MARTINEZ, Calif. (KRON) — Poisonous mud fell on Martinez as households had been residence for Thanksgiving, and Contra Costa County well being officers need an oil refinery to face the results for failing to sound the alarm.
On Wednesday, Contra Costa Well being requested that the district lawyer think about taking authorized motion in opposition to the Martinez Refining Firm for allegedly failing to alert the county after it launched greater than 20 tons of metal-laden mud into the neighborhood.
The unintentional launch of a “spent catalyst” from the refinery started round 9:30 p.m. on November 24 and continued into the early morning of November 25, spewing mud into the encircling neighborhood, well being officers mentioned.
Martinez residents mentioned they discovered white powder and ash on their vehicles and sidewalks.
Samples of the mud confirmed that it contained elevated ranges of aluminum and different metals, which may have prompted respiratory signs in individuals who breathed it in. “Extended publicity to those metals can result in well being issues,” CCH officers wrote.
The refinery didn’t report the leak by way of the county’s Group Alert System, or on to CCH, as required by the county’s reporting coverage. CCH discovered of the publication of the native media stories two full days after the accident.
Well being officers had been by no means capable of alert residents to the hazard on the time of the accident as a result of MRC didn’t observe coverage, in accordance with CCH.
“It’s unacceptable that the refinery didn’t notify County Well being Companies of its chemical launch and that the county came upon about it by way of the media,” mentioned John Gioia, chairman of the County Board of Supervisors. “The refinery delayed an emergency response that might have lowered the harm to the encircling neighborhood,” Gioia mentioned.
“We belief our industrial companies to observe the foundations and be good neighbors. When an industrial facility would not observe the foundations and presumably places its neighbors at risk, as on this case, then they have to be held accountable,” mentioned Federal Supervisor Glover.
“Contra Costa Well being has categorized this occasion as an accident or main chemical launch,” mentioned Nicole Heath with the Contra Costa County Well being Division.
The District Legal professional’s Workplace has one month to resolve whether or not to just accept the foreclosures case referral.
Martinez residents handled one other troubling incident on December 22 throughout an outburst. In response to the Martinez Refining Firm, a wild raccoon broke right into a refinery substation and prompted an influence outage that resulted in a flare-up. The burning lasted no less than seven minutes.
One other flare incident on December 9 despatched a plume of black smoke into the sky over the town. A refinery consultant mentioned a “important piece of apparatus went offline unexpectedly.”