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"content": "\u003cp>More than 100 steelworkers entered day two of a strike against the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11968786/recent-fires-at-marathons-martinez-refinery-spark-major-safety-concerns\">management of a Martinez refinery\u003c/a> after nearly four months of fruitless contract negotiations with Marathon Petroleum’s corporate leadership.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These workers showed up ready to reach an agreement,” said Nick Plurkowski, president of USW Local 5, in a statement. “Marathon walked away from the table. When a company refuses to bargain in good faith, workers use the only tool they have left.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The second day of the strike was held on Workers Memorial Day, “to honor those killed, injured, and sickened on the job,” union representatives said in a statement. Their protest is part of a multi-year battle over workplace conditions after a November 2023 fire engulfed worker Jerome Serrano, leaving him with third-degree burns over 80% of his body.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That [2023] fire happened here because of a lack of training and lack of staffing,” said Criff Reyes, the chair of United Steelworkers Local 5 and a wastewater operator and United Steelworkers Local 5 chair. “When there is a lack of staffing, things get missed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an emailed statement, a refinery spokesperson said that the company and the union have engaged in “collective bargaining for the last four months in an effort to achieve a new labor agreement to replace the prior agreement that expired on January 31, 2026,” adding that the company has negotiated “in good faith.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Previously a petroleum refinery, the Ohio-based Marathon “partnered” with Neste, a Finnish company, in 2022 to begin producing renewable fuels.[aside postID=news_12073784 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250203_MartinezRefineryFolo_GC-32_qed-1020x680.jpg']When Marathon announced its intent to convert in 2020, the Martinez facility laid off \u003ca href=\"https://www.wri.org/insights/california-oil-refineries-biofuels-problematic\">700\u003c/a> workers, including 345 unionized workers, according to a brief from World Resources Institute. In an email, Marathon said it currently employs “115 USW represented employees.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Instead of hiring people and making it fair for everybody and giving us the amount of people we need. They just want more of us,” Greg Belcher, another wastewater operator, told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the fire, Contra Costa County commissioned a third-party \u003ca href=\"https://ehq-production-us-california.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/598d34aab8252e043de757f9fd5c312b369b2e88/original/1751899090/b28c594f2a0c358b073ebd1574d24593_MTZ%20Safety%20Culture%20Assessment%20Report_7.3.2025.pdf?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=AKIA4KKNQAKIPIPQP5NM%2F20260428%2Fus-west-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20260428T232646Z&X-Amz-Expires=300&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Signature=b72a2e4d1eeee01061e8e2aeb7f471627366abae91a00da635b29534301805d1\">assessment\u003c/a> that gave Martinez Renewables an overall “safety culture” rating of 65% — below industry benchmarks. The report identified understaffing as a key issue both during the interviews and in on-site observation days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When asked about the strike and progress that they’ve made since the report, Marathon said that the company has “implemented a number of corrective and preventive actions to address the recommendations identified in its investigation report, and we are continuously looking for ways to improve the safety and reliability of our operations.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s Desmond Meagley contributed to this report. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>When Marathon announced its intent to convert in 2020, the Martinez facility laid off \u003ca href=\"https://www.wri.org/insights/california-oil-refineries-biofuels-problematic\">700\u003c/a> workers, including 345 unionized workers, according to a brief from World Resources Institute. In an email, Marathon said it currently employs “115 USW represented employees.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Instead of hiring people and making it fair for everybody and giving us the amount of people we need. They just want more of us,” Greg Belcher, another wastewater operator, told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the fire, Contra Costa County commissioned a third-party \u003ca href=\"https://ehq-production-us-california.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/598d34aab8252e043de757f9fd5c312b369b2e88/original/1751899090/b28c594f2a0c358b073ebd1574d24593_MTZ%20Safety%20Culture%20Assessment%20Report_7.3.2025.pdf?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=AKIA4KKNQAKIPIPQP5NM%2F20260428%2Fus-west-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20260428T232646Z&X-Amz-Expires=300&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Signature=b72a2e4d1eeee01061e8e2aeb7f471627366abae91a00da635b29534301805d1\">assessment\u003c/a> that gave Martinez Renewables an overall “safety culture” rating of 65% — below industry benchmarks. The report identified understaffing as a key issue both during the interviews and in on-site observation days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When asked about the strike and progress that they’ve made since the report, Marathon said that the company has “implemented a number of corrective and preventive actions to address the recommendations identified in its investigation report, and we are continuously looking for ways to improve the safety and reliability of our operations.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s Desmond Meagley contributed to this report. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/martinez-refinery\">Martinez Refining Company\u003c/a> will pay a $10 million fine for 163 violations over four years, the Contra Costa County district attorney and the Bay Area Air District announced Thursday morning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The violations at MRC stretched from early 2020 to 2024, according to a press release, and included the Thanksgiving Day 2022 release of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11952517/martinez-refinery-chemical-release-poses-no-long-term-hazard-tests-find\">50,000 pounds of spent catalyst\u003c/a>, a toxic ash-like substance that settled over residents’ cars, gardens and houses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other violations included “illegal flaring, fires, leaking tanks, public nuisance-level odors in downtown Martinez,” and releases of a byproduct of petroleum production called “coke dust,” a black powdery substance that spread to properties near the refinery in 2023.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Contra Costa County district attorney’s office and the Bay Area Air District jointly prosecuted the sprawling case against MRC. The refinery is one of the largest remaining producers of gasoline and jet fuel in the Bay Area, sitting on unincorporated lands abutting the city of Martinez, with roughly 37,000 residents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The residents of Martinez deserve clean air,” District Attorney Diana Becton said Thursday. “They deserve transparency and accountability. Today’s judgment sends a clear message. No company is above the law, and when conduct harms our communities and our environment, we will act. We will act firmly, lawfully, and in partnership to hold violators accountable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073878\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-MARTINEZ-REFINERY-SUIT-01-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-MARTINEZ-REFINERY-SUIT-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073878\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-MARTINEZ-REFINERY-SUIT-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-MARTINEZ-REFINERY-SUIT-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-MARTINEZ-REFINERY-SUIT-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton spoke at a press conference on Feb. 19, 2026, announcing the settlement with the Martinez Refining Company. \u003ccite>(Julie Small/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Many of the violations were not minor technical oversights,” Air District chief attorney Alexander Crockett said. “They involved repeated failures that impacted public health, environmental safety, and community trust.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The ash falling from the sky in 2022 prompted community members to form an advocacy group called Healthy Martinez. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My son wiped his hand across that white ash,” said Heidi Taylor, a resident and attorney who speaks for the group. “To this day, we don’t know the health consequences of that. [I was] walking outside in my backyard going, can I eat the oranges or not?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Taylor said she appreciates the effort that air regulators and the district attorney put into getting the penalty against MRC but cautioned that the community needs to remain vigilant.[aside postID=news_12042553 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/475966196_17941090172958161_4612211217959910985_n-e1738464480621-1020x706.jpg']“Unless we continue to press this refinery to do the right thing, they won’t do the right thing. They prove that to us time and time again,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a press release Thursday, the company said it was committed to safe, reliable, and environmentally responsible operations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> “MRC recognizes that we must earn the right to operate in Martinez and that we have a responsibility to be involved in and to give back to the Martinez community,” the company said by email. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The $10 million will be allocated to stakeholders:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>$6.35 million of the penalty will be allocated to the Air District to fund community mitigation projects in Martinez and other affected communities.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>$3.5 million of the penalty will support enforcement efforts at the district attorney’s office’s Environmental Unit.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Contra Costa County Health Services will receive $100,000, and California’s Department of Fish and Wildlife will get $50,000.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>MRC will spend an additional $600,000 on improvements to bring the refinery into compliance with environmental regulations and on projects to mitigate the refinery’s effects on Martinez and surrounding communities, such as installing air filtration in public schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The company also agreed to keep emissions control equipment going during startups and shutdowns and to install enhanced air pollution monitoring equipment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Enforcement is not symbolic. It is one of the most powerful tools we have to drive compliance and prevent future harm,” Crockett continued. “When facilities violate air pollution laws, there are consequences. Communities living near heavy industry already face disproportionate environmental impacts. The Martinez area bore the burden of these violations.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Contra Costa County Judge Benjamin Reyes II signed the final judgment on Wednesday, just days after the Martinez refinery resumed full production following \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12026572/10-days-after-martinez-refinery-fire-new-details-toxic-chemicals-released\">a massive fire\u003c/a> on Feb. 1, 2025, that injured six workers and led to a partial shelter-in-place order. That fire was not included in the judgment; air regulators plan to address it in a separate civil action.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/martinez-refinery\">Martinez Refining Company\u003c/a> will pay a $10 million fine for 163 violations over four years, the Contra Costa County district attorney and the Bay Area Air District announced Thursday morning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The violations at MRC stretched from early 2020 to 2024, according to a press release, and included the Thanksgiving Day 2022 release of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11952517/martinez-refinery-chemical-release-poses-no-long-term-hazard-tests-find\">50,000 pounds of spent catalyst\u003c/a>, a toxic ash-like substance that settled over residents’ cars, gardens and houses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other violations included “illegal flaring, fires, leaking tanks, public nuisance-level odors in downtown Martinez,” and releases of a byproduct of petroleum production called “coke dust,” a black powdery substance that spread to properties near the refinery in 2023.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Contra Costa County district attorney’s office and the Bay Area Air District jointly prosecuted the sprawling case against MRC. The refinery is one of the largest remaining producers of gasoline and jet fuel in the Bay Area, sitting on unincorporated lands abutting the city of Martinez, with roughly 37,000 residents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The residents of Martinez deserve clean air,” District Attorney Diana Becton said Thursday. “They deserve transparency and accountability. Today’s judgment sends a clear message. No company is above the law, and when conduct harms our communities and our environment, we will act. We will act firmly, lawfully, and in partnership to hold violators accountable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073878\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-MARTINEZ-REFINERY-SUIT-01-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-MARTINEZ-REFINERY-SUIT-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073878\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-MARTINEZ-REFINERY-SUIT-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-MARTINEZ-REFINERY-SUIT-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-MARTINEZ-REFINERY-SUIT-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton spoke at a press conference on Feb. 19, 2026, announcing the settlement with the Martinez Refining Company. \u003ccite>(Julie Small/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Many of the violations were not minor technical oversights,” Air District chief attorney Alexander Crockett said. “They involved repeated failures that impacted public health, environmental safety, and community trust.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The ash falling from the sky in 2022 prompted community members to form an advocacy group called Healthy Martinez. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My son wiped his hand across that white ash,” said Heidi Taylor, a resident and attorney who speaks for the group. “To this day, we don’t know the health consequences of that. [I was] walking outside in my backyard going, can I eat the oranges or not?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Taylor said she appreciates the effort that air regulators and the district attorney put into getting the penalty against MRC but cautioned that the community needs to remain vigilant.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“Unless we continue to press this refinery to do the right thing, they won’t do the right thing. They prove that to us time and time again,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a press release Thursday, the company said it was committed to safe, reliable, and environmentally responsible operations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> “MRC recognizes that we must earn the right to operate in Martinez and that we have a responsibility to be involved in and to give back to the Martinez community,” the company said by email. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The $10 million will be allocated to stakeholders:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>$6.35 million of the penalty will be allocated to the Air District to fund community mitigation projects in Martinez and other affected communities.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>$3.5 million of the penalty will support enforcement efforts at the district attorney’s office’s Environmental Unit.