Martinez Health Advisory Ongoing, Community Alerts Provide Updates, Relief

Uncredited image from ClayCord.com.

By BenIndy, February 2, 2024

Contra Costa Health (CCH) has lifted the Shelter in Place order and stopped the community warning sirens after the Martinez Refining Company erupted in flames yesterday.

While air quality near the refinery has improved, a public health advisory remains in effect for Martinez, parts of Pacheco, and Clyde, with CCH advising residents with respiratory sensitivities to stay indoors.

READ: Martinez Health Advisory Remains in Effect Today

Investigations into the fire’s cause and effects will be extensive, given its severity. While the blaze was contained to the refinery, massive smoke columns and harmful emissions spread across Contra Costa and Solano Counties, potentially threatening the health and safety of thousands.

Community Alerts

The threat to human health and safety was somewhat contained by Contra Costa’s Community Warning System, which helped alert local residents to the immediate danger and notify them of evacuation and Shelter in Place orders.

The Bay Area Air District (BAAQMD) also issued two community warnings on Saturday to ensure the public was aware of the incident before issuing an incident report Sunday morning briefly describing the chain of events on Saturday.

The Air District responded to reports of an oily smell in Martinez around 10:45 am, which were soon linked to a fire at the Martinez Refining Company. MRC issued a Level 2 alert for the fire in its Light Oil Processing area, where Air District staff observed the flames and emissions.

READ: Air District INCIDENT REPORT for MRC Level 3 Fire (February 1, 2025)

By 5:00 p.m., Contra Costa County Health escalated the warning to Level 3, with the fire later being mostly contained and the source isolated. Level 3 incidents are classified by CCH as severe emergencies that pose immediate threats to public health or safety, requiring urgent protective actions like shelter-in-place orders or evacuations.

“Scared” in Benicia

Benicia residents also received fire and emissions warnings through the city’s own community warning system, operated by the Benicia Fire Department.

For Benicians not signed up for alerts from Contra Costa County, or agencies like the Air District, or third-party apps like FireWatch, the City of Benicia’s direct communication to residents was welcomed as a breath of fresh air.

SIGN UP: Enroll in Contra Costa’s Community Warning System

SIGN UP: News and Alerts from the Air District

SIGN UP: Learn About Benicia’s Community Alert System (through Alert Solano)

Some Benicians noted they may not have even known about the potential health risks without the City’s alerts, let alone known how to respond. Others commented that the notification offered not much more than temporary peace of mind, although that peace of mind was appreciated.

“At first, I honestly didn’t think the city was going to do anything at all about it,” said one resident, who requested anonymity for fear of being accused of politicizing the incident in light of Benicia City Council’s upcoming status report regarding adopting a local Industrial Safety Ordinance.

The resident continued: “I didn’t think I could expect that kind of thing from Benicia. I feel like it’s ‘minimize, minimize, forget, repeat’ whenever anything bad happens here. But that text meant I slept okay at home last night, with my family.”

Benicia looking to adopt Industrial Safety Ordinance

Smoke from the Valero Benicia refinery during a 2017 incident. | Bay Area Air Quality Management District.

City has dealt with numerous venues, including Valero Refinery, which has been the site of numerous air pollution incidents

Vallejo-Times Herald, by Thomas Gase, February 1, 2025

Benicia citizens are ready to clear the air regarding an Industrial Safety Ordinance.

Tuesday’s Benicia City Council meeting is set to include a segment on the possible adoption of the ordinance. The Benicia Industrial Safety and Health Ordinance — a citizens group formed in 2023 with 250 supporters — is looking for a stronger ordinance to deal with venues like Valero Refinery, the site of numerous air pollution incidents.

“This is a critical meeting that will affect the future of our air quality for years to come,” said Terry Mollica, a member of the group Benicia Industrial Safety and Health Ordinance. “We need everyone in Benicia who cares about the air we breathe to show up at the city council to show support for stronger protections.”

