As reported in Peninsula 360 Press, Chevron is responsible for the spill of at least 500 gallons - 2,000 liters - of an oil mixture at its refining plant in the city of Richmond, in Contra Costa County, east of the San Francisco Bay Area on Feb. 9.
Peninsula 360 Press contacted Councilwoman Claudia Jimenez of Richmond's 6th District to hear her position on the second spill caused by fossil fuel company Chevron.
Jimenez points out that there must be a just transition to allow access to renewable energy, repair the damage caused to the environment and, if the closure of the Chrevron Long Wharf refinery is contemplated, ensure that these jobs are not lost, but, above all, that before its closure, the origin of the habitat that is currently threatened by diesel and other harmful agents is respected.
Love Our People Heal Our Communities. "Love Our People; Heal Our Communities" was the rallying cry for members of Asian American and Pacific Islander communities who have suffered racial violence. This Sunday, an active day was held with speakers from various organizations to call on society to end violence against people from these communities.
The speakers condemned the violence focused on people from these communities and have decided to speak out for their rights. They call on government and other organizations for resources to raise awareness to prevent hate speech in the U.S. based on ethnicity.
Chyanne Chen of the Chinese Progressive Association, who has been a victim of hate speech, regrets that some people keep saying things like, "Go back to your country. She also warns that violence in her community largely affects women and the elderly. "We want a real solution," she said. She has chosen to actively participate this day instead of "being at home celebrating Chinese New Year and Valentine's Day." "We want our voice to be heard," she said.
Over the course of a year, we have seen how the U.S. has faced major challenges due to the pandemic by COVID-19, although the SARS-CoV-2 virus knows no race or social strata, this has not hit all communities equally, as those who have suffered most are the African descent and Latinos, who, in turn, have been those who have received the least number of vaccines against the disease, showing that in health matters there is no equity either.
So far, there is little data from official sources to indicate the exact and current number of COVID-19 positive cases and resulting deaths that indicate the race and ethnicity of those affected. The same is true for the search for information on the vaccines administered.
And according to Dr. Daniel Turner-Lloveras, a founding member of the Latino Coalition Against COVID-19, only 20 U.S. states are sharing data related to the racial origin of those receiving vaccines.
"This is something that needs to be corrected immediately. If we are not able to measure the number of people who are being vaccinated, we will not be able to quantify the disparity and it will be very difficult to find a solution or a way to solve the problem - in vaccination equity," he said.
During the briefing "COVID-19 mortality rates highlight health equity issues," conducted by Ethnic Media Services, The first step in addressing the unequal distribution of these COVID-19 vaccines," he said, "is to make sure that all states are reporting the racial data of those who are recipients.
This, he said, "so that we can make the appropriate intervention and try to find a solution and find a way so that those who need them most - the vaccines - are the ones who are receiving them.
And despite the fact that essential workers, many of whom are black and Latino because they work in the food and service industry, should be vaccinated, they are not considered when decisions are made about vaccine distribution.
"We have to be cognizant of the fact that when we're reopening (establishments), oftentimes, - African descendants and Latinos - it's the underserved, it's the minority populations that are actually working in these jobs that we want to open, and we have to be cognizant of that. These are the ones who are most at risk," he said.
"They need to be at the table when these decisions are made, because if the decision is to reopen and that decision impacts that majority of minorities, they need to have a voice and something to say about it," he added.
To the above, he said, it should be added that "we haven't seen the full impact of vaccine hesitancy yet, because right now there is a shortage and there are people who want them. However, when the supply comes back is when we will really face this hesitancy ... people won't be there and that's something we want to avoid, and that's why the solution is going to involve reaching out to the community."
In that sense, he said there is a need to have open and unbiased conversations with city councils, where people can ask about their concerns of distrust in the drug, in the pharmaceutical industry and in the government.
"They have to be - conversations - open and provide information in a way that is culturally sensitive, in the language that they speak. And if we're able to do something like that, which is a great digital patient engagement project, then we're going to be able to achieve herd immunity," he said.
Turner-Lloveras explained that the COVID-19 pandemic has overwhelmed most health systems.
"I think, if you look closely, you'll see that the disparities are showing up, which were underlying ... underneath a layer where they weren't being exposed to everybody. So, obviously, now, with the pandemic, these gaps have become chasms and are easier to see, and the gaps in access to care are also becoming more noticeable," she said.
