives and tore this community apart could and should have been prevented.

“Workers in Washington state ought to be able to feel confident that while they’re working hard and doing their jobs, their employers are doing everything possible to keep them safe. That clearly didn’t happen at the Tesoro refinery, and seven workers and their families ended up paying the price.

“We owe it to our workers to make sure a preventable tragedy like this never happens again. I am going to keep fighting to improve safety conditions for workers and to strengthen enforcement procedures against companies that fail to meet their obligation to protect their workers.

“I believe that companies like Tesoro can continue adding jobs and offering economic opportunity to local communities while keeping their workers safe.”