Rafael Castro-Chavez was 13 years old when he heard a loud explosion in August 2012. He darted outside his North Richmond apartment and noticed his neighbors pointing toward the Chevron refinery, saying, “Hay un incendio!”
As he turned to look, flames rose from the facility, and a large plume of black smoke advanced over his street.
“They were telling us in the news that there is a lockdown and that it is not recommended for the community to go out,” Chavez said…