"The health system wasn't prepared for this because we didn't fund the parts of the system that needed to be funded to keep these gaps from growing. So this is a wake-up call," he added.
He added that another barrier faced by farming communities, as well as the elderly population, is low or no digital literacy, as well as access to technology that would allow them to access information on how to get the vaccine or answer their questions about immunization.
For Virginia Hedrick, executive director of the California Consortium for Urban Indian Health in California and a member of the Yurok tribe, American Indians and Alaska Natives across the United States are contracting COVID-19 at rates 3.5 times higher than non-Hispanic whites.
"We are being hospitalized at rates, in any given week, four to five times more than our non-Hispanic white counterparts. We're dying from COVID-19 overall at a rate of 1.8 times that of non-Hispanic whites," he said.
"When we hear terms like "we're all in this together" or "everyone is being impacted," there are communities like mine that are impacted very differently. So no, we're not all in this together," he stressed.
He explained that the Indian health care system in California serves about 80,000 American Indians and Alaska Natives, while there are more than 700,000 people belonging to these communities living in the state.
"We are seeing our tribal leaders dying. We are seeing our elders die and in Indian country when you lose an elder you are losing knowledge and language that can never be recovered. It is like a whole library burning down," he said.
Dr. David M. Carlisle, president and CEO of the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, said that communities of African descent and Latinos are being overwhelmed by COVID-19, as they are more likely to be infected and die from the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
"I don't know anyone who is of African descent or Latino who can't say this friend of mine, this person, this relative of mine died of COVID-19," he said.
He added that after several vaccination centers have had to stop work due to a shortage of doses, the lack of containment and preparedness for a pandemic of this magnitude has been demonstrated.
"This is a disaster. We're in Los Angeles, but it really reflects the failure of the federal government to deliver vaccines where they're needed most," he said.
In the Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, things have been no different, noted Adam Carbullido, director of policy and advocacy for the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations.
He said that like people of African descent, Latinos and Native Americans, Asians, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders have also been affected by COVID-19 and, "like families across the country, the lives of our community members have been dramatically and negatively impacted by the pandemic.
He also noted that, at the national level, the experiences of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islander communities are often left out of the dialogue.
And, he noted, "Asian Americans have faced a double pandemic," as they have been subjected to an increase in hate and xenophobia across the nation because of false associations of the pandemic with Asians.
"Asian American patients and providers report that overt racism and xenophobia is a challenge that adds to the fear of the pandemic and mortality rates in our community. Patients report that they are afraid to seek help and other resources that can help them get the care they need. There is real fear and emotional trauma," she said.
In that regard, he stressed that such assaults will have long-term implications for the health of Asian-American communities across the country. "As I said, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders experience a different set of challenges with this, and a lot of times their experience is not even acknowledged in any of the data or reporting that's done nationally."
Given this, he said there is a need for Congress to pass a bold and robust COVID-19 bailout bill that responds to the aforementioned crisis.
Finally, Dr. David M. Carlisle, who is also a Professor of Public Health at the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, stressed that what is currently happening and being seen in terms of health inequity "is simply pulling the blanket off a situation that has been festering for decades. This is the hidden face of health care. This is what we talk about when we discuss health care disparities."
"This is one of those defining situations in American health care."
And what is currently happening in the health care system, he said, "is not normal and should not be normal in the United States. It shouldn't be so common that people think that's the way things should be. -What's going on is unethical and inhumane.
This February 12, the Lunar New Year begins, today everything is color, joy and festivity for millions of people around the world, but today, China colors the sky with fireworks that reverberate in hundreds of villages in the country of the dragon.
In major cities, lighting and firecrackers are among the most important customs of the Chinese New Year celebration, but because of the danger and noise disturbance they cause, the government has banned the practice in many large cities such as Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai.
However, fireworks and rockets that explode in the air are still allowed in most parts of the country.
This Chinese New Year is an ideal time to wear new clothes. On the first day of the New Year, Chinese people put on new clothes and say "gongxi" [恭喜] which literally means "respectful joy", which could be translated as "best wishes", wishing each other good luck and happiness.
The Dragon and Lion Dances
Lion dances and Dragon dances can also be seen on New Year's Day. These dances used to be very popular in China, but are rare nowadays.