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Contra Costa County Health Services will receive $100,000, and California’s Department of Fish and Wildlife will get $50,000.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>MRC will spend an additional $600,000 on improvements to bring the refinery into compliance with environmental regulations and on projects to mitigate the refinery’s effects on Martinez and surrounding communities, such as installing air filtration in public schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The company also agreed to keep emissions control equipment going during startups and shutdowns and to install enhanced air pollution monitoring equipment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Enforcement is not symbolic. It is one of the most powerful tools we have to drive compliance and prevent future harm,” Crockett continued. “When facilities violate air pollution laws, there are consequences. Communities living near heavy industry already face disproportionate environmental impacts. The Martinez area bore the burden of these violations.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Contra Costa County Judge Benjamin Reyes II signed the final judgment on Wednesday, just days after the Martinez refinery resumed full production following \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12026572/10-days-after-martinez-refinery-fire-new-details-toxic-chemicals-released\">a massive fire\u003c/a> on Feb. 1, 2025, that injured six workers and led to a partial shelter-in-place order. That fire was not included in the judgment; air regulators plan to address it in a separate civil action.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>An independent investigation into a massive fire at the Martinez PBF Energy refinery found that human error, worker inexperience and lack of supervision were at the heart of the February fire that prompted shelter in place orders. Today, we revisit an episode about this initial fire that alarmed local residents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=KQINC6446010316\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Links:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\n\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12042387/massive-martinez-refinery-fire-in-february-caused-by-human-error-investigation-finds\">Massive Martinez Refinery Fire in February Caused by Human Error, Investigation Finds\u003c/a>\n\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>This episode first aired \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12026058/we-deserve-better-fear-and-anger-in-martinez-after-another-refinery-incident\">\u003ci>Feb. 7, 2025. \u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cp>Human error, worker inexperience and lack of supervision were at the root of early February’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12026572/10-days-after-martinez-refinery-fire-new-details-toxic-chemicals-released\">massive fire at the PBF Energy refinery\u003c/a> in Martinez, according to an independent investigation commissioned by Contra Costa County health officials that will be presented to the refinery’s oversight committee on Tuesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After starting on Feb. 1, the blaze burned for days, prompting a shelter-in-place advisory for surrounding neighborhoods. The subsequent two-month shutdown of the refinery, which produces more than 156,000 barrels of crude oil per day and accounts for \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/californias-petroleum-market/californias-oil-refineries\">nearly 10% of California’s total production\u003c/a>, led to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/news/2025-02/californias-petroleum-watchdog-issues-market-update-and-consumer-advisory\">surge in gas prices\u003c/a> throughout the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.cchealth.org/home/showpublisheddocument/31810/638839587286590004\">21-page report\u003c/a> by consulting firm JEM Advisors, the fire ignited when two contract union workers mistakenly loosened the bolts on a flange full of hot hydrocarbons during a routine but hazardous procedure called a turnaround, in which a piece of equipment or a processing unit is taken offline to be cleaned, inspected and repaired.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The workers fled the unit as the fluid started leaking and pooling on the ground, igniting within a minute and rapidly intensifying as other pipe systems failed, according to the report.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The main culprit, the investigation determined, was the “inadequate” supervision and training of the contract workers tasked with completing the critical operation. The report’s authors blame that deficit, in part, on “regulatory issues impacting contractor skill sets, selection and training,” noting that “there are few options to address the gaps brought about by the regulatory policies.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In particular, the investigation singled out \u003ca href=\"http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/13-14/bill/sen/sb_0051-0100/sb_54_cfa_20130911_104104_sen_floor.html#:~:text=Qualified%20journeypersons%20must%20be%20graduates,state's%20transportation%20and%20fuel%20supplies.\">SB 54\u003c/a>, a 2013 California law that requires refineries to hire many of their contractors from local union halls and ensure they are enrolled in or graduates of approved apprenticeship programs. As a result, the report said, the Martinez refinery is often unable to rehire the most experienced workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12032370\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1440px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12032370\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/475966196_17941090172958161_4612211217959910985_n-e1738464480621.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1440\" height=\"996\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/475966196_17941090172958161_4612211217959910985_n-e1738464480621.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/475966196_17941090172958161_4612211217959910985_n-e1738464480621-800x553.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/475966196_17941090172958161_4612211217959910985_n-e1738464480621-1020x706.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/475966196_17941090172958161_4612211217959910985_n-e1738464480621-160x111.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Contra Costa County Fire Department firefighters outside the Martinez Refining Company as smoke billows from the refinery on Feb. 2, 2025, in Martinez. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Contra Costa County Fire Department)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Past resources that included ‘professional shutdown execution’ personnel from other locations are no longer available for PBF to use on turnarounds,” the report said. “There is no confirmation that contract workers understand the most significant process hazards and simultaneous operation hazards.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Contra Costa County health officials declined to comment on the report ahead of Tuesday’s hearing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>JEM Advisors, which did not respond to requests for comment, is a private national firm of oil industry experts, many of whom previously worked for Chevron and other major oil companies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The report additionally faulted California’s co-employment rules, in which two entities have some degree of control over the same workers — in this case, PBF Energy and TIMEC, the Texas-based company that employed the two contractors. Those regulations, the report said, preclude the refinery from directly approving contractor safety plans and providing critical safety training to those workers.[aside postID=news_12031389 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250203_MartinezRefineryFolo_GC-7-1020x680.jpg']“As a result of these two regulations, there is now a higher likelihood for human errors entering into maintenance work performed by contractor resources,” the report said, also noting that one team of contract workers created the maintenance operation plan, while a different team executed it, without the necessary supervision.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TIMEC did not return a request for comment by publication.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shortly after the Martinez refinery resumed operations in April, Valero announced it \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12036242/oil-giant-valero-announces-plans-to-shutter-troubled-benicia-refinery\">planned to close down\u003c/a> its Benicia refinery, just across the Carquinez Strait, within a year, citing burdensome state regulations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The report on the Martinez fire also emphasized that, despite these restrictions, PBF Energy must do more to ensure its operations are conducted safely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The report noted that “operational presence from start of job until work is in a safe state is required but not always enforced, and was not in place.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As owners of the facility, operations cannot allow the poor performance of others to impact the safety and performance of the refinery,” it said, recommending that the refinery increase oversight of such operations and ensure that workers understand hazard risks before starting projects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The February fire, which started around 1:30 p.m. on a Saturday, was the third major incident at the Martinez refinery since Shell sold it to PBF Energy in 2020 — including \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11952517/martinez-refinery-chemical-release-poses-no-long-term-hazard-tests-find\">the release\u003c/a> of nearly 50,000 pounds of powdered industrial chemicals into the air in 2022. The incident prompted a growing number of nearby residents to demand greater oversight of the facility, with some calling for it to be shut down altogether.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It just seems like this kind of stuff is happening more and more, which is really scary,” Samantha Viano, who has lived in Martinez for 30 years, told KQED after the February fire. “How are they going to stop this from happening? Because I think the whole community is really scared now.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/kdebenedetti\">\u003cem>Katie DeBenedetti\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Human error, worker inexperience and lack of supervision were at the root of early February’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12026572/10-days-after-martinez-refinery-fire-new-details-toxic-chemicals-released\">massive fire at the PBF Energy refinery\u003c/a> in Martinez, according to an independent investigation commissioned by Contra Costa County health officials that will be presented to the refinery’s oversight committee on Tuesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After starting on Feb. 1, the blaze burned for days, prompting a shelter-in-place advisory for surrounding neighborhoods. The subsequent two-month shutdown of the refinery, which produces more than 156,000 barrels of crude oil per day and accounts for \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/californias-petroleum-market/californias-oil-refineries\">nearly 10% of California’s total production\u003c/a>, led to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/news/2025-02/californias-petroleum-watchdog-issues-market-update-and-consumer-advisory\">surge in gas prices\u003c/a> throughout the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.cchealth.org/home/showpublisheddocument/31810/638839587286590004\">21-page report\u003c/a> by consulting firm JEM Advisors, the fire ignited when two contract union workers mistakenly loosened the bolts on a flange full of hot hydrocarbons during a routine but hazardous procedure called a turnaround, in which a piece of equipment or a processing unit is taken offline to be cleaned, inspected and repaired.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The workers fled the unit as the fluid started leaking and pooling on the ground, igniting within a minute and rapidly intensifying as other pipe systems failed, according to the report.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The main culprit, the investigation determined, was the “inadequate” supervision and training of the contract workers tasked with completing the critical operation. The report’s authors blame that deficit, in part, on “regulatory issues impacting contractor skill sets, selection and training,” noting that “there are few options to address the gaps brought about by the regulatory policies.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In particular, the investigation singled out \u003ca href=\"http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/13-14/bill/sen/sb_0051-0100/sb_54_cfa_20130911_104104_sen_floor.html#:~:text=Qualified%20journeypersons%20must%20be%20graduates,state's%20transportation%20and%20fuel%20supplies.\">SB 54\u003c/a>, a 2013 California law that requires refineries to hire many of their contractors from local union halls and ensure they are enrolled in or graduates of approved apprenticeship programs. As a result, the report said, the Martinez refinery is often unable to rehire the most experienced workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12032370\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1440px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12032370\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/475966196_17941090172958161_4612211217959910985_n-e1738464480621.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1440\" height=\"996\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/475966196_17941090172958161_4612211217959910985_n-e1738464480621.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/475966196_17941090172958161_4612211217959910985_n-e1738464480621-800x553.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/475966196_17941090172958161_4612211217959910985_n-e1738464480621-1020x706.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/475966196_17941090172958161_4612211217959910985_n-e1738464480621-160x111.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Contra Costa County Fire Department firefighters outside the Martinez Refining Company as smoke billows from the refinery on Feb. 2, 2025, in Martinez. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Contra Costa County Fire Department)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Past resources that included ‘professional shutdown execution’ personnel from other locations are no longer available for PBF to use on turnarounds,” the report said. “There is no confirmation that contract workers understand the most significant process hazards and simultaneous operation hazards.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Contra Costa County health officials declined to comment on the report ahead of Tuesday’s hearing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>JEM Advisors, which did not respond to requests for comment, is a private national firm of oil industry experts, many of whom previously worked for Chevron and other major oil companies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The report additionally faulted California’s co-employment rules, in which two entities have some degree of control over the same workers — in this case, PBF Energy and TIMEC, the Texas-based company that employed the two contractors. Those regulations, the report said, preclude the refinery from directly approving contractor safety plans and providing critical safety training to those workers.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“As a result of these two regulations, there is now a higher likelihood for human errors entering into maintenance work performed by contractor resources,” the report said, also noting that one team of contract workers created the maintenance operation plan, while a different team executed it, without the necessary supervision.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TIMEC did not return a request for comment by publication.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shortly after the Martinez refinery resumed operations in April, Valero announced it \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12036242/oil-giant-valero-announces-plans-to-shutter-troubled-benicia-refinery\">planned to close down\u003c/a> its Benicia refinery, just across the Carquinez Strait, within a year, citing burdensome state regulations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The report on the Martinez fire also emphasized that, despite these restrictions, PBF Energy must do more to ensure its operations are conducted safely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The report noted that “operational presence from start of job until work is in a safe state is required but not always enforced, and was not in place.