County Health Conducts Surprise Inspection At Martinez Refinery

From Contra Costa Health:

Contra Costa Health (CCH) today launched an unannounced inspection at Martinez Refining Company – owned and operated by PBF Energy, Inc. (PBF) – to request records and observe its operation with a focus on safety programs, reliability of equipment and to follow up regarding several recent accidents.

Given the recent history of chemical releases and other incidents at the facility, Contra Costa County’s Industrial Safety Ordinance (ISO) requires PBF to permit inspectors onsite and provide full access both to the site as well as company records.

So far in 2023, there have been 21 documented releases or spills of hazardous materials at PBF. In addition to these releases and spills, PBF reported flaring – an emergency safety measure to prevent more serious incidents – through the county’s Community Warning System at a rate of nearly one per week throughout the year.

“Repeated commitments to the community and to regulators to improve the culture of safety at PBF have not resulted in improvement,” said Contra Costa Supervisor Federal Glover, whose district includes the refinery. “We intend to hold PBF accountable for making the necessary investments to become a better neighbor.”

County Board of Supervisors Chair John Gioia and Glover, the vice-chair, will meet with PBF’s corporate leadership at the facility on Thursday to discuss their concerns about how the refinery operates.

This regulatory inspection will also include staff from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. CCH staff will review records pertaining to deferred maintenance of equipment at the site, programs and training relating to workplace safety, and policies and procedures related to emergency response and community notification during accidental releases. The inspection will also conduct a variety of field verification activities.

CCH will post more information about the investigation as it becomes available at cchealth.org.