However, in Chinese neighborhoods of various latitudes is very expected to see these dances that are performed by dozens of young people who rehearse for days the choreography, as they must carry on their bodies giant puppets in the form of dragon or lion, to the rhythm of drums that call for good fortune.
Currently and due to the pandemic by COVID-19, many of these traditions can be followed on websites, as schools that safeguard these dances, will present shows in various parts of the world.
Public New Year's celebrations
New Year celebrations held in parks and temples in China are common. An example of this are the temple fairs in Beijing, where traditional activities are held throughout the day and until the last day of the celebration, when the Lantern Festival is held.
Lunar New Year Feast
The celebration is not complete without a table full of delicious dishes that call for abundance, prosperity and health. Wantanes, noodles, fish, spring rolls and fruit are just some of the delicacies that will dress the table of millions celebrating this day.
Offerings and sacrifices to the ancestors
Making offerings and sacrifices to ancestors is a popular custom in China since ancient times, its forms vary from one area to another: from the sweeping of tombs, to ancestor worship in ancient halls or temples.
Many people - especially in rural areas - offer sacrifices to their ancestors in the main living room of the house, where they place an altar in memory of the ancestor, and then family members kneel and bow in front of the chapel mounted on the wall, the whole family participates in the tradition.
The Chinese consider this act a sign of respect and piety, as well as a deep belief that the ancestors will protect their own descendants and that they will be prosperous for them.
This time, to celebrate the close of the New Year, we will be celebrating big in Redwood City. Saturday, February 20th at 5pm at the following link: peninsula360press.com/lunarnewyear2021
With a millenary tradition, Chinese food is a must when talking about gastronomy. This Lunar New Year will be the perfect plan to bring fish, ravioli, spring rolls, rice balls, and Nian Gao to the table.
The Chinese New Year brings with it several traditions; however, when it comes to eating, there are seven foods that are present in every table of the descendants of this millenary culture.
Seven, that magic number that shows us, among other things, the symbolism between the sacred and the earthly, as well as those foods that in this New Year seek to obtain from the gods good luck, prosperity, abundance and good health.
1. Wantán or Chinese dumplings
This traditional Chinese food has a history of 1,800 years. Chinese wantan or Chinese dumpling is a classic food and a traditional dish eaten on Chinese New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.
The traditional dish calls for abundance, as it usually refers to gold and silver bullion. Legend has it that the more empanadas you eat during New Year's celebrations, the more money you will attract in the coming year.
Wantanes are usually filled with finely chopped meat and vegetables wrapped in a thin, elastic skin. Among the most popular are those filled with pork, shrimp, fish, chicken, beef and vegetables. They can be boiled, steamed, fried or baked.
The superstition in this dish is not lacking, and is that the Chinese do not fill this dish with cabbage, at least not during the Spring Festival, as it implies a poor and difficult future.
Besides, they should have a good number of folds, for if the joint is too flat, it is believed that there will be poverty. Some Chinese put a white thread in the wantan, and it is supposed that whoever eats it will have a long and good life.
In addition, they should never be served in a circle, but in a straight line, because the life of the person who eats it will go round and round without getting anywhere.
2. Spring rolls
You can't imagine Chinese food without those delicious rolls stuffed with vegetables,
Spring rolls get their name because they are traditionally eaten during the Spring Festival. It is an especially popular dish in Eastern China: Jiangxi, Jiangsu, Fujian, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong, among others.
The dish that resembles a goldenrod is Cantonese. Thin dough is wrapped around vegetables or meat and these are fried and then served with a particularly sweet sauce.
3. Fish
Fish on the table is a Lunar New Year staple. It can be boiled, steamed or simmered. The most famous Chinese fish dishes include steamed fish, western lake fish with pickled cabbage and chili, steamed fish in vinegar sauce, and boiled fish with spicy broth.
In the New Year, the fish to be eaten is selected by name and meaning.
Thus, carp [鲫鱼] sounds like the Chinese word "good luck" [吉], so eating carp is considered to bring good luck for the coming year.
Chinese mud carp: The first part in Chinese for "the mud carp" [鲤鱼] is pronounced like the word for gifts [礼]. This is why the Chinese think that eating the mud carp during Chinese New Year symbolizes wishes for good fortune.
