Category Archives: Valero Benicia Refinery

Air pollution, Flaring, Marilyn Bardet, Toxic pollutants, Toxic smoke, Valero Benicia Refinery

Valero emissions alerts – personal update with photos from Marilyn Bardet

An email from Marilyn Bardet, Benicia

From: Marilyn Bardet
Subject: About Solano ALERT notice: Valero’s Scrubber releasing toxic particulate matter–pet coke
Date: March 24, 2019 at 8:16:22 AM PDT

Good morning all,

I just received both a phone call and email from Solano ALERT at 6:59 a.m. regarding the ongoing problem at the refinery that’s resulting in continuous release of PM from the Scrubber, (main stack). I see emails circulating now among Benicians— and so you’ve all probably rec’d the advisory by now to “stay indoors, with doors and windows sealed, if you have asthma or other respiratory condition”. The advisory declares that they’ve tested the pet coke emissions and did not find (dangerous levels) of heavy metals. (Which is not to say there are no heavy metals being dispersed over the last ten days).

My concern:
This problem has been happening since at least March 13th, when I first saw the plume, having been alerted by a friend who had called to report its smokey color.  That day, following her phone call, I drove along  Park Road and Industrial Way (east of the refinery’s processing block) to see it for myself and take pictures.

The release of dark smoke from the Scrubber signals an “up stream” on-going problem with the coker unit. My question: is the coker still operating or has it been shut down? If it’s not operating, when was the unit shut down?

Yesterday, I was driving over the Benicia Bridge toward town and saw the plume and again noticed the smokey color, so went directly to Industrial Way to take pictures. I made a 1 minute video, holding my camera outside my car window to get it. This meant that I could see and smell the smoke— a very dirty, nasty smell. Anyone working in the Industrial Park yesterday downwind of the Scrubber  would have been greatly exposed.  I could smell the gases inside my car when I rolled up the window.

You’ll notice that in the still shots from yesterday, the plume rises, drifts and falls. . . the wind was light, the molecules heavy!

I can’t send the video via email, because the file is too large, but Constance will be able to circulate it.

I want to know about the test for heavy metals and which ones they did find and in what concentrations. Was there any nickel found? Nickel is a known carcinogen when inhaled.

All it would take would be a shift in the wind to bring the PM into our neighborhoods.

— Marilyn

The following pictures I took on March 13th,  between 11:33 a.m. and 11:35 a.m (click to enlarge):

MJB Valero emissions Mar13 11.33-11.35am photo 1MJB Valero emissions Mar13 11.33-11.35am photo 1
MJB Valero emissions Mar13 11.33-11.35am photo 2MJB Valero emissions Mar13 11.33-11.35am photo 2
Valero emissions Mar 13 2019Valero emissions Mar 13 2019

The following pictures I took on March 23, at 2:21 pm
(click to enlarge):

MJB Valero emissions Mar23 2.21pm photo 1MJB Valero emissions Mar23 2.21pm photo 1
MJB Valero emissions Mar23 2.21pm photo 2MJB Valero emissions Mar23 2.21pm photo 2
MJB Valero emissions Mar23 2.21pm photo 3MJB Valero emissions Mar23 2.21pm photo 3
MJB Valero emissions Mar23 2.21pm photo 4MJB Valero emissions Mar23 2.21pm photo 4
MJB Valero emissions Mar23 2.21pm photo 5MJB Valero emissions Mar23 2.21pm photo 5
MJB Valero emissions Mar23 2.21pm photo 6MJB Valero emissions Mar23 2.21pm photo 6
MJB Valero emissions Mar23 2.21pm photo 7MJB Valero emissions Mar23 2.21pm photo 7
MJB Valero emissions Mar23 2.21pm photo 8MJB Valero emissions Mar23 2.21pm photo 8
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

Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD), Benicia Fire Chief Josh Chadwick, Center for Biological Diversity, Petroleum Coke (Petcoke), Solano County Department of Resource Management, Valero Benicia Refinery

Air District fines Valero for recent emission release violations

Repost from KQED News
[Editor: Significant quote: “The risk of these tiny particles getting into people’s lungs is yet another example of the dangers of living near a dirty refinery,” said Hollin Kretzmann, a staff attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Communities should not have to be afraid of breathing in pollution that could affect their health.”  – R.S.]

Air District Hits Valero With Violations Over Benicia Refinery Releases

By Ted Goldberg, Mar 15, 2019
A sooty plume, containing petroleum coke particulates, emerging from flare stacks this week at Valero’s Benicia refinery. (Solano County Department of Resource Management)

Local air regulators have issued seven notices of violation against the Valero Energy Corp. over a malfunction at its Benicia refinery that has led to the release of petroleum coke dust from the facility since Monday.

The problem has led to a response by four agencies: the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and Solano County health officials have launched investigations into the releases; the U.S. Environmental Protection Administration and the Benicia Fire Department are monitoring the situation.

It’s unclear how long the problem will last.

“Valero is telling us they are unable to give an estimate of when it will be resolved,” said Benicia Fire Chief Josh Chadwick.

A Valero representative says the malfunction is tied to a device that removes particulates during a process that takes place inside the refinery.

“We have been experiencing operational issues with the flue gas scrubber,” said company spokeswoman Lillian Riojas.

That led to so-called coke fines — very small carbon particulates that are a byproduct of the oil refining process — being released from the refinery’s flare stacks.

Normally, warm water vapor moves through the refinery’s towers and exits the stacks as steam, but the petcoke particulates make the plume appear dark and sooty.

“The fines remained in the raw exhaust gas,” said Professor Eric Smith, associate director of the Tulane Energy Institute, specializing in refinery operations.

“The dark smoke will continue until all of the fines in the lines leading to the exhaust stack have been cleared from the system,” Smith said.

While the material is not hazardous, the releases could include trace amounts of heavy metals, according to Terry Schmidtbauer, Solano County’s assistant director of resource management.

Valero’s Riojas did not respond to follow-up questions about the status of the scrubber that led to this week’s releases, but Benicia Fire’s Chadwick said Friday that “the maintenance issue has been resolved.”

So far, air tests have not raised concerns among the agencies monitoring the site. Crews have not detected high levels of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide or particulate matter, according to Chadwick.

And Schmidtbauer says the situation is slowly improving — the amount of coke dust coming from the facility has been lessening.

Nevertheless, the air district has issued four notices of violation against Valero for visible emissions and three for public nuisance,  agency spokesman Ralph Borrmann said.

The U.S. EPA says significant quantities of dust from pet coke can present a health risk.

“The risk of these tiny particles getting into people’s lungs is yet another example of the dangers of living near a dirty refinery,” said Hollin Kretzmann, a staff attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Communities should not have to be afraid of breathing in pollution that could affect their health.”

The problem represents one of the more extensive malfunctions at the refinery since it lost all power on May 5, 2017, an event that led to a major release of pollution, shelter-in-place and evacuation orders.