Benicia is the only Bay Area refinery town to not yet have an Industrial Safety Ordinance. Community activists — including health and environmental advocates — have spent years calling for tighter regulations to protect citizens from dangerous industrial emissions impacting air quality and the health of residents.

The Valero Refinery has been the site of a series of air pollution incidents, including the recent revelation that a hydrogen vent at the refinery had been leaking 2.7 tons of toxics into the air for 15 years. That discovery resulted in an historic $84 million fine imposed by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District in 2024.

Inspectors reported that Valero management had known about the leaks for years, but failed to report them or take steps to mitigate the leak. The fine reportedly was the largest penalty ever assessed by the district.

“[The Benicia Industrial Health and Safety Ordinance group] was formed by a group of concerned citizens to promote the adoption of an ISO to help the city regulate such emissions and reduce the risk of incidents,” Mollica said. “This most recent discovery and the secrecy surrounding the years-long leaks point out how important it is for Benicia to have a strong Industrial Safety Ordinance.”

Valero was one of four other refineries that in 2023 didn’t meet requirements as defined by BAAQMD and Rule 12-15.

Rule 12-15 — passed in 2016 — requires refineries to monitor and report fugitive gasses from their operating equipment, such as valves, compressors, and storage tanks. These emissions impact the health of the surrounding communities — the toxic gases released include noxious chemicals like the cancer-causing benzene.

After a trip to the refinery in 2023, Benicia Community Air Monitoring Program Board Member Kathy Kerridge said she was not surprised at the result. After all, it wasn’t the first time it had to pay up for emitting smoke or chemicals into the air. In April 2017, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District fined Valero $340,000 for 28 violations committed in 2014. A month later, they were hit with four additional violations — one for causing a public nuisance and three for releasing excessive smoke.

“Fines are trivial to them,” Kerridge said. “It’s like they are having a direct slap to the face with the community. The main problem is that the air monitoring gives us the sense of false security.”

Newly-elected council members Terry Scott and Kari Birdseye sponsored the adoption of an ordinance late in 2023. The council then voted unanimously to have staff study the issue and make a recommendation. Mayor Steve Young appointed Scott, Birdseye, Fire Chief Josh Chadwick and city staff to a subcommittee to draft an ordinance and to bring it before the city council.

Benicians took to the streets near City Park on Wednesday to protest the influence of the Valero Oil Refinery in the 2022 local election. (Chris Riley/Times-Herald)
Benicians took to the streets near City Park on Wednesday to protest the influence of the Valero Oil Refinery in the 2022 local election. (Chris Riley/Times-Herald)

Since then, the subcommittee held public meetings to gain feedback from citizens and industrial groups including Valero, analyzed the data and drafted an ordinance.

Mollica also said that during those months, there have been ongoing negotiations between the city and Valero with the refinery displaying strong resistance.

In June 2019,  execution of the Benicia–Valero Cooperation Agreement addressed concerns raised by the council and the community regarding industrial safety with the Valero facility. While an agreement with the parties largely achieved its intended goals, several areas for improvement have been identified over the past five years with three significant concerns. Those concerns are:

  • Term: The agreement includes an expiration date, requiring the City to renegotiate an extension or a new agreement each time it expires.
  • Termination: The agreement contains a termination clause, allowing a party to potentially terminate the agreement at any time.
  • Enforcement: The agreement lacks clear enforcement provisions and does not specify consequences for non-compliance.

Since then more outreach was requested, including engaging with key stakeholders and subject matter experts. To achieve this, a subcommittee implemented a comprehensive public engagement strategy and created the website www.EngageBenicia.com for the public to share their thoughts, questions, and feedback. The site went live in March.

That same month, a public feedback survey was introduced on the website to gather quantitative data on public opinion regarding industrial safety in Benicia. Between March 25 and May 19, feedback was collected from 178 participants, according to a Benicia City Staff report.

The ordinance is now on its third draft, which was constructed last month. This newest draft incorporated significant revisions from the prior versions, with the most notable being a detailed legal analysis determining that various aspects of the previous versions included requirements that state law makes the responsibility of the the Solano County Certified Unified Program Agency.

