Category Archives: Emergency Readiness & Response

Benicia Fire Department, Benicia Industrial Park, Benicia Mayor Elizabeth Patterson, Emergency Readiness & Response, Flaring, Valero Benicia Refinery

Cleanup operations paused at Bay Area refinery after flaring, odor

Valero’s Benicia Refinery.  | File photo.

SF Chronicle, by Danielle Echeverria, February 24, 2024

Cleanup operations paused Saturday night after a work on a mechanical problem at Benicia’s Valero Refinery that caused flaring and emitted an odor in the area, the city announced.

The source of the odor was a refined hydrocarbon that was being moved between two tanks at the refinery, the city’s Fire Department said.

Della Olm, the public information officer for the Fire Department, explained that a unit at the refinery malfunctioned Friday night and had to be shut off, prompting the flaring. Refinery crews were moving the product to a functioning unit Saturday, emitting the odor, she said.

Any additional flaring Saturday was associated with the same issue, she said.

Pacific Gas and Electric Co., Benicia Fire and Valero’s own Fire Department were at the scene and investigating, she said.

“The odor has dissipated significantly in most parts of Benicia,” the city posted in an update early Saturday afternoon.

Cleanup operations paused Saturday night and will restart again Sunday morning, the city posted in an update at 7:40 p.m. Saturday.

“Intermittent flaring will continue for an undetermined period of time,” the city announced. “We will continue to monitor air quality throughout the night.”

Benicia Fire was testing air quality using portable air monitors at multiple points in the city. The department recommended that people remain indoors and close doors and windows if the odor was strong in their area.

Warren Pederson contributed to this report. 

Other reporting on this recent refinery incident:

Benicia City Council, Benicia Emergency Operations Plan, Benicia Fire Chief Josh Chadwick, Emergency planning, Emergency Readiness & Response

Benicia City Council to consider updated Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) on April 16

April 10, 2019

Council receives report and recommendation from staff, will discuss and vote on Tues April 16

The agenda for the Benicia City Council meeting of Tuesday, April 16 was distributed to the public today.

A very important issue will be under consideration: the much-needed update to the City’s Emergency Operations Plan (EOP), complete with an emergency evacuation plan and plans for mass care and shelter.

The staff report gives a very brief overview and details the process by which the update was developed.  At the end of the report are these very important links to the heart of the EOP:

1. Resolution [this is just the wheras’s and therefores…]
2. EOP Volume I – Basic Plan – https://tinyurl.com/y5o85k8b
3. EOP Volume II – Emergency Operations Center Guidance – https://tinyurl.com/y4fhyk3l
4. Annexes
a. Dam Failure – https://tinyurl.com/yyuauq2e
b. Evacuation – https://tinyurl.com/yxfg3gwv
c. Mass Care & Shelter – https://tinyurl.com/y69axyqt
d. Public Information – https://tinyurl.com/yxqyuayd

All of these documents are searchable.  You might find it interesting, for instance, to search each of them on the word “refinery” or “smoke.”

Air monitors, Air pollution, Air Quality, Air quality violations, Benicia Emergency Operations Plan, Emergency Readiness & Response, Flaring, KQED, Public Health, Refinery shutdowns, Valero Benicia Refinery

KQED: Coverage of Valero Benicia Refinery emergency releases

Repost from KQED California Report

Problems at Valero’s Benicia Refinery Increase, Prompt Health Advisory

By Ted Goldberg, Mar 24, 2019, updated at 10:05am
Problems began at the refinery on March 11 when a malfunction involving one of the refinery’s units led to the release of petroleum coke dust. (Sasha Khokha/KQED)

Benicia city officials are urging residents with respiratory issues to stay inside because a two week old problem at the Valero refinery has intensified.

“Go inside your home, workplace, or the nearest building that appears to be reasonably airtight and stay there,” reads an advisory sent out by the city of Benicia Sunday morning.

The problem began on March 11 when a malfunction involving one of the refinery’s units led to the release of petroleum coke dust.

A Valero representative said then that refinery’s flue gas scrubber was “experiencing operational issues.”

The releases prompted local air regulators to issue seven notices of violation against the refinery. 

Those problems eased after a few days but continued intermittently, air district officials said.

On Saturday several Benicia residents posted comments on the social media site, Nextdoor, expressing concerns about what appeared to be more black smoke coming from Valero’s stacks.

On Sunday that intensified.

“(The) City of Benicia has issued (an) advisory notice for all residents with respiratory issues due to particulate matter from an ongoing incident at the Valero Benicia Refinery,” the city’s statement reads.

City officials are telling local residents with weakened respiratory systems to close all doors, windows and fireplace dampers, urging them to put tape or damp towels around doors and windows to seal them.

The advisory also recommends that healthy people limit their outdoor activity.

“The concentration of particulate matter has become significantly higher over the past day. The emissions contain coke, a by-product of the refining process that is made up primarily of carbon particles,” the city’s statement says.

Benicia officials said testing of the coke dust released so far did not show heavy metals at harmful levels but warned that breathing in air from the releases could worsen underlying respiratory conditions like asthma.

In a statement, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District said inspectors are at the refinery investigating the cause of this heavy smoke. The Air District also deployed a monitoring van to drive throughout Benicia to “gather ground level emissions data.”

City of Benicia, Emergency Readiness & Response, Valero Benicia Refinery

Valero Benicia advises City of controlled shutdown

From the City of Benicia website, ANNOUNCEMENTS
[Editor: This announcement was also pushed out to residents who subscribe to the City’s Community Alert System / Alert Solano.  This 9:58 am SHUTDOWN announcement was an update to a 7:36 am alert advising of high levels of particulate EMISSIONS.  – R.S.]

Valero Advisory Update – 10 a.m.

Shortly after 9 a.m., the City of Benicia was advised that the Valero Benicia Refinery will be performing a controlled shutdown of the entire refinery. This shutdown is being conducted to improve conditions and minimize risk from earlier operational issues. This shutdown is expected to last for multiple days and will result in visible flaring.

Benicia Fire Department personnel continue to work with Solano County Environmental Health, Solano County Public Health, and Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD).

The advisory notice continues for all residents with respiratory issues.

Those with respiratory compromise should do the following immediately:

  • Go inside your home, workplace, or the nearest building that appears to be reasonably airtight and stay there.
    • Close all doors, windows, and any fireplace dampers.  Cracks around doors and windows can be sealed with tape or damp towels.
  • Stay tuned to receive emergency announcements and instructions.
  • Healthy individuals – limit outdoor activity.

Follow the City of Benicia Facebook and website (ci.benicia.ca.us) for routine updates.  Please do not call 9-1-1 unless you are experiencing an emergency.

#valeroscrubberincident