Catfish: The Chinese characters of "catfish" [鲶鱼] sound like [年余] which means "surplus of the year". So, eating catfish is a wish for a surplus in the year.
4. Nian Gao
The image of a sweet rice cake [红糖 年糕], or Nian Gao, is a welcome sight during Chinese New Year.
Nian Gao [年糕] symbolizes progress, advancement and growth. Nián [年] means "year" and "gāo" [糕] is a homonym of "gāo" [高], which means high or expensive.
Year after year Chinese families inevitably buy or make this gift for the New Year celebration, hoping for a better year ahead.
5. Tangyuan. Sweet rice balls
Another delicious dessert made with rice in Chinese cuisine is tangyuan. They are small balls made with this cereal, filled with peanut or black sesame paste. They are cooked and served in a curious sugary broth.
It is the main food for the Lantern Festival of China, however, in southern China, people eat them during the Spring Festival. The pronunciation and round shape of yangyuan are associated with gathering and being together. That is why they are favored by the Chinese during New Year celebrations.
6. Good luck fruit
Certain fruits are eaten during Chinese New Year, such as tangerines, oranges and grapefruit. These fruits are selected for their color, as they resemble the golden color, which symbolizes fullness and wealth.
By eating and showing tangerines and oranges, it is believed that you will attract good luck and fortune because of their pronunciation and even their spelling. The Chinese character for orange - and tangerine - is [橙], which sounds the same as "success" in Chinese [成]. One of the ways of writing mandarin [桔] contains the Chinese character for luck [吉].
7. Longevity noodles or yi mein
These noodles are served on birthdays as well as Chinese New Year, representing the wish for a long, happy and healthy life. The noodles can be served stir-fried; with oyster sauce and shiitake and bok choy mushrooms in a simple broth lightly seasoned with soy and ginger.
This dish is composed of plain and uncut noodles, either fried or boiled and are made with flour, egg and carbonated water. They have a golden color and a slightly hard texture. They should never be cut.
This time, to celebrate the close of the New Year, we will be celebrating big in Redwood City. Saturday, February 20th at 5pm at the following link: peninsula360press.com/lunarnewyear2021
Last Tuesday, February 9, around 3 p.m., the oil company Chevron reported an oil leak near the dock of its refinery in Richmond, Contra Costa County, California, the second oil spill in the last two years.
As of yesterday, Feb. 10, cleanup and recovery efforts continued in the Richmond area following Tuesday's leak at Chevron Long Wharf, according to the Unified Command that responded to the incident.
The Unified Command was comprised of Chevron, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's Office of Spill Prevention and Response, Contra Costa Health Services and the U.S. Coast Guard, who after laboratory analysis determined that approximately 12 to 18 barrels - 500-750 gallons - of a mixture of low-sulfur diesel fuel and rinse water were released.
As of yesterday, cleanup and recovery efforts were ongoing, including the deployment and recovery of absorbent booms used to capture diesel from the water.
In addition, Coast Guard helicopter crews and incident response personnel conducted the first overflight. Responders also conducted a shoreline assessment, on foot and by drone, which revealed no visible impacts to wildlife.
The only coastal area known to have been affected is immediately adjacent to the Chevron dock.
As a precaution, two public access sites on Western Drive and Keller Beach remained closed to allow water response teams to concentrate on their work.
The Unified Command continues to evaluate any potential public health concerns related to the incident. Air monitoring by law enforcement has not detected any levels that could cause health impacts or injuries. The public health order issued by Contra Costa County Health was rescinded at 9 p.m. on February 9.
It should be noted that no oiled animals have been reported so far, but if the public encounters potentially affected wildlife, stay away from the animal and report the sighting to the Oiled Wildlife Care Network at 1-877-UCD-OWCN (1-877-823-6926).
Chevron and its other spill 'accident' in California
Just a couple of years ago in 2019, a Chevron oil well spilled more than 800,000 gallons of crude oil and water in Kern County, which is why state regulators imposed a notice of violation and an order to halt some oil drilling in the area around the spill on the San Ramon-based energy company.
The leak, which the company, it said, promptly stopped, began on May 10, 2019. Crews at the time reported that a mixture of oil and water was leaking from a well in the sprawling oil fields near the town of McKittrick and about 35 miles west of Bakersfield.
