Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors chair John Gioia and vice chair Federal Glover met with management of Martinez Refining Company on Thursday to discuss county concerns over the company’s frequency of chemical releases and other incidents since Thanksgiving 2022 when the refinery sent 20 to 24 tons of chemicals into the surrounding community.
The supervisors also delivered an open letter to Daniel Ingram, the refinery manager, from Anna Roth, the chief executive officer of Contra Costa Health, documenting incidents and ordering refinery owner PBF Energy to provide CCH’s regulators with full access to the facility, documentation related to deferred maintenance of equipment, and access and data related to maintenance and safety practices.
CCH and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District began a surprise inspection of the refinery this week that could last days, or even weeks, a CCH official said.
The letter, dated Thursday, called the number of releases and other incidents “unacceptable” and said they’ve “compromised health and safety at your facility, and in our community.”
“In the past year, CCH has documented 21 releases or spills of hazardous materials at the Martinez refinery,” the letter said. “According to the County’s Community Warning System records, PBF also reported using flares — devices that should only be used as an emergency safety measure to prevent more serious incidents — at a rate of nearly once per week. CCH has documented 46 flaring incidents at the refinery since November 2022.”
Roth wrote PBF is responsible for “ensuring the reliability of its systems and establishing and maintaining a culture of safety at the refinery. The number of incidents at the refinery over the past year is unacceptable for a facility operating in Contra Costa County and points to an apparent fundamental lack of investment on the part of PBF in ensuring the reliability of its systems and maintaining a facility that is safe for its workers and the neighboring community.”
Roth also included a statement Tuesday from BAAQMD executive director Philip Fine saying the air district has joined forces with the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office on civil enforcement against the refinery.
“The recent air quality violations at MRC are troubling and unacceptable. The Air District shares the community’s concern and outrage about these events,” Fine said in the statement. “We are actively investigating and pursuing all legal avenues to ensure MRC is compliant with our regulations and that future violations and community disruptions are minimized.”
Roth wrote, “CCH will not tolerate unsafe business practices at the refinery” and officially notified PBF of CCH actions, including “Beginning immediately, PBF shall allow CCH employees and agents onsite at all times and permit them access to any part of the facility upon request.”
She also wrote that PBF will give CCH all documentation relating to deferred maintenance of equipment at MRC no later than 10 a.m. Jan. 2, for CCH to decide the facility’s work plan for addressing deferred maintenance moving forward.
CCH also wants a list of every employee and resident contractor working at MRC, including job titles and description of responsibilities, and wants the ability to interview them without PBF management present.
The list of demands also included records of work stoppage orders and near-miss incidents.
CCH also reserved the right to come inside the refinery “during any incident that has the potential to impact public health or the environment in accordance with all applicable laws.”
Roth wrote CCH “reserves the right to modify the Community Warning System level of any incident impacting public health without consulting PBF. All costs associated with incident response will be borne by PBF.”
The letter also said, “At least two weeks before PBF’s planned turnaround in early 2024, PBF shall provide to CCH a comprehensive plan outlining when planned flaring will occur during the turnaround and what steps the facility will take to minimize the amount of flaring.”
A turnaround is a scheduled event in which an entire process unit is taken offline for an extended period for work to be carried out.
During that time, CCH wants observers onsite at all times and access to any part of the facility.
Roth ended the letter by writing, “We look forward to collaborating with PBF on our mutual goal of making this facility the good neighbor it aspires to become.”
Moral of the story? Lack of private responsibility created the need for government intervention.
Or Yoyo, nanny state keeps changing the rules until the refinery closes, then gas prices increase, more inflation, business’s close. Greedy business owners, just don’t blame the liberal/socialist bureaucrat!
Agreed, CA has become a nanny state. But when you treat people like babies sometimes they act like babies and in the case of MRC, they could certainly use a bum wipe.
They have not only created frequent messes around town – far exceeding that of the previous refinery management – but they have tried to conceal those messes from the public.
Below are some of their blooper stats. Do you really think this should be allowed in a First World Country? If not the government, who is supposed to intervene?
– refinery sent 20 to 24 tons of chemicals into the surrounding community
– 21 releases or spills of hazardous materials at the Martinez refinery
– 46 flaring incidents at the refinery since November 2022.
Did those two happen to bring up campaign contributions during the meeting, asking for a friend.
The letter is a first attempt to get MRC to shape up. If they don”t, revoke operating permits.
CCC remembers TOSCO!
I lived in Martinez for 19 years and in that time Shell had 1 mid-level incident. I know people that have lived in Martinez 40, 50. 60+ years and they say this MRC has more incidents in 1 year than Shell had in all those years. Yes they flares would burn to burn off excess but most of the the times it was 1 flare not multiple flares and nobody can recall massive releases.
It is clear MRC is cutting corners in processing to garner larger profits at the cost of the health of its workers, the people of Martinez and surrounding areas. MRC is actually making Chevron look good