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As owners of the facility, operations cannot allow the poor performance of others to impact the safety and performance of the refinery,” it said, recommending that the refinery increase oversight of such operations and ensure that workers understand hazard risks before starting projects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The February fire, which started around 1:30 p.m. on a Saturday, was the third major incident at the Martinez refinery since Shell sold it to PBF Energy in 2020 — including \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11952517/martinez-refinery-chemical-release-poses-no-long-term-hazard-tests-find\">the release\u003c/a> of nearly 50,000 pounds of powdered industrial chemicals into the air in 2022. The incident prompted a growing number of nearby residents to demand greater oversight of the facility, with some calling for it to be shut down altogether.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It just seems like this kind of stuff is happening more and more, which is really scary,” Samantha Viano, who has lived in Martinez for 30 years, told KQED after the February fire. “How are they going to stop this from happening? Because I think the whole community is really scared now.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/kdebenedetti\">\u003cem>Katie DeBenedetti\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "‘Secret Deal’ in California Would Weaken Regulations for Oil Refineries",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This \u003ca href=\"https://publichealthwatch.org/2025/04/22/secret-deal-in-california-would-weaken-regulations-for-oil-refineries/\">article\u003c/a> was originally published by \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://publichealthwatch.org/\">\u003cem>Public Health Watch\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, a nonprofit investigative news organization.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Aug. 6, 2012, a corroded, eight-inch pipe at Chevron’s oil refinery in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/richmond\">Richmond\u003c/a> cracked open, sending a white cloud hundreds of feet into the air. The cloud quickly engulfed the 19 refinery firefighters, managers and other workers who had been trying to fix what had been a small leak in the pipe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some of them went to ground, unable to see past their hands; most ran or crawled out of the way. Then the vapor ignited, trapping a firefighter in a truck. He, too, ran out, through what eyewitnesses called a wall of flame.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That was just the beginning. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/73746/new-photos-chevron-refinery-fire-and-its-aftermath\">The fire burned for hours\u003c/a>; the smoke choked the Bay Area for days. Fifteen thousand people sought medical care for breathing problems and exposure to the toxic plume; hospitals admitted 20, including one refinery worker.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>U.S. Chemical Safety Board investigators \u003ca href=\"https://www.csb.gov/assets/1/17/chevron_final_investigation_report_2015-01-28.pdf?15397\">concluded\u003c/a> that the fire could have been prevented if Chevron had heeded its own inspectors’ pleas to replace the decaying pipe, and if federal and California regulations had mandated better safety practices. Then-Gov. Jerry Brown convened a working group of 13 state agencies and departments to appraise the safety of California’s refineries, clustered in the Bay Area and Los Angeles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The safety measures rolled out over the next five years were among the strongest in the nation, giving workers unprecedented power to halt operations they felt were unsafe. Other rules were designed to protect communities near refineries from accidental chemical releases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12037033\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1586px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12037033 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/PHOTO-2-Chevron-RUPTURED-PIPELINE-CSB.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1586\" height=\"1084\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/PHOTO-2-Chevron-RUPTURED-PIPELINE-CSB.png 1586w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/PHOTO-2-Chevron-RUPTURED-PIPELINE-CSB-800x547.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/PHOTO-2-Chevron-RUPTURED-PIPELINE-CSB-1020x697.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/PHOTO-2-Chevron-RUPTURED-PIPELINE-CSB-160x109.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/PHOTO-2-Chevron-RUPTURED-PIPELINE-CSB-1536x1050.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1586px) 100vw, 1586px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Aug. 6, 2012, fire at the Chevron oil refinery in Richmond, California, began near the rupture of this 8-inch pipe, shown in this photo included in the U.S. Chemical Safety Board’s final investigative report. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of U.S. Chemical Safety Board)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Now, more than 12 years after the Chevron fire, regulators are poised to weaken two key regulations that had been challenged in court by the Western States Petroleum Association, or WSPA, a trade association that lobbies heavily in California. A settlement of two lawsuits reached behind closed doors in September calls for easing some of those rules.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Union leaders and community advocates — who were excluded from the settlement negotiations — say the proposed changes would put workers and the public at greater risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“To be looking at the possibility of rolling back these regulations is dangerous and alarming for our communities,” said Marie Choi, communications director for the Asian Pacific Environmental Network, or APEN, a watchdog group. “We can’t let industry write the rules.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/1/embed?mid=1IWp_ArXOUH-HGhBlVqnqw8n3IFJPXAs&ehbc=2E312F&noprof=1\" width=\"675\" height=\"500\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The California Environmental Protection Agency, known as CalEPA, set a Tuesday deadline to \u003ca href=\"https://calepa.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Final-CalARP-Notice-of-Proposed-Rulemaking.pdf\">accept public comment\u003c/a> on proposed changes to its accidental release program. The agency will make an internal decision afterward on whether to accept the changes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the same time, the state’s Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board, part of the Department of Industrial Relations, or DIR, is independently considering changes to safety rules affecting workers. A decision by the board may not come until 2026.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CalEPA said that the revisions are needed to provide clarity and consistency in applying the rules.[aside postID=news_12036242 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/ValeroBenicia-1020x765.jpg']“Petroleum refineries have stated that certain terms and provisions of the [accidental release program] regulations are vague and confusing, making it difficult for them to comply,” the agency wrote in a statement accompanying the proposed amendments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement to \u003cem>Public Health Watch\u003c/em>, a spokeswoman for DIR wrote that the agency and CalEPA “remain committed to protecting refinery workers and ensuring refinery operations meet all safety and environmental standards.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California Attorney General Rob Bonta, whose office represented the state in the two lawsuits, responded to requests for comment from \u003cem>Public Health Watch\u003c/em> by referring the questions to the affected agencies. WSPA did not respond to requests for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The moves have left environmental and labor advocates questioning the transparency of the negotiations. Lawyers for the Steelworkers were asked to sign off on the settlement of the lawsuit last September. They refused.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“At the end of the day, our biggest thing was that we were left out of a process in which we had the right to participate,” said Mike Smith, who heads the Steelworkers’ National Oil Bargaining Program in Pittsburgh and was a union staff representative for six years at Local 5 in Martinez.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We don’t understand how this happened,” said Julia May, a senior scientist with Communities for a Better Environment, an advocacy group that helped craft the original process safety management rule. “We’ve had a bad history of [refinery] accidents in California due to cutting corners on maintenance, due to not listening to the workers.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Read the full story at \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://publichealthwatch.org/\">\u003cem>Public Health Watch\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "More than 12 years after the Chevron fire in Richmond, regulators are poised to weaken two key regulations that had been challenged in court by the Western States Petroleum Association.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This \u003ca href=\"https://publichealthwatch.org/2025/04/22/secret-deal-in-california-would-weaken-regulations-for-oil-refineries/\">article\u003c/a> was originally published by \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://publichealthwatch.org/\">\u003cem>Public Health Watch\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, a nonprofit investigative news organization.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Aug. 6, 2012, a corroded, eight-inch pipe at Chevron’s oil refinery in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/richmond\">Richmond\u003c/a> cracked open, sending a white cloud hundreds of feet into the air. The cloud quickly engulfed the 19 refinery firefighters, managers and other workers who had been trying to fix what had been a small leak in the pipe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some of them went to ground, unable to see past their hands; most ran or crawled out of the way. Then the vapor ignited, trapping a firefighter in a truck. He, too, ran out, through what eyewitnesses called a wall of flame.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That was just the beginning. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/73746/new-photos-chevron-refinery-fire-and-its-aftermath\">The fire burned for hours\u003c/a>; the smoke choked the Bay Area for days. Fifteen thousand people sought medical care for breathing problems and exposure to the toxic plume; hospitals admitted 20, including one refinery worker.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>U.S. Chemical Safety Board investigators \u003ca href=\"https://www.csb.gov/assets/1/17/chevron_final_investigation_report_2015-01-28.pdf?15397\">concluded\u003c/a> that the fire could have been prevented if Chevron had heeded its own inspectors’ pleas to replace the decaying pipe, and if federal and California regulations had mandated better safety practices. Then-Gov. Jerry Brown convened a working group of 13 state agencies and departments to appraise the safety of California’s refineries, clustered in the Bay Area and Los Angeles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The safety measures rolled out over the next five years were among the strongest in the nation, giving workers unprecedented power to halt operations they felt were unsafe. Other rules were designed to protect communities near refineries from accidental chemical releases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12037033\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1586px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12037033 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/PHOTO-2-Chevron-RUPTURED-PIPELINE-CSB.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1586\" height=\"1084\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/PHOTO-2-Chevron-RUPTURED-PIPELINE-CSB.png 1586w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/PHOTO-2-Chevron-RUPTURED-PIPELINE-CSB-800x547.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/PHOTO-2-Chevron-RUPTURED-PIPELINE-CSB-1020x697.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/PHOTO-2-Chevron-RUPTURED-PIPELINE-CSB-160x109.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/PHOTO-2-Chevron-RUPTURED-PIPELINE-CSB-1536x1050.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1586px) 100vw, 1586px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Aug. 6, 2012, fire at the Chevron oil refinery in Richmond, California, began near the rupture of this 8-inch pipe, shown in this photo included in the U.S. Chemical Safety Board’s final investigative report. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of U.S. Chemical Safety Board)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Now, more than 12 years after the Chevron fire, regulators are poised to weaken two key regulations that had been challenged in court by the Western States Petroleum Association, or WSPA, a trade association that lobbies heavily in California. A settlement of two lawsuits reached behind closed doors in September calls for easing some of those rules.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Union leaders and community advocates — who were excluded from the settlement negotiations — say the proposed changes would put workers and the public at greater risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“To be looking at the possibility of rolling back these regulations is dangerous and alarming for our communities,” said Marie Choi, communications director for the Asian Pacific Environmental Network, or APEN, a watchdog group. “We can’t let industry write the rules.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/1/embed?mid=1IWp_ArXOUH-HGhBlVqnqw8n3IFJPXAs&ehbc=2E312F&noprof=1\" width=\"675\" height=\"500\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The California Environmental Protection Agency, known as CalEPA, set a Tuesday deadline to \u003ca href=\"https://calepa.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Final-CalARP-Notice-of-Proposed-Rulemaking.pdf\">accept public comment\u003c/a> on proposed changes to its accidental release program. The agency will make an internal decision afterward on whether to accept the changes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the same time, the state’s Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board, part of the Department of Industrial Relations, or DIR, is independently considering changes to safety rules affecting workers. A decision by the board may not come until 2026.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CalEPA said that the revisions are needed to provide clarity and consistency in applying the rules.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“Petroleum refineries have stated that certain terms and provisions of the [accidental release program] regulations are vague and confusing, making it difficult for them to comply,” the agency wrote in a statement accompanying the proposed amendments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement to \u003cem>Public Health Watch\u003c/em>, a spokeswoman for DIR wrote that the agency and CalEPA “remain committed to protecting refinery workers and ensuring refinery operations meet all safety and environmental standards.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California Attorney General Rob Bonta, whose office represented the state in the two lawsuits, responded to requests for comment from \u003cem>Public Health Watch\u003c/em> by referring the questions to the affected agencies. WSPA did not respond to requests for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The moves have left environmental and labor advocates questioning the transparency of the negotiations. Lawyers for the Steelworkers were asked to sign off on the settlement of the lawsuit last September. They refused.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“At the end of the day, our biggest thing was that we were left out of a process in which we had the right to participate,” said Mike Smith, who heads the Steelworkers’ National Oil Bargaining Program in Pittsburgh and was a union staff representative for six years at Local 5 in Martinez.