Chevron, as well as other firms, operate thousands of oil wells in the area, many of which use a technique in which steam is injected more than 300 meters into the ground to heat the crude oil and facilitate its extraction.
The situation did not stop and, by June 8, oil began to leak again.
On June 11, the company, in a brief incident report to the Governor's Office of Emergency Services, said a total of about 6,000 gallons of liquid had spilled by that time. On July 11, a month later, the amount was nearly 795,000 gallons.
The spilled material consisted of about one-third oil and two-thirds water, according to Chevron's entries in the hazardous spill database, which would mean more than 265,000 gallons of oil were discharged.
Richmond, California. January 10, 2021. Bruce Joab, Senior Environmental Scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Chevron Environmental Unit staff collect water and sand samples at Point Molate Beach to determine the area impacted by the Chevron refinery oil spill on February 9, 2021.
State and federal officials have offered to help Chevron take over the cleanup of a petroleum product leak that spilled an estimated five gallons per minute Tuesday afternoon at the long dock of Chevron's Richmond refinery.
About 600 gallons ended up in the bay between 2:40 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., when the leak was stopped, according to Contra Costa supervisor John Gioia, who said, "It's unacceptable."
The Redwood City Police Department will begin limited implementation of body cameras on its officers beginning in May to document on video the procedures and actions taken by the police force, as well as to improve its practices in interacting with citizens.
This was reported by the chief of the Redwood City Police Department, Dan Mulholland, who said that it will be until June, when the use of the body camera is fully deployed in all its officers.
And while the city was fortunate enough to receive federal grant funding for a portion of the total cost of the body cameras, he said, it still needs to install hardware and software for their operation, which is expected to be ready by April.
During a virtual briefing on the Redwood City Police Department's new body camera policy Wednesday, Chief Mulholland pointed out that members of the police force also need to be trained in the proper use of the devices.
However, he noted that the task of training will not be easy, as the COVID-19 pandemic complicates it.
"We've experienced some significant setbacks that are related to COVID-19, and that's timelines, something as simple as bringing in an outside provider from another state to come in, get 50 people in a room and have them get instruction in one day and then another 50 in another day. Obviously, that's very difficult to do right now in the current crisis environment, so there is the potential for delays," he stressed.
Thus, he explained, this month will be the software configuration with servers and storage in the "cloud", in March, will open the recruitment for the position of administrator of body cameras programs, while in April will be hired the manager of body cameras and finalize the installation of the system for the operation of the devices.
According to the presentation by the police chief, data suggests that the use of body cameras by law enforcement has proven effective in reducing violent confrontations during law enforcement contacts and complaints against officers.
He also detailed that body-worn camera recordings provide contextual documentation of police encounters and have become an important tool for increasing public confidence by transparently reviewing an officer's performance and documenting a police contact or law enforcement action.
However, he stressed, body camera recordings cannot provide all the information necessary to make a fair and accurate judgment about police contacts or law enforcement activity.
Indeed, Chief Mulholland emphasized that two-dimensional video evidence provides a limited view of a police encounter and must be considered along with all other available evidence, such as witness statements, independent officer observations, forensic video analysis and documentary evidence, when assessing the appropriateness of an officer's actions.
The above, after even with multiple camera coverage of an encounter, a video cannot interpret what an officer may have heard, felt, observed or been informed through personal knowledge or specific information provided that helped inform their decision making process; before, during or after a contact.
In that sense, he explained that the videos collected by the agents will be downloaded through software to servers, and then be available in a cloud that can be accessed by the public, with prior authorization, unless the fact is under investigation.
He also explained that anyone who accesses any video made by the police will leave "a trail of crumbs" that will allow them to know their name, the video reviewed, the time of access, if a modification was made or a file was saved, so the security of this documentation will be a priority.
Finally, Dan Mulholland says that body cameras should not be expected only to lead to dramatic reductions in use of force or complaints or other large-scale changes in police behavior, but that this starts with recruiting personnel with "strong morals and ethics.
"We want to make sure they're going to be the right person that's going to provide public safety service to this community ... maintaining very high standards and making sure we get good quality people," he said.
He noted that, as chief of police, nearly 86 percent of his promotions to the rank of sergeant "have been of a person who is of color, LGBTTTIQ+, a female officer, or some combination of the three."
