Flaring At Richmond Chevron Refinery Produces Black Smoke Over East Bay
RICHMOND (CBS SF) -- Black smoke hanging over the East Bay Wednesday evening was the result of flaring in a unit at the Chevron Refinery in Richmond, officials said.
Richmond @Chevron is spewing lots of black smoke pic.twitter.com/jSEYSMiYZA
— Kane Baccigalupi (@rubyghetto) July 18, 2019
Chevron said the flaring started around 7:30 p.m and was taking place at a process unit due to an upset. Refinery employees promptly handled the cause and the flaring stopped before 9 p.m.
Chevron notified the Contra Costa County Fire Department and issued a Level 1 Community Warning System to keep residents informed.
A Chevron official said flaring is an important part of keeping the refinery running safely.