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We don’t understand how this happened,” said Julia May, a senior scientist with Communities for a Better Environment, an advocacy group that helped craft the original process safety management rule. “We’ve had a bad history of [refinery] accidents in California due to cutting corners on maintenance, due to not listening to the workers.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Read the full story at \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://publichealthwatch.org/\">\u003cem>Public Health Watch\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Martinez residents used words like “traumatized” and “terrorized” to describe living through \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12025377/huge-martinez-refinery-fire-renews-neighbors-fear-frustration\">the East Bay refinery fire\u003c/a> that broke out on Feb. 1, sending a column of black smoke hundreds of feet above the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At a town hall meeting last week, residents recounted watching from their driveways as flames and smoke licked over pipelines at the Martinez Refining Co. amid a roar that sounded like a jet taking off. Some who feared a catastrophic explosion or \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12026572/10-days-after-martinez-refinery-fire-new-details-toxic-chemicals-released\">toxic release\u003c/a> said they fled the city with their families and pets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those worst-case scenarios didn’t materialize.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the March 13 meeting, regulators told around 200 residents who attended that first responders and refinery crews contained the fire within several hours; that six workers who received first aid hadn’t sustained serious injuries; that the smoke that contained hazardous and cancer-causing chemicals blew away from densely populated neighborhoods and that preliminary air, water and soil testing detected no excessive levels of toxic chemicals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But those preliminary findings did little to assuage residents’ anger over the fire, leading some to question the refinery’s plan to reopen in April before investigations into the fire’s cause and the consequences for workers, residents and the environment are complete.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fire was the latest in a series of major incidents since 2020 that have fueled widespread criticism and fostered mistrust in the community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Nov. 24, 2022, the refinery released a cloud of spent catalyst that blanked the town in a powdery white substance that looked like ash. The refinery operator failed to notify regulators on time and issued conflicting information about the material released.[aside postID=news_12026572 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250203_MartinezRefineryFolo_GC-46-1020x680.jpg']On July 11, 2023, and Oct. 6, 2023, the refinery unintentionally released petroleum coke dust — a refining byproduct that looks like soot and is made up of particulate matter that can irritate lungs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Clearly, the refinery does not care about any of the penalties associated with their violations if these types of situations keep happening,” said Elizabeth Butler, who has lived in Martinez for more than a decade.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What if there was an explosion? Martinez would be gone,” Butler continued.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“How is anyone in this room supposed to have any amount of hope moving forward?” said Justin Gomez, an activist with local watchdog group Healthy Martinez. “The policies as they exist now, whether it’s the industrial safety ordinance, whether it’s the state investigations — it doesn’t seem like there’s any lever that can be pulled that will disincentivize this insanity that’s happening over and over again.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Martinez Refining Co. took over operations in 2020 after New Jersey-based parent company PBF Energy purchased the facility from Shell. The Bay Area Air District has issued 173 notice of violation tickets to the refinery since MRC began operations and is working with the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office on an enforcement case for “nearly all” of the outstanding violations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Refinery manager Dan Ingram told town hall attendees that the company prioritizes worker and community safety and that it has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in environmental and safety compliance and other regulatory requirements.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have lots of policies, procedures, things to prevent accidents like this from occurring,” Ingram said. “We need to finish the root-cause investigation so we can understand exactly what took place here, so we can work to prevent it in the future.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He added, “That is our commitment to this community: to work night and day until we understand it and we can work to prevent it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ingram said only the refinery units undamaged by the fire will resume fuel production next month. Damaged units will require an estimated $30 million to repair but should be running again in September.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Community advocates say the reopening of the refinery should be contingent upon the completion of all the investigations into the root cause of the fire, whether any safety regulations were violated and whether toxicology reports point to any long-term health effects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The company said its root-cause investigation should be completed by the end of March.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nicole Heath, the county’s director of Hazardous Materials Programs, said the agency hopes to hire a company to complete an independent investigation into the cause of the fire by the end of April.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Contra Costa Health will retain oversight of the refinery and ensure that the company conducts a pre-startup safety review for each production unit they plan to restart.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a\u003ca href=\"https://www.cchealth.org/home/showpublisheddocument/31645/638779686790030000\"> letter\u003c/a> to refinery officials earlier this week, Heath said oversight will continue “until safe startup of the refinery.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Heath said her agency is giving added scrutiny to the refinery’s recovery due to the severity of the Feb. 1 incident and past safety incidents at the facility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The fire was classified as a major chemical accident or release, posing a serious threat to workers, residents and the environment,” Heath added. “Given the refinery’s history of safety incidents, Contra Costa Health is taking proactive steps to ensure compliance with all state and local regulations.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Bay Area Air District has issued three notices of violation to PBF Energy in connection with the fire, citing it as a public nuisance and for excessive smoke and soot fallout.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ This was a serious event, but it was not captured by nearby air pollution monitors because of the favorable meteorological conditions,” air district senior spokesperson Viet Tran said at the town hall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tran emphasized that the number of notices does not indicate the level of fines likely to be issued.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ We consider the extent, duration, harm and other factors in assessing penalties,” he said. “We are continuing to investigate, and additional violations are possible.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The air board will have final results from air samples by the end of March.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cal/OSHA declined to comment on its ongoing investigation into the Feb. 1 fire. The agency has up to six months to issue citations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve had numerous town halls, numerous meetings, both big public meetings and small meetings, asking for change and improvement,” Martinez Mayor Brianne Zorn told KQED after the town hall, noting that moving the needle will require county regulators to exercise their full oversight powers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The industrial safety ordinance gives them quite a few powers to do quite a few things after incidents and major chemical releases that they may not have taken advantage of after the spent catalyst release or the coke dust incidents,” Zorn said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shanelle Scales-Preston, a Contra Costa Board of Supervisors member whose district includes Martinez, convened last week’s town hall. She told residents she’s identified one power the county hasn’t used in relation to the Martinez refinery: a full facility audit that would allow the county to assess the safety and compliance of every unit in the facility, as well as safety procedures and training.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ We’re going to make sure we’re on-site and make sure they’re doing everything they need to do,” Scales said. “ We want to make sure you’re safe.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Martinez residents used words like “traumatized” and “terrorized” to describe living through \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12025377/huge-martinez-refinery-fire-renews-neighbors-fear-frustration\">the East Bay refinery fire\u003c/a> that broke out on Feb. 1, sending a column of black smoke hundreds of feet above the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At a town hall meeting last week, residents recounted watching from their driveways as flames and smoke licked over pipelines at the Martinez Refining Co. amid a roar that sounded like a jet taking off. Some who feared a catastrophic explosion or \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12026572/10-days-after-martinez-refinery-fire-new-details-toxic-chemicals-released\">toxic release\u003c/a> said they fled the city with their families and pets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those worst-case scenarios didn’t materialize.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the March 13 meeting, regulators told around 200 residents who attended that first responders and refinery crews contained the fire within several hours; that six workers who received first aid hadn’t sustained serious injuries; that the smoke that contained hazardous and cancer-causing chemicals blew away from densely populated neighborhoods and that preliminary air, water and soil testing detected no excessive levels of toxic chemicals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But those preliminary findings did little to assuage residents’ anger over the fire, leading some to question the refinery’s plan to reopen in April before investigations into the fire’s cause and the consequences for workers, residents and the environment are complete.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fire was the latest in a series of major incidents since 2020 that have fueled widespread criticism and fostered mistrust in the community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Nov. 24, 2022, the refinery released a cloud of spent catalyst that blanked the town in a powdery white substance that looked like ash. The refinery operator failed to notify regulators on time and issued conflicting information about the material released.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>On July 11, 2023, and Oct. 6, 2023, the refinery unintentionally released petroleum coke dust — a refining byproduct that looks like soot and is made up of particulate matter that can irritate lungs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Clearly, the refinery does not care about any of the penalties associated with their violations if these types of situations keep happening,” said Elizabeth Butler, who has lived in Martinez for more than a decade.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What if there was an explosion? Martinez would be gone,” Butler continued.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“How is anyone in this room supposed to have any amount of hope moving forward?” said Justin Gomez, an activist with local watchdog group Healthy Martinez. “The policies as they exist now, whether it’s the industrial safety ordinance, whether it’s the state investigations — it doesn’t seem like there’s any lever that can be pulled that will disincentivize this insanity that’s happening over and over again.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Martinez Refining Co. took over operations in 2020 after New Jersey-based parent company PBF Energy purchased the facility from Shell. The Bay Area Air District has issued 173 notice of violation tickets to the refinery since MRC began operations and is working with the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office on an enforcement case for “nearly all” of the outstanding violations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Refinery manager Dan Ingram told town hall attendees that the company prioritizes worker and community safety and that it has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in environmental and safety compliance and other regulatory requirements.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have lots of policies, procedures, things to prevent accidents like this from occurring,” Ingram said. “We need to finish the root-cause investigation so we can understand exactly what took place here, so we can work to prevent it in the future.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He added, “That is our commitment to this community: to work night and day until we understand it and we can work to prevent it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ingram said only the refinery units undamaged by the fire will resume fuel production next month. Damaged units will require an estimated $30 million to repair but should be running again in September.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Community advocates say the reopening of the refinery should be contingent upon the completion of all the investigations into the root cause of the fire, whether any safety regulations were violated and whether toxicology reports point to any long-term health effects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The company said its root-cause investigation should be completed by the end of March.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nicole Heath, the county’s director of Hazardous Materials Programs, said the agency hopes to hire a company to complete an independent investigation into the cause of the fire by the end of April.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Contra Costa Health will retain oversight of the refinery and ensure that the company conducts a pre-startup safety review for each production unit they plan to restart.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a\u003ca href=\"https://www.cchealth.org/home/showpublisheddocument/31645/638779686790030000\"> letter\u003c/a> to refinery officials earlier this week, Heath said oversight will continue “until safe startup of the refinery.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Heath said her agency is giving added scrutiny to the refinery’s recovery due to the severity of the Feb. 1 incident and past safety incidents at the facility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The fire was classified as a major chemical accident or release, posing a serious threat to workers, residents and the environment,” Heath added. “Given the refinery’s history of safety incidents, Contra Costa Health is taking proactive steps to ensure compliance with all state and local regulations.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Bay Area Air District has issued three notices of violation to PBF Energy in connection with the fire, citing it as a public nuisance and for excessive smoke and soot fallout.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ This was a serious event, but it was not captured by nearby air pollution monitors because of the favorable meteorological conditions,” air district senior spokesperson Viet Tran said at the town hall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tran emphasized that the number of notices does not indicate the level of fines likely to be issued.