by Craig Lazzeretti<\/p>\n
The lead item in this edition is written by local journalist Sam Richards off the first meeting of the Martinez Refining Co. (MRC) Oversight Committee investigating the Nov. 24-25 \u201cspent catalyst\u201d accident. Thanks again to everyone who has provided financial support for this newsletter that allows me to enlist experienced professional journalists such as Sam to help produce content. Purchasing a paid subscription, or upgrading your free subscription to paid, allows me to continue to provide content from Sam and other journalists to supplement what I am able to produce on my own (you can also email me at craig.lazzeretti@gmail.com if interested in making a direct contribution).<\/em><\/p>\n By Sam Richards<\/p>\n Almost three months after the release of heavy metal particles into the air near the Martinez Refining Co. refinery in Martinez, Contra Costa Health Services\u2019 MRC Oversight Committee met for the first time last week to lay out plans for short-term help and for a deeper dive into possible health effects the release may cause.<\/p>\n This two-pronged response comes after the Nov. 24-25 release of hazardous \u201cspent catalyst\u201d dust from a catalytic cracker unit that left cars, buildings and other surfaces in surrounding communities with a visible dusty coating.<\/p>\n The MRC Oversight Committee met on Thursday, Feb. 16, where members voted to commission a consultant to do an initial evaluation, a \u201cquick analysis\u201d of the environmental impacts and immediate steps to address those impacts, and a more involved \u201ccomprehensive analysis\u201d or \u201crisk assessment\u201d of the dust\u2019s impacts on people and the environment, and a timeline for a comprehensive action plan.<\/p>\n A \u201crequest for proposals\u201d will be sent out to four firms deemed capable of doing an initial evaluation, including a soil evaluation of impacted areas and possible mitigating actions. The chosen firm will also be charged with communicating its report\u2019s results to the greater community, and be able to address further questions from the general public.<\/p>\n \u201cWe know this is going to take some time,\u201d said Nicole Heath, acting director of CCHS hazardous materials programs and chairwoman of the oversight committee. \u201cThis will not be a fast process.\u201d<\/p>\n Committee members said they want proposals from interested firms within three weeks. Two firms will be selected for formal interviews, and one of those two ultimately chosen to do the studies. A 45-day public comment period on the report from the initial evaluation had originally been proposed, but that timeframe was deemed too long, and will be something much shorter than that.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re already 11 weeks since the incident,\u201d said Tony Semenza, executive director of the Contra Costa Community Awareness and Emergency Response, and a community member of the oversight committee. \u201cWe want to get this out as soon as possible with accurate information.\u201d\u2019<\/p>\n Starting about 9:30 p.m. on Thanksgiving night and continuing into the following morning, an inadvertent release from the refinery sent between 22 and 24 tons of that dust over the communities surrounding the refinery, mostly to the west and northwest.<\/p>\n A \u201croot cause report\u201d (https:\/\/tinyurl.com\/4brxjfbs) compiled by the refinery said that refinery personnel were unaware there was any release into the community until the next morning (Friday, Nov. 25), when several reports of visible particles came in to the refinery. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District was notified of the incident later on Nov. 25, and county Health Services first learned of the accident from media reports on Nov. 26.<\/p>\n In calling for the independent investigation, Contra Costa Health (CCH) noted that MRC did not report the release via the county’s Community Warning System or directly to CCH, as required by the county notification policy.<\/p>\n