The Valero Refinery in Benicia was one of four refineries in the SF Bay Area that did not meet air quality requirements for compliance with the Bay Area Quality Management District in 2023. (Chris Riley/Times-Herald file)
The Valero Refinery in Benicia was one of four refineries in the SF Bay Area that did not meet air quality requirements for compliance with the Bay Area Quality Management District in 2023. (Chris Riley/Times-Herald file)

The staff report also outlines industrial facilities subject to regulation under the ordinance. It specifies that the ordinance applies to any High Hazard Facility operating within the City of Benicia, as defined in Section 8.55.070. A “High-Hazard Facility” is classified as a “Group H” occupancy under the California Fire Code and encompasses buildings, structures, or portions thereof used for manufacturing, processing, generating, or storing materials that pose physical or health hazards in quantities exceeding the limits permitted in the California Fire Code.

While the current agreement is only between Benicia and Valero, the draft ordinance will regulate numerous other industrial facilities. Although the list of Group H high-hazard facilities in Benicia is not static, in 2023 it did list 13 businesses that were defined as Group H occupancies. Those are:

  • Valero Refinery (3400 E 2nd St)
  • Kaneka (6162 Egret Ct)
  • Ralph Pugh (3931 Oregon St)
  • Interstate Batteries (535 Getty Ct)
  • Amports (2050 Park Rd)
  • Cork Supply (531 Stone Rd)
  • Red Line Synthetic Oil (6100 Egret Ct)
  • Auto Chlor (515 Stone Rd)
  • Benicia Water Treatment Plant (100 Water Way)
  • Kwik Bond Polymers (923 Teal Dr)
  • Flavor Insights (4795 E Industrial Way)
  • Delta Tech Services (397 W Channel Rd)
  • Linde Inc (331 E Channel Rd)

The 2023 report also listed two other sites that are no longer operating in the city — Red Line Synthetic Oil and Auto Chlor.

The Tuesday meeting will begin at 6 p.m. at 250 East L Street in Benicia. It can be viewed via Zoom at us02web.zoom.us/j/88508047557?pwd=cHRsZlBrYlphU3pkODcycytmcFR2UT09. The phone number is 1 (669) 900-9128, while the Meeting ID is 885 0804 7557 and the password is 449303.

Martinez Refinery blaze now two-alarm fire – injuries, commercial damage reported

Uncredited image from ClayCord.com.

By BenIndy, February 1, 2024

The incident commander for the fire that broke out at the Martinez Refinery this Saturday afternoon has reportedly called for a second alarm.

According to Claycord.com, a group that posts local breaking news:

Shell Ave and Marina Vista Ave are being closed in the area. One individual, a member of refinery staff, is being transported by ambulance. We’re also now hearing that multiple people in the area, heard two explosions immediately prior to the large smoke plume.

READ: Public Health Advisory for Martinez, parts of Pacheco & Clyde

 

Martinez Refinery reportedly ablaze, public health advisories issued

Fire crews were sent to fight flames and an apparent explosion at the Martinez Refining Company near Shell Avenue and Marina Vista Avenue. | Mercury News.

By BenIndy, February 1, 2024

A fire has reportedly broken out at the Martinez Refinery this Saturday afternoon, according to officials with the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District.

Crews have responded to the scene. The cause of the smoke and flames is currently unknown. No injuries have been reported.

A public health advisory has been issued for Martinez and Pacheco; individuals with respiratory issues may be impacted.

READ: Public Health Advisory for Martinez, parts of Pacheco & Clyde

Rick Hurd from the Bay Area News Group reported to The Mercury News that the Martinez Refinery Company confirmed that the refinery had been evacuated and all refinery personnel are accounted for. Hurd also noted witnesses reporting “uncontrolled flames” shooting at least 200 feet in the air, with billowing black smoke moving east. Reports of at least one explosion have not been confirmed.

The company has reported the incident as a Level 2 notification — which include a hazardous materials release or potential release that is expected to have “off-site consequences and possibly adverse health consequences.”

This post has been updated to reflect new information.

For safe and healthy communities…