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ We consider the extent, duration, harm and other factors in assessing penalties,” he said. “We are continuing to investigate, and additional violations are possible.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The air board will have final results from air samples by the end of March.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cal/OSHA declined to comment on its ongoing investigation into the Feb. 1 fire. The agency has up to six months to issue citations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve had numerous town halls, numerous meetings, both big public meetings and small meetings, asking for change and improvement,” Martinez Mayor Brianne Zorn told KQED after the town hall, noting that moving the needle will require county regulators to exercise their full oversight powers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The industrial safety ordinance gives them quite a few powers to do quite a few things after incidents and major chemical releases that they may not have taken advantage of after the spent catalyst release or the coke dust incidents,” Zorn said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shanelle Scales-Preston, a Contra Costa Board of Supervisors member whose district includes Martinez, convened last week’s town hall. She told residents she’s identified one power the county hasn’t used in relation to the Martinez refinery: a full facility audit that would allow the county to assess the safety and compliance of every unit in the facility, as well as safety procedures and training.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ We’re going to make sure we’re on-site and make sure they’re doing everything they need to do,” Scales said. “ We want to make sure you’re safe.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Ten days after \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12025377/huge-martinez-refinery-fire-renews-neighbors-fear-frustration\">a refinery fire\u003c/a> injured six employees and prompted a shelter-in-place order for thousands of Martinez residents, Contra Costa County health officials released new details on Tuesday about toxic chemicals released during the four days it took to put the fire out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The county said in \u003ca href=\"https://www.cchealth.org/Home/Components/News/News/886/415\">a statement \u003c/a>on the incident that the Martinez Refining Co., which operates the facility where the Feb. 1 fire occurred, reported that the cloud of thick black smoke that billowed over the East Bay community contained petroleum products at various stages of refinement and several other hazardous chemicals, including benzene, hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide and xylene.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Health officials said some of the substances that were released can cause cancer and heart and lung disease, but they also noted that weather conditions at the time of the fire may have limited local exposure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>County Health Director Dr. Ori Tzvieli said the wind blew most of the smoke away from populated areas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This could have been much worse,” Tzvieli said. “We got lucky this time. But our community shouldn’t have to rely on luck.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tuesday’s disclosure marks the first time health authorities have gotten a detailed look at what was in the plume that wafted over the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12025394\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12025394\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/230921-PBF-MARTINEZ-REFINERY-MD-04_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/230921-PBF-MARTINEZ-REFINERY-MD-04_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/230921-PBF-MARTINEZ-REFINERY-MD-04_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/230921-PBF-MARTINEZ-REFINERY-MD-04_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/230921-PBF-MARTINEZ-REFINERY-MD-04_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/230921-PBF-MARTINEZ-REFINERY-MD-04_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/230921-PBF-MARTINEZ-REFINERY-MD-04_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Martinez Refinery Co., owned by PBF Energy in Martinez, California, touches residential neighborhoods on Sept. 21, 2023. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Fifteen minutes after the fire started on Feb. 1, a refinery employee told the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services that a flaring incident had released more than 500 pounds of sulfur dioxide. The report also noted that it was “unknown if any other material is releasing due to the fire other than sulfur dioxide.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sulfur dioxide has adverse health effects on humans and animals, and high-level exposure can result in heart problems and an increased risk of death, according to studies cited by the \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/resources/sulfur-dioxide-and-health#:~:text=Sulfur%20dioxide%20(SO2)%20is,sulfur%20oxides%20(SOX).\">California Air Resources Board\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The actual effects on residents, refinery workers and first responders depended on how much sulfur dioxide they were exposed to and for how long.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=news_12024233 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/ElkhornSlough-1020x765.jpg']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A day after the fire started, Contra Costa Health hazardous materials employees who were investigating reports of a sulfur smell near the refinery reported feeling dizzy and left the area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Seventy-two hours after the start of the fire, the refinery company filed a report with the county, attributing the fire to an incident involving two workers who tried to restart an idle unit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“While opening the equipment, hydrocarbon material \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12025273/martinez-refining-company-investigating-if-leak-during-maintenance-contributed-to-fire\">started to leak\u003c/a>,” the report said. “The two workers immediately evacuated the area, and the material subsequently caught fire.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, the report lacked any new information about what substances might have burned during the fire. The report also lacked chemical safety data sheets required by the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>County health officials responded last Wednesday with a \u003ca href=\"https://www.cchealth.org/home/showpublisheddocument/31494\">letter\u003c/a> to the company requesting a list of everything inside the refinery that might have burned and giving the company until Monday to respond.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The information being requested has been deemed essential for assessing health impacts that may have occurred as a result of that incident,” the letter said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12025560\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12025560\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250203_MartinezRefineryFolo_GC-7.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250203_MartinezRefineryFolo_GC-7.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250203_MartinezRefineryFolo_GC-7-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250203_MartinezRefineryFolo_GC-7-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250203_MartinezRefineryFolo_GC-7-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250203_MartinezRefineryFolo_GC-7-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250203_MartinezRefineryFolo_GC-7-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Martinez Refining Company in Martinez, California, on Feb. 3, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In its response, the refinery reported that the fire released several substances produced in the refining process, including naphtha and petroleum distillates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The combustion byproducts from the fire — including benzene, hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide and xylene — pose the greatest public health concern, Contra Costa Health’s statement said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It added that the department is assessing whether there may be any long-term health effects from the chemicals, including potential impacts to soil and water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The refinery is scheduled to provide a 30-day follow-up report in early March. The county said it would hire an outside firm to investigate how the incident happened and what steps can be taken to prevent it from happening again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Bay Area Air District and Contra Costa Health have each launched an investigation into the fire and have restricted access to the area where the fire burned.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12025294\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1440px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12025294\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/475966196_17941090172958161_4612211217959910985_n-e1738464480621.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1440\" height=\"996\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/475966196_17941090172958161_4612211217959910985_n-e1738464480621.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/475966196_17941090172958161_4612211217959910985_n-e1738464480621-800x553.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/475966196_17941090172958161_4612211217959910985_n-e1738464480621-1020x706.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/475966196_17941090172958161_4612211217959910985_n-e1738464480621-160x111.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Contra Costa County Fire Department firefighters outside the Martinez Refining Company as smoke billows from the refinery on Saturday in Martinez. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of the city of Martinez)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The refinery, which operates as the Martinez Refining Co., also has an incident investigation into the fire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are working urgently and thoroughly to identify the root cause(s) and take appropriate corrective actions,” an update on the company’s website reads. “Personnel continue to monitor the scene of the recent incident to assess equipment and ensure the safety of the general area.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nearly all of the refinery’s operating units have been shut down, but MRC warned there could be more flaring over the next several weeks as workers drain operating units.[aside postID=news_11998887 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ShellRefineryMartinez-1020x765.jpg']The Martinez refinery, which is more than a century old, was owned by Shell until 2020 when it was acquired by the current owners, New Jersey’s PBF Energy. The company describes itself as “one of the largest independent petroleum refiners and suppliers of unbranded transportation fuels, heating oil, petrochemical feedstocks, lubricants and other petroleum products in the United States.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>PBF owns six refineries, including one in the Los Angeles suburb of Torrance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The company describes its Martinez refinery as “one of the most complex refineries in the United States” in statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The refinery has had a series of incidents that have drawn widespread criticism in the community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Nov. 24, 2022, the refinery released a cloud of spent catalyst that blanked the town in a powdery white substance that looked like ash.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On July 11, 2023, and Oct. 6, 2023, the refinery unintentionally released petroleum coke dust — a refining byproduct that looks like soot and is made up of particulate matter that can irritate lungs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Contra Costa County says a range of harmful chemicals were released, including some that pose risks for cancer and cardiovascular disease. ",
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"title": "10 Days After Martinez Refinery Fire, New Details of Toxic Chemicals Released | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Ten days after \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12025377/huge-martinez-refinery-fire-renews-neighbors-fear-frustration\">a refinery fire\u003c/a> injured six employees and prompted a shelter-in-place order for thousands of Martinez residents, Contra Costa County health officials released new details on Tuesday about toxic chemicals released during the four days it took to put the fire out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The county said in \u003ca href=\"https://www.cchealth.org/Home/Components/News/News/886/415\">a statement \u003c/a>on the incident that the Martinez Refining Co., which operates the facility where the Feb. 1 fire occurred, reported that the cloud of thick black smoke that billowed over the East Bay community contained petroleum products at various stages of refinement and several other hazardous chemicals, including benzene, hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide and xylene.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Health officials said some of the substances that were released can cause cancer and heart and lung disease, but they also noted that weather conditions at the time of the fire may have limited local exposure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>County Health Director Dr. Ori Tzvieli said the wind blew most of the smoke away from populated areas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This could have been much worse,” Tzvieli said. “We got lucky this time. But our community shouldn’t have to rely on luck.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tuesday’s disclosure marks the first time health authorities have gotten a detailed look at what was in the plume that wafted over the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12025394\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12025394\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/230921-PBF-MARTINEZ-REFINERY-MD-04_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/230921-PBF-MARTINEZ-REFINERY-MD-04_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/230921-PBF-MARTINEZ-REFINERY-MD-04_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/230921-PBF-MARTINEZ-REFINERY-MD-04_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/230921-PBF-MARTINEZ-REFINERY-MD-04_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/230921-PBF-MARTINEZ-REFINERY-MD-04_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/230921-PBF-MARTINEZ-REFINERY-MD-04_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Martinez Refinery Co., owned by PBF Energy in Martinez, California, touches residential neighborhoods on Sept. 21, 2023. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Fifteen minutes after the fire started on Feb. 1, a refinery employee told the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services that a flaring incident had released more than 500 pounds of sulfur dioxide. The report also noted that it was “unknown if any other material is releasing due to the fire other than sulfur dioxide.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sulfur dioxide has adverse health effects on humans and animals, and high-level exposure can result in heart problems and an increased risk of death, according to studies cited by the \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/resources/sulfur-dioxide-and-health#:~:text=Sulfur%20dioxide%20(SO2)%20is,sulfur%20oxides%20(SOX).\">California Air Resources Board\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The actual effects on residents, refinery workers and first responders depended on how much sulfur dioxide they were exposed to and for how long.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A day after the fire started, Contra Costa Health hazardous materials employees who were investigating reports of a sulfur smell near the refinery reported feeling dizzy and left the area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Seventy-two hours after the start of the fire, the refinery company filed a report with the county, attributing the fire to an incident involving two workers who tried to restart an idle unit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“While opening the equipment, hydrocarbon material \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12025273/martinez-refining-company-investigating-if-leak-during-maintenance-contributed-to-fire\">started to leak\u003c/a>,” the report said. “The two workers immediately evacuated the area, and the material subsequently caught fire.