KQED - August 5, 2024

….Now, on the heels of a grand jury report finding that the county’s alerts are failing to reach most residents for less-impactful chemical releases, officials are taking action. At its Tuesday meeting, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors will vote to move forward with plans for a more robust warning system in response to the grand jury’s recommendations.

SF Chronicle - February 13, 2024

Two Bay Area oil refineries agreed to dramatically slash particulate pollution churned into the air from their facilities, ending the companies’ nearly three-year battle against some of the most stringent antipollution regulations for refiners in the country.

KQED - December 1, 2023

A refinery worker is fighting for his life after suffering severe burns in a part of Marathon Petroleum’s Martinez refinery hit by two major fires last month.

Jerome Serrano sustained third-degree burns to more than 80% of his body during a blaze on Nov. 19, according to a union official. Serrano has undergone at least two surgeries at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, and family members have been told he has a 10% chance of survival, said Tracy Scott, president of the United Steelworkers Local 5.

“The family is pretty overwhelmed,” Scott said.cription goes here

BK White, Policy Director for Richmond Mayor, Eduardo Martinez - November 29, 2023

On November 28, 2023, at approximately 3:30 pm, Richmond’s Chevron refinery experienced a significant, ongoing flaring event that could be seen from several cities away (I could see the smoke from Emeryville). Chevron has attributed this event to a power outage. But saying “power outage” is not the answer; it’s the question. We need to know why there was a power outage and what equipment failed that caused that power outage. Was it a relay failure? Old electrical lines? The ambiguity surrounding the source of this outage – whether it was internal or from external providers like PG&E – necessitates an in-depth investigation. The lack of clarity on this front is concerning, as understanding the root cause is crucial to prevent future occurrences. A mere acknowledgment of power loss without investigating its origin leaves a gap in ensuring such incidents don’t reoccur. Description goes here

San Francisco Chronicle - 11/24/23

The FBI agents had just begun knocking on doors when the neighbors started texting: Federal investigators were asking about the Martinez oil refinery that had belched tons of toxic dust into town.

It was six months after the November 2022 incident, and Wendy Ke didn't want to miss the chance to tell them about the ashy material her family cleaned off their car and the asthma symptoms she only recently had developed. So her husband drove around the neighborhood until he found two agents. He rolled down the window and asked them to stop by their front porch.

"I made a huge assumption that I lived in a safe place," Ke said.

Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office - November 16, 2023

Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District’s Chief Counsel Alexander Crockett, today announced a joint civil enforcement action against the Martinez Refining Company (MRC).

This joint civil action will involve multiple agencies, including the Air District, Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Contra Costa County Health. These agencies have referred notices of violation and enforcement referrals against the Martinez Refining Company. This will include enforcement claims stemming from a 2022 release that occurred during the Thanksgiving holiday, as well as additional enforcement claims. It is a collaborative effort to enforce the law and ensure public safety.

KTVU Fox 2 San Francisco- 10/6/23

KQED - 8/7/23

On the morning after Thanksgiving last year, Martinez residents woke up and found a strange, white powder coating their neighborhoods. It came from the nearby refinery. Will McCarthy from The Mercury News tells us what happened next, and how this incident spurred angry neighbors into action for the first time.

Healthy Martinez: Refinery Accountability Group - 5/26/23

Martinez, Calif. — Six months after the Martinez Refinery Company, owned by PBF Energy, spewed 24 tons of toxic dust containing heavy metals into the city of Martinez and surrounding communities, residents report that the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) is working with the Department of Justice (DOJ) and is assisting the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in a door to door investigation in Martinez.

San Francisco Chronicle - 4/14/23

“Using computer modeling combined with witness reports, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District charted an approximately 15-mile swath of Contra Costa County where the refinery dust may have fallen five months ago on Thanksgiving night.”

Local News Matters - 4/9/23

“Dust samples from the Nov. 24 release showed elevated levels of aluminum, barium, chromium, nickel, vanadium and zinc, all of which can cause respiratory problems.”

KQED - 4/5/23

Residents of Martinez woke up the morning after Thanksgiving last year to find a white powder coating their neighborhoods. About a week later, county health officials announced it was a toxic release from Martinez Refining Co. and, after another several weeks, residents were told not to eat any food grown in their soil. Forum talks with residents and officials about their quest to get answers and accountability, and the uneasy relationship between the area’s refineries and the neighbors who share their air.