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Martinez Refinery Company issues community alert after steam release

Air District settles with refineries; nearby residents skeptical about changes
Air District settles with refineries; nearby residents skeptical about changes 03:52

Martinez Refining Company on Sunday morning reported a "level 1 community awareness message" to Contra Costa County Health.

MRC said on Monday the message was related to a steam release that began at approximately 7 a.m. and lasted about 30 minutes.

"The release was related to the startup of equipment, which was loud enough to be heard offsite," MRC said Monday.

The county health agency's website listed a level 1 community awareness message from Sunday. The refining company said the department issued a message saying "A Level 1 Community Awareness Message has been reported to CCHealth by MARTINEZ REFINING COMPANY, located in Martinez. This message is for informational purposes only. You may hear, smell, or see signs related to this event; however no action is required. For more information, please visit CCHealth's Hazmat Dashboard at https://cchealth.org/hazdash."

The health agency's site says a level 1 community awareness message means an incident consisting of "odor or audible impact; flaring lasting longer than 20 minutes; or other non-flaring visual impact."

MRC also thanked "our trained employees who have taken appropriate steps to address the situation."

MRC said in an email Monday morning it didn't have "anything to add to our statement yesterday, as additional details are considered confidential business information." 

In 2024, MRC completed over $70 million in equipment upgrades to its refinery. The company noted that flaring and releases are an essential part of a refinery's integrated systems to safely manage excess combustible gases.

MRC in 2024 also agreed to pay $4,482,000 to settle a lawsuit alleging violations of the Clean Water Act. The company was accused of illegally discharging millions of gallons of wastewater which harmed water quality and threatened aquatic life in the marshes of Carquinez Strait.

A release on Thanksgiving holiday weekend in 2022 of more than 20 tons of toxic spent catalyst into the community prompted a federal investigation and led to a joint enforcement action by Contra Costa County and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.

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