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, the report lacked any new information about what substances might have burned during the fire. The report also lacked chemical safety data sheets required by the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>County health officials responded last Wednesday with a \u003ca href=\"https://www.cchealth.org/home/showpublisheddocument/31494\">letter\u003c/a> to the company requesting a list of everything inside the refinery that might have burned and giving the company until Monday to respond.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The information being requested has been deemed essential for assessing health impacts that may have occurred as a result of that incident,” the letter said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12025560\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12025560\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250203_MartinezRefineryFolo_GC-7.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250203_MartinezRefineryFolo_GC-7.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250203_MartinezRefineryFolo_GC-7-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250203_MartinezRefineryFolo_GC-7-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250203_MartinezRefineryFolo_GC-7-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250203_MartinezRefineryFolo_GC-7-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250203_MartinezRefineryFolo_GC-7-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Martinez Refining Company in Martinez, California, on Feb. 3, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In its response, the refinery reported that the fire released several substances produced in the refining process, including naphtha and petroleum distillates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The combustion byproducts from the fire — including benzene, hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide and xylene — pose the greatest public health concern, Contra Costa Health’s statement said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It added that the department is assessing whether there may be any long-term health effects from the chemicals, including potential impacts to soil and water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The refinery is scheduled to provide a 30-day follow-up report in early March. The county said it would hire an outside firm to investigate how the incident happened and what steps can be taken to prevent it from happening again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Bay Area Air District and Contra Costa Health have each launched an investigation into the fire and have restricted access to the area where the fire burned.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12025294\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1440px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12025294\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/475966196_17941090172958161_4612211217959910985_n-e1738464480621.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1440\" height=\"996\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/475966196_17941090172958161_4612211217959910985_n-e1738464480621.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/475966196_17941090172958161_4612211217959910985_n-e1738464480621-800x553.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/475966196_17941090172958161_4612211217959910985_n-e1738464480621-1020x706.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/475966196_17941090172958161_4612211217959910985_n-e1738464480621-160x111.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Contra Costa County Fire Department firefighters outside the Martinez Refining Company as smoke billows from the refinery on Saturday in Martinez. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of the city of Martinez)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The refinery, which operates as the Martinez Refining Co., also has an incident investigation into the fire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are working urgently and thoroughly to identify the root cause(s) and take appropriate corrective actions,” an update on the company’s website reads. “Personnel continue to monitor the scene of the recent incident to assess equipment and ensure the safety of the general area.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nearly all of the refinery’s operating units have been shut down, but MRC warned there could be more flaring over the next several weeks as workers drain operating units.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The Martinez refinery, which is more than a century old, was owned by Shell until 2020 when it was acquired by the current owners, New Jersey’s PBF Energy. The company describes itself as “one of the largest independent petroleum refiners and suppliers of unbranded transportation fuels, heating oil, petrochemical feedstocks, lubricants and other petroleum products in the United States.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>PBF owns six refineries, including one in the Los Angeles suburb of Torrance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The company describes its Martinez refinery as “one of the most complex refineries in the United States” in statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The refinery has had a series of incidents that have drawn widespread criticism in the community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Nov. 24, 2022, the refinery released a cloud of spent catalyst that blanked the town in a powdery white substance that looked like ash.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On July 11, 2023, and Oct. 6, 2023, the refinery unintentionally released petroleum coke dust — a refining byproduct that looks like soot and is made up of particulate matter that can irritate lungs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>On February 1, 2025 a massive fire broke out at the Martinez Refinery Company’s petroleum refinery leading to unsafe air conditions and a shelter in place order. It’s the third major incident at the refinery in the past five years. KQED’s Julie Small explains what led to the fire and how residents are responding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Links:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12025377/huge-martinez-refinery-fire-renews-neighbors-fear-frustration\">Huge Martinez Fire Renews Neighbors’ Fear and Frustration\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=KQINC8386428121&light=true\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Cecilia Lei \u003c/strong>[00:01:24] So, Julie, you met with Martinez resident Lizzie Lara. Tell me a little bit about her. Where did you meet her?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:01:31] Well, I met her at her home. She lives in a neighborhood that’s on a hillside kind of above the Martinez refinery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:01:41] She was at home with her two girls on a Saturday when she noticed a message on Facebook about a fire at the refinery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lizzie Lara \u003c/strong>[00:01:52] I kind of looked outside because we can see it from the front of our house and it looked like there was some smoke coming up, but nothing out of the ordinary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:02:00] Then she got a notice from County Health warning that the air could be dangerous for people with asthma.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lizzie Lara \u003c/strong>[00:02:06] And so I said, okay. I turned on our air purifiers and, you know, just decided to kind of monitor it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:02:14] She wasn’t particularly afraid at that point. So she went upstairs. She was watching TV. But then she started hearing strange noises coming from the direction of the refinery that she’s never heard in all the years that she lived there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lizzie Lara \u003c/strong>[00:02:28] It’s like pop, pop, pop. And I was, like, concerning, but okay. And then all of a sudden, it sounded like almost like a military jet taking off. And then I looked out the window and you could see fire and just like a huge black cloud coming from the refinery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:02:47] So she put her daughter’s and she grabbed her two dogs in the car and left.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Cecilia Lei \u003c/strong>[00:02:57] It’s been some days now since the incident. What have we learned about the cause?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:03:03] Well, the company thinks that the fire started when a couple of their workers were doing maintenance. While they were opening the equipment, hydrocarbon material started to leak and the two workers immediately evacuated the area. And then that material just caught fire and and it spread.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Cecilia Lei \u003c/strong>[00:03:21] Julie, the county waited three hours before issuing a shelter in place order to residents. Days later, that was downgraded to a health advisory. What kind of risks were residents facing?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:03:35] Well, we know that the company said what burned is hydrocarbons, which are basically the fuel that they refine at Martinez. That caught on fire and it released sulfur dioxide into the air. That creates typically the smell like rotten eggs. According to the California Air Resources Board, a lot of studies have shown that sulfur dioxide has adverse health effects on humans and animals. And if it and if people are exposed at high levels, that can include risks to your to your heart, cardiac arrest, you know, some kinds of heart diseases and an increased risk of death. The effects on people in Martinez and the folks working at the refinery and the first responders, you know, we’ll have to see. It depends on how much of the stuff actually got released and for how long. We do know that six employees were treated and examined for injuries. They’ve all been released. The company reported that at least 500 pounds of this stuff was released, but probably is a lot more. We won’t know until the various regulators complete their investigation of the fire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Cecilia Lei \u003c/strong>[00:04:42] Well, Julie, let’s take a step back a little bit, because I’m curious to just learn more about this facility itself. Tell me what it produces and what do we know about its owners?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:04:53] Well, this refinery is over 100 years old. It used to belong to Shell Company, but they sold it to the current owners of PBF Energy in 2020. That company is actually based in New Jersey, but it owns a few refineries across the nation, including here in California. At this Martinez refinery, they produce about 30% of the jet fuel used in California, along with diesel and other fuels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Cecilia Lei \u003c/strong>[00:05:23] So, Julie, you spoke to some residents in Martinez, and this fire has certainly revived some long term concerns from community members. Tell me why and what are they worried about?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:05:35] Bottom line, they’re worried about history repeating itself. In 2022 right after Thanksgiving dinner, and people woke up the next morning in Martinez to a blanket of white powder. It looked like ash. Nobody knew what it was. There was no warning issued. It took the company a week to notify them that the substance was spent catalyst, basically a byproduct of refining. And then in 2023, there were two more releases of petroleum coke. That’s also a refining byproduct that looks a lot like coal. It’s made of particulate matter and it can irritate the lungs. But, you know, it’s just one thing after another as far as residents are concerned.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Cecilia Lei \u003c/strong>[00:06:18] And I understand truly that residents have taken it upon themselves to do something to try to keep their community safe. Tell me more about those efforts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:06:27] That released that happened in 2022 of the spent catalysts where it like rained ash over the city of Martinez, that was a wake up call for residents. And a number of them got together and formed this nonprofit grassroots group called Healthy Martinez.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:06:53] Two of the members of Healthy Martinez showed up at the Air District Board meeting this week. Alicia Gide spoke first and then Heidi Taylor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Heidi Taylor \u003c/strong>[00:07:02] I just want to say for the last two years, I’ve been to hundreds of meetings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:07:06] They’re seeking answers. They want accountability for the releases. They want the company held accountable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Heidi Taylor \u003c/strong>[00:07:12] They have asked me and our community trust them. And I tell you this, we will never trust them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:07:24] They want more information. They say there’s no public information about what’s being released in the air. And they’re really looking to regulators to get much more aggressive in their monitoring and in finding the company and restricting the operations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Cecilia Lei \u003c/strong>[00:07:44] Well, Julie, I wonder what has been the reaction from city leaders and other public officials.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:07:51] Well, our congressman Mark DeSaulnier, this is his district. He called for a temporary closure of the refinery while this fire is being investigated. The mayor, Brianne Zorn, wants to see the company do more to create a safe work environment to improve the safety of the facility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Brianne Zorn \u003c/strong>[00:08:12] We’ve had coke dust releases. We’ve had hydrogen sulfide releases. There’s a lot of different chemicals associated with the refinery that we have had to learn about, the community has had to learn about and become aware of what those impacts might be.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:08:26] She says she doesn’t have the authority to call for the shut down of the refinery. But she is pushing to make sure that the regulatory agencies do their jobs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Brianne Zorn \u003c/strong>[00:08:37] It’s important to remember that the Martinez Refining company has Martinez in the name, but it’s not in Martinez. It’s in Contra Costa County. We are simply advocating for our communities, but the decisions are in the hands of other folks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:08:52] And she didn’t say it explicitly, but I think she thinks they should be doing a lot more and being more aggressive with the company to ensure that they are running their operations safely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Cecilia Lei \u003c/strong>[00:09:06] And how has the Martinez Refining Company responded to these concerns and these community reactions?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:09:13] Well, the company has responded by making itself available to the public. They set up a 24 hour phone bank where residents can call in. They say they’re ready to help people make claims for damages.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Brandon Matson \u003c/strong>[00:09:25] As you’re aware, we had a fire that we’ve been responding to at the refinery this past weekend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:09:30] Brandon Mattson, the spokesperson for MRC, has made a point to show up at a number of public forums this week following the fire. Here he is addressing the Bay Area Quality Board on Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Brandon Matson \u003c/strong>[00:09:41] I know there’s a lot of anger and frustration from the community about the incident. And I know there’s nothing that I can say to alleviate that. I’m here to just be present.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:09:51] He apologized for the incidents and promised to be forthcoming and cooperative with all the investigations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Cecilia Lei \u003c/strong>[00:10:02] Well, Julie, even with that presence from the company, are there still questions that are left unanswered for Martina’s residents?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:10:10] Well, there’s so many questions that are left unanswered for them. I mean, how did this fire spread so quickly? Why did it take the county three hours to call for shelter in place after the fire broke out, after they were notified? How much of this these hydrocarbons were released into the atmosphere? For how long? What are the long term effects on residents and workers? Probably one of the biggest questions they have is what is the company going to do different and what are regular just going to do different to prevent this from happening again?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Cecilia Lei \u003c/strong>[00:10:43] And Julie, there’s also the accountability question, too, right? I mean, we know that this facility sits in an unincorporated part of the county. So who is ultimately responsible for making sure that something like this doesn’t happen again?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:10:58] Well, the responsibility ultimately lies with the company, of course, but there are a lot of county and state regulators who are also looking at this and have some jurisdiction over various aspects of the refinery. But I think people are really looking to the Air Board, which monitors refinery emissions for toxicity and pollutants, and has taken a much more aggressive stance recently towards refineries in the Bay Area. And they’re investigating this fire and people will be looking to see what they find and what they do to hold the company accountable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Cecilia Lei \u003c/strong>[00:11:31] So an investigation is underway. But, you know, thinking about Lizzie Lara and other Martinez residents you spoke to, what are they need right now in order to feel safe living so close to this refinery?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:11:44] They want to see greater oversight. They want an improvement in the warning system. Residents really felt like it didn’t match what they were seeing. And they’re asking for an investigation by the Chemical Safety Board. Ultimately, though, a lot of people like Lizzie Lara, say they’re just not going to feel comfortable until this refinery is shut down.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lizzie Lara \u003c/strong>[00:12:05] I love Martinez, we’re a really tight knit community like very family focused. It’s really sad to see this happen to our community and hopefully something will be done this time.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>On February 1, 2025 a massive fire broke out at the Martinez Refinery Company’s petroleum refinery leading to unsafe air conditions and a shelter in place order. It’s the third major incident at the refinery in the past five years. KQED’s Julie Small explains what led to the fire and how residents are responding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Links:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12025377/huge-martinez-refinery-fire-renews-neighbors-fear-frustration\">Huge Martinez Fire Renews Neighbors’ Fear and Frustration\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=KQINC8386428121&light=true\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Cecilia Lei \u003c/strong>[00:01:24] So, Julie, you met with Martinez resident Lizzie Lara. Tell me a little bit about her. Where did you meet her?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:01:31] Well, I met her at her home. She lives in a neighborhood that’s on a hillside kind of above the Martinez refinery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:01:41] She was at home with her two girls on a Saturday when she noticed a message on Facebook about a fire at the refinery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lizzie Lara \u003c/strong>[00:01:52] I kind of looked outside because we can see it from the front of our house and it looked like there was some smoke coming up, but nothing out of the ordinary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:02:00] Then she got a notice from County Health warning that the air could be dangerous for people with asthma.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lizzie Lara \u003c/strong>[00:02:06] And so I said, okay. I turned on our air purifiers and, you know, just decided to kind of monitor it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:02:14] She wasn’t particularly afraid at that point. So she went upstairs. She was watching TV. But then she started hearing strange noises coming from the direction of the refinery that she’s never heard in all the years that she lived there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lizzie Lara \u003c/strong>[00:02:28] It’s like pop, pop, pop. And I was, like, concerning, but okay. And then all of a sudden, it sounded like almost like a military jet taking off. And then I looked out the window and you could see fire and just like a huge black cloud coming from the refinery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:02:47] So she put her daughter’s and she grabbed her two dogs in the car and left.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Cecilia Lei \u003c/strong>[00:02:57] It’s been some days now since the incident. What have we learned about the cause?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:03:03] Well, the company thinks that the fire started when a couple of their workers were doing maintenance. While they were opening the equipment, hydrocarbon material started to leak and the two workers immediately evacuated the area. And then that material just caught fire and and it spread.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Cecilia Lei \u003c/strong>[00:03:21] Julie, the county waited three hours before issuing a shelter in place order to residents. Days later, that was downgraded to a health advisory. What kind of risks were residents facing?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:03:35] Well, we know that the company said what burned is hydrocarbons, which are basically the fuel that they refine at Martinez. That caught on fire and it released sulfur dioxide into the air. That creates typically the smell like rotten eggs. According to the California Air Resources Board, a lot of studies have shown that sulfur dioxide has adverse health effects on humans and animals. And if it and if people are exposed at high levels, that can include risks to your to your heart, cardiac arrest, you know, some kinds of heart diseases and an increased risk of death. The effects on people in Martinez and the folks working at the refinery and the first responders, you know, we’ll have to see. It depends on how much of the stuff actually got released and for how long. We do know that six employees were treated and examined for injuries. They’ve all been released. The company reported that at least 500 pounds of this stuff was released, but probably is a lot more. We won’t know until the various regulators complete their investigation of the fire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Cecilia Lei \u003c/strong>[00:04:42] Well, Julie, let’s take a step back a little bit, because I’m curious to just learn more about this facility itself. Tell me what it produces and what do we know about its owners?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:04:53] Well, this refinery is over 100 years old. It used to belong to Shell Company, but they sold it to the current owners of PBF Energy in 2020. That company is actually based in New Jersey, but it owns a few refineries across the nation, including here in California. At this Martinez refinery, they produce about 30% of the jet fuel used in California, along with diesel and other fuels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Cecilia Lei \u003c/strong>[00:05:23] So, Julie, you spoke to some residents in Martinez, and this fire has certainly revived some long term concerns from community members. Tell me why and what are they worried about?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:05:35] Bottom line, they’re worried about history repeating itself. In 2022 right after Thanksgiving dinner, and people woke up the next morning in Martinez to a blanket of white powder. It looked like ash. Nobody knew what it was. There was no warning issued. It took the company a week to notify them that the substance was spent catalyst, basically a byproduct of refining. And then in 2023, there were two more releases of petroleum coke. That’s also a refining byproduct that looks a lot like coal. It’s made of particulate matter and it can irritate the lungs. But, you know, it’s just one thing after another as far as residents are concerned.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Cecilia Lei \u003c/strong>[00:06:18] And I understand truly that residents have taken it upon themselves to do something to try to keep their community safe. Tell me more about those efforts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:06:27] That released that happened in 2022 of the spent catalysts where it like rained ash over the city of Martinez, that was a wake up call for residents. And a number of them got together and formed this nonprofit grassroots group called Healthy Martinez.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:06:53] Two of the members of Healthy Martinez showed up at the Air District Board meeting this week. Alicia Gide spoke first and then Heidi Taylor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Heidi Taylor \u003c/strong>[00:07:02] I just want to say for the last two years, I’ve been to hundreds of meetings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:07:06] They’re seeking answers. They want accountability for the releases. They want the company held accountable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Heidi Taylor \u003c/strong>[00:07:12] They have asked me and our community trust them. And I tell you this, we will never trust them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:07:24] They want more information. They say there’s no public information about what’s being released in the air. And they’re really looking to regulators to get much more aggressive in their monitoring and in finding the company and restricting the operations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Cecilia Lei \u003c/strong>[00:07:44] Well, Julie, I wonder what has been the reaction from city leaders and other public officials.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:07:51] Well, our congressman Mark DeSaulnier, this is his district. He called for a temporary closure of the refinery while this fire is being investigated. The mayor, Brianne Zorn, wants to see the company do more to create a safe work environment to improve the safety of the facility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Brianne Zorn \u003c/strong>[00:08:12] We’ve had coke dust releases. We’ve had hydrogen sulfide releases. There’s a lot of different chemicals associated with the refinery that we have had to learn about, the community has had to learn about and become aware of what those impacts might be.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:08:26] She says she doesn’t have the authority to call for the shut down of the refinery. But she is pushing to make sure that the regulatory agencies do their jobs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Brianne Zorn \u003c/strong>[00:08:37] It’s important to remember that the Martinez Refining company has Martinez in the name, but it’s not in Martinez. It’s in Contra Costa County. We are simply advocating for our communities, but the decisions are in the hands of other folks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:08:52] And she didn’t say it explicitly, but I think she thinks they should be doing a lot more and being more aggressive with the company to ensure that they are running their operations safely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Cecilia Lei \u003c/strong>[00:09:06] And how has the Martinez Refining Company responded to these concerns and these community reactions?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:09:13] Well, the company has responded by making itself available to the public. They set up a 24 hour phone bank where residents can call in. They say they’re ready to help people make claims for damages.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Brandon Matson \u003c/strong>[00:09:25] As you’re aware, we had a fire that we’ve been responding to at the refinery this past weekend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:09:30] Brandon Mattson, the spokesperson for MRC, has made a point to show up at a number of public forums this week following the fire. Here he is addressing the Bay Area Quality Board on Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Brandon Matson \u003c/strong>[00:09:41] I know there’s a lot of anger and frustration from the community about the incident. And I know there’s nothing that I can say to alleviate that. I’m here to just be present.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:09:51] He apologized for the incidents and promised to be forthcoming and cooperative with all the investigations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Cecilia Lei \u003c/strong>[00:10:02] Well, Julie, even with that presence from the company, are there still questions that are left unanswered for Martina’s residents?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:10:10] Well, there’s so many questions that are left unanswered for them. I mean, how did this fire spread so quickly? Why did it take the county three hours to call for shelter in place after the fire broke out, after they were notified? How much of this these hydrocarbons were released into the atmosphere? For how long? What are the long term effects on residents and workers? Probably one of the biggest questions they have is what is the company going to do different and what are regular just going to do different to prevent this from happening again?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Cecilia Lei \u003c/strong>[00:10:43] And Julie, there’s also the accountability question, too, right? I mean, we know that this facility sits in an unincorporated part of the county. So who is ultimately responsible for making sure that something like this doesn’t happen again?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:10:58] Well, the responsibility ultimately lies with the company, of course, but there are a lot of county and state regulators who are also looking at this and have some jurisdiction over various aspects of the refinery. But I think people are really looking to the Air Board, which monitors refinery emissions for toxicity and pollutants, and has taken a much more aggressive stance recently towards refineries in the Bay Area. And they’re investigating this fire and people will be looking to see what they find and what they do to hold the company accountable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Cecilia Lei \u003c/strong>[00:11:31] So an investigation is underway. But, you know, thinking about Lizzie Lara and other Martinez residents you spoke to, what are they need right now in order to feel safe living so close to this refinery?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:11:44] They want to see greater oversight. They want an improvement in the warning system. Residents really felt like it didn’t match what they were seeing. And they’re asking for an investigation by the Chemical Safety Board. Ultimately, though, a lot of people like Lizzie Lara, say they’re just not going to feel comfortable until this refinery is shut down.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lizzie Lara \u003c/strong>[00:12:05] I love Martinez, we’re a really tight knit community like very family focused. It’s really sad to see this happen to our community and hopefully something will be done this time.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>Updated 5:27 p.m. Monday\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last weekend’s major \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12025273/martinez-refining-company-investigating-if-leak-during-maintenance-contributed-to-fire\">fire at an East Bay refinery\u003c/a>, which caused dangerous air conditions and spurred a shelter-in-place order, has reignited concern from community members over the facility’s rocky few years and impact on their neighborhoods.