Martinez Refining Company – 2022 Hazmat Release Incident

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This page contains information related to the accidental release of up to 24 tons of metal-laden "spent catalyst" from the Martinez Refining Company (MRC) on Nov. 24-25, 2022.

A community-involved committee overseeing an independent risk assessment of the spent catalyst release received the initial results of the assessment on June 8. The County hired a toxicologist, TRC, to take soil samples from affected areas and analyze those samples for potential health concerns. TRC reported that the release did not increase risk to public health from exposure to hazardous metals in the soil. The full risk assessment report will be posted on this page when completed.

In response, Contra Costa Health lifted its March 7 health advisory regarding consumption of produce grown in soil near the site of the release.

The County has hired another firm to do an independent root-cause analysis to determine why the accident happened and how it can be prevented from happening again. The District Attorney is also pursuing legal action against the refinery for not notifying County health officials when the accident happened.

MRC Claims Line

Call 800-542-7113 to contact Martinez Refining Company regarding concerns related to the Nov. 24-25, 2022 release or to speak with a company representative.

Note: Contra Costa County does not participate in or maintain this line.

Oversight Committee

The MRC Oversight Committee advises the Contra Costa Board of Supervisors and Contra Costa Health's (CCH) Hazardous Materials Program on the hiring of contractors to probe the cause of the 2022 spent-catalyst release, and separately the impact that it had on community health and the environment. The committee is reviewing and directing the work as it proceeds and is ultimately reported to the Board and the public. Committee members include representatives from the City of Martinez, the City of Benicia, the Martinez Refining Company and residents from affected communities.

DATES	MATERIALS	VIDEOS
5/16/2024	Agenda Safety Culture Report (DRAFT) Review of MRC’s Fluidized Catalytic Cracking Unit (FCCU) Slide Valves by Contra Costa Health Hazardous Materials
3/28/2024	Agenda Minutes	Watch Recording
2/1/2024	Agenda Incident Investigation Presentation Independent Investigation Report (DRAFT)	Watch Recording
12/14/2023	Minutes	Watch Recording
9/21/2023	Agenda Minutes Statement from Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office	Watch Recording
8/10/2023	Agenda Minutes	Watch Recording
6/29/2023	Agenda Minutes	Watch Recording
6/08/2023	Agenda Risk Assessment Presentation Risk Assessment Executive Summary	Watch Recording Watch the Press Conference
5/18/2023	Agenda Minutes	Watch Recording
4/27/2023	Agenda Communications Planning Minutes Soil Sampling Locations	Watch Recording
4/06/2023	Agenda Minutes: Risk Assessment Session	Watch Recording
3/09/2023	Agenda Minutes: Incident Investigation Session Minutes: Risk Assessment Session	Watch Recording
2/16/2023	Risk Assessment Session Investigation Session Request for Proposals (RFP)	Watch Recording

Committee Members

Ken Axe (Martinez Refining Company representative)
Pedro Babiak (Community representative, Martinez)
Dierdre Castillo (Community representative, Pacheco)
Josh Chadwick (City of Benicia representative)
Cheryll Grover (Community representative, Martinez)
Nicole Heath (Contra Costa Health's HazMat Director)
Kent Hull (Community representative, unincorporated area)
Tom Lang (Community Representative, El Sobrante)
Nick Plurkowski (MRC labor representative)
Tony Semenza (Community representative, Martinez)
Lauren Sugayan (City of Martinez representative)
Ben Therriault (Community representative, Martinez)

Media Releases

Incident Reports

Incident Reports from MRC

The reports below were submitted by the Martinez Refining Company (MRC) as required by the County's Industrial Safety Ordinance (ISO) following the release of up to 24-tons of metal laden "spent catalyst" on Nov. 24-25, 2022.

Root Cause Analysis Report (Feb. 6, 2023)
Martinez Refining Company's report to Contra Costa Health (CCH) about what led to the release and why it failed to notify the community, and corrections it will make.

30-Day Report (Dec. 23, 2022)
Martinez Refining Company's report to CCH to verify it was making progress toward a timely Root Cause Analysis Report.

72-Hour Report (Nov. 29, 2022)
Martinez Refining Company's report to CCH with its preliminary summary and explanation for the incident, including a Safety Data Sheet about the material it released.

Sampling Data & Reports

This page contains initial environmental sampling data and reports done after the Martinez Refining Company released up to 20-24 tons of "spent catalyst" over the Thanksgiving holiday in 2022. Initial wipe samples of the spent-catalyst dust taken by Contra Costa Health in the days after the accident showed elevated levels of certain metals, such as aluminum, barium, chromium, nickel, vanadium, and zinc.

A community risk assessment report from a toxicologist, including results of soil sampling, will be posted on this page when completed.

Sampling Data

Storm Drain Samples:
- Storm Drain Community Samples (Dec. 7, 2022)
- Storm Drain Background Samples (Dec. 9, 2022)
Community Samples:
- Bulk Sample (Nov. 30, 2022)
- Wipe Sample (Nov. 28, 2022)
Air District Samples
Additional Resources

Soil Sampling Locations

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Related Documents

MRC Claims Line