Similarly, he explained that "having the right person in the Police Department, serving our community, with such a diverse workforce, can reduce the opportunities or potential for officers to use force in the field."
However, he stressed that this is not all, as it is necessary to ensure that personnel are not only properly equipped with physical tools or on their belts, but with mental skills that will allow them to contain or resolve a crisis.
"More than 90 percent of our officers and 92 percent of our communications operators have received crisis intervention training, as well as gender, racial and cultural sensitivity training," he said. "We want to make sure that we have a well-trained and well-equipped staff. And there is also an audit that takes place along the way, we have a Use of Force Review Committee that looks at situations where force is applied. We do an analysis.
In that regard, he recalled that, over the past 10 years, Redwood City has had very few instances where police have used force, ranking well below the state and even national average.
"The Redwood City Police Department is committed to the belief that audio and video recordings captured by a body-worn camera (BWC) provide an unbiased documentation of a member of the Department's daily encounters with the public," states a new body-worn camera policy document issued by the Redwood City Police Department.
Notably, in 2016, a San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury recommended that agencies not using body cameras implement a plan to obtain them, but lack of funding delayed their acquisition, according to the city.
Two years later, the Redwood City Police Department received $150,146 from the Bureau of Justice Assistance to implement a body camera program that meets federal, state and local guidelines.
So, in November 2020, the City Council approved a $612,605 contract with AXON Enterprises, Inc. for the purchase of 100 body cameras, plus related services, however, the majority of the funding comes from the Police Department budget.
"Learning kung-fu has only one purpose: to train the reaction into a natural response. Such a reaction is essential," said Taoist priest Yuan Xiu Gang.
When you read or hear the word "kung-fu", you think of kicks, poses, punches and a series of acrobatics that are far from what the word really means, which is far from being a martial art.
Kung-fu, also known as Gong fuis any kind of study, apprenticeship or practice that requires hard work, patience and time to master the technique.
Gong means work, achievement or merit, while fu means man or is used as a nominal suffix with various meanings, so Gongfu would be translated as "man's achievement".
The California Institute of kung-fu and taichi has brought the ancient wisdom of China to Redwood City.
The professional Chinese martial arts school that has been teaching kung-fu -also known as Wushu-, taichi and qigong to children and adults since 2004, seeks to promote the physical and spiritual growth of its students by teaching both external and internal martial arts styles.
Through various programs that help students achieve different goals, they seek to improve a student's life through the understanding, application of the values and disciplines taught in the methods, traditions and culture of the Chinese martial art.
According to the institute, the classes use a systematic teaching methodology developed in China.
Such an approach means that students develop their natural talent for martial arts, as well as self-confidence, to eventually compete successfully in tournaments.
Moreover, they offer their students the opportunity to contribute to the community through martial arts performances at local festivals, participation in neighborhood school multicultural events, through charitable donations, and through support of local outreach such as the library's summer health and reading programs.
Currently, the California Institute of Kung Fu and Taichi is offering a temporary program due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to online tutoring.
This time, to celebrate the close of the New Year, we will be celebrating big in Redwood City. Saturday, February 20th at 5pm at the following link: peninsula360press.com/lunarnewyear2021
After an oil spill at the Chevron refinery in Richmond yesterday afternoon, Contra Costa County authorities have joined in the cleanup of the oil to prevent the situation from becoming an environmental catastrophe in the area.
A leak in one of the refinery's pipelines caused five gallons per minute of hydrocarbon to spill along the Chevron Richmond dock yesterday afternoon.
The company said yesterday afternoon that at about 3 p.m., workers at the Richmond refinery observed a sheen in the water near its dock, at which time, they said, they immediately initiated their response protocol and began working to isolate and contain the release - of oil - and notified all necessary agencies.
"The release of oil has stopped at this time and cleanup is ongoing. Chevron is cooperating fully with authorities, including the U.S. Coast Guard and OSPR," he said.
Through their Twitter account, they detailed that they issued a warning to the community and asked the public to stay away from the area so that crews can quickly contain and clean up the released volumes.
Criticism from elected officials and an environmental group was swift, and a team of county, state and federal officials joined Chevron to take charge of cleaning up an oil leak.
The unified command is made up of officials from Contra Costa Health Services, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's Office of Spill Prevention and