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The blaze at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/martinez-refinery\">Martinez Refining Co.’s petroleum refinery\u003c/a> was reported by the company around 1:45 p.m. Saturday, hours after the Bay Area Air District began receiving complaints of odors in the area. It sent plumes of black smoke into the air for hours and forced much of Martinez and the surrounding communities of Pacheco and Clyde to shelter in place until late Saturday night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fire officials mostly extinguished the fire by 11 a.m. Sunday and Martinez Refining Co. said it was fully contained to the refinery site. However, dangerous airborne chemicals released by the fire could spread much farther and linger for days, adding to the burden already faced by neighboring communities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think it’s a constant issue with the refinery that people are concerned about — what’s escaping the stacks?” asked Dawn Elton, who manages an ACE Hardware store less than a mile from the refinery. She shut down her store Saturday afternoon after seeing the huge black cloud.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Monday afternoon, the Bay Area Air District issued two notices of violation to the Martinez refinery for public nuisance, excessive smoke and soot fallout. The agency said more violations are possible as it continues to investigate. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fire started after two workers discovered a leak of hydrocarbon material while preparing for planned maintenance at one of the refinery’s process units. They evacuated the area before the material caught on fire and spread within the immediate vicinity, according to the company.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11968800\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11968800\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/GettyImages-1467777894-e1738620843534.jpg\" alt=\"A view of two large industrial facilities — both refineries — each with many smokestacks - with hills in the background.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A view of the Martinez Refining Company in the foreground and the Marathon Refinery in the background, on Nov. 24, 2019, in Martinez, California. \u003ccite>(Michael R. Lopez/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>At least six people have been treated for health concerns related to the fire, including three who were taken to hospitals with minor injuries. Workers who were taking air quality readings experienced dizziness, the company said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although most of the visible smoke had cleared by late Sunday and the shelter-in-place was downgraded to a health advisory — meaning conditions were mostly dangerous to elderly and immuno-compromised people — Elton is worried that there could also be longer-term effects for her and other locals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was raining, so did [rainwater] go into the soil? Was anything dangerous to us that will come back later to harm us in some way?” she asked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Living near oil refineries like the one in Martinez is already hazardous, even without a fire or flaring incident.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=news_12025273 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/475966196_17941090172958161_4612211217959910985_n-e1738464480621-1020x706.jpg']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to the Environmental Protection Agency, petroleum refineries can release thousands of pounds of BTEX compounds — benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene, as well as carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide — each year. Many of these are known or suspected to cause cancer and developmental or reproductive problems and worsen pre-existing respiratory conditions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There can be potentially more risk for people living nearby because they have chronic exposure to hazardous chemicals and then these spikes of exposure that could exacerbate many different types of health risks,” said David Gonzalez, an assistant professor at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health. “This is something that people living near the refinery have been calling attention to for a long time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Saturday’s fire was the third major incident at the Martinez refinery since Shell sold it to PBF Energy in 2020.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2022, the refinery released \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11952517/martinez-refinery-chemical-release-poses-no-long-term-hazard-tests-find\">nearly 50,000 pounds of powdered industrial chemicals\u003c/a> into the air. There were also more than a dozen notices that hazardous materials were released or spilled by the site in 2023, and flaring occurred at least three times last year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Martinez Refining Co. said in a statement that it would investigate the root cause of the fire and apologized “for the disruption and concern” it caused to the community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, many residents want the site to be shut down, and some, like Samantha Viano, are hoping local officials will step in to make sure this trend doesn’t continue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It just seems like this kind of stuff is happening more and more, which is really scary,” said Viano.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most of her extended family lives in Martinez, and she said in her 30 years in the city, there have been many spills, but only one other shelter-in-place order.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“How are they going to stop this from happening?” she said. “Because I think the whole community is really scared now.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/shossaini\">\u003cem>Sara Hossaini\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think it’s a constant issue with the refinery that people are concerned about — what’s escaping the stacks?” asked Dawn Elton, who manages an ACE Hardware store less than a mile from the refinery. She shut down her store Saturday afternoon after seeing the huge black cloud.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Monday afternoon, the Bay Area Air District issued two notices of violation to the Martinez refinery for public nuisance, excessive smoke and soot fallout. The agency said more violations are possible as it continues to investigate. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fire started after two workers discovered a leak of hydrocarbon material while preparing for planned maintenance at one of the refinery’s process units. They evacuated the area before the material caught on fire and spread within the immediate vicinity, according to the company.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11968800\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11968800\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/GettyImages-1467777894-e1738620843534.jpg\" alt=\"A view of two large industrial facilities — both refineries — each with many smokestacks - with hills in the background.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A view of the Martinez Refining Company in the foreground and the Marathon Refinery in the background, on Nov. 24, 2019, in Martinez, California. \u003ccite>(Michael R. Lopez/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>At least six people have been treated for health concerns related to the fire, including three who were taken to hospitals with minor injuries. Workers who were taking air quality readings experienced dizziness, the company said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although most of the visible smoke had cleared by late Sunday and the shelter-in-place was downgraded to a health advisory — meaning conditions were mostly dangerous to elderly and immuno-compromised people — Elton is worried that there could also be longer-term effects for her and other locals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was raining, so did [rainwater] go into the soil? Was anything dangerous to us that will come back later to harm us in some way?” she asked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Living near oil refineries like the one in Martinez is already hazardous, even without a fire or flaring incident.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to the Environmental Protection Agency, petroleum refineries can release thousands of pounds of BTEX compounds — benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene, as well as carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide — each year. Many of these are known or suspected to cause cancer and developmental or reproductive problems and worsen pre-existing respiratory conditions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There can be potentially more risk for people living nearby because they have chronic exposure to hazardous chemicals and then these spikes of exposure that could exacerbate many different types of health risks,” said David Gonzalez, an assistant professor at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health. “This is something that people living near the refinery have been calling attention to for a long time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Saturday’s fire was the third major incident at the Martinez refinery since Shell sold it to PBF Energy in 2020.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2022, the refinery released \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11952517/martinez-refinery-chemical-release-poses-no-long-term-hazard-tests-find\">nearly 50,000 pounds of powdered industrial chemicals\u003c/a> into the air. There were also more than a dozen notices that hazardous materials were released or spilled by the site in 2023, and flaring occurred at least three times last year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Martinez Refining Co. said in a statement that it would investigate the root cause of the fire and apologized “for the disruption and concern” it caused to the community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, many residents want the site to be shut down, and some, like Samantha Viano, are hoping local officials will step in to make sure this trend doesn’t continue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It just seems like this kind of stuff is happening more and more, which is really scary,” said Viano.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most of her extended family lives in Martinez, and she said in her 30 years in the city, there have been many spills, but only one other shelter-in-place order.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“How are they going to stop this from happening?” she said. “Because I think the whole community is really scared now.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/shossaini\">\u003cem>Sara Hossaini\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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},
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},
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"id": "californiareport",
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"tagline": "California, day by day",
"info": "KQED’s statewide radio news program providing daily coverage of issues, trends and public policy decisions.",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareport",
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"order": 8
},
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},
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"title": "The California Report Magazine",
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"info": "Every week, The California Report Magazine takes you on a road trip for the ears: to visit the places and meet the people who make California unique. The in-depth storytelling podcast from the California Report.",
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},
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},
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"airtime": "SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am",
"meta": {
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"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
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},
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"order": 1
},
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"title": "Code Switch / Life Kit",
"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
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"id": "commonwealth-club",
"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
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"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
"link": "/radio/program/commonwealth-club",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw",
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"title": "Forum",
"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
"info": "KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.",
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"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Forum with Mina Kim and Alexis Madrigal",
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 9
},
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},
"freakonomics-radio": {
"id": "freakonomics-radio",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "http://freakonomics.com/",
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"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/freakonomics-radio",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519",
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},
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"id": "fresh-air",
"title": "Fresh Air",
"info": "Hosted by Terry Gross, \u003cem>Fresh Air from WHYY\u003c/em> is the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues. One of public radio's most popular programs, Fresh Air features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries.",
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"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
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"hidden-brain": {
"id": "hidden-brain",
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"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
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"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
"meta": {
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"source": "NPR"
},
"link": "/radio/program/hidden-brain",
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"how-i-built-this": {
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"title": "How I Built This with Guy Raz",
"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
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"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
"meta": {
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},
"link": "/radio/program/how-i-built-this",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297?mt=2",
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},
"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
"title": "Hyphenación",
"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
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"order": 15
},
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},
"jerrybrown": {
"id": "jerrybrown",
"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
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"order": 18
},
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}
},
"latino-usa": {
"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
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"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
}
},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
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"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
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},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
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"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
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"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
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}
},
"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
"title": "Morning Edition",
"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3am-9am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Morning-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/",
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"link": "/radio/program/morning-edition"
},
"onourwatch": {
"id": "onourwatch",
"title": "On Our Watch",
"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/On-Our-Watch-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "On Our Watch from NPR and KQED",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 11
},
"link": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"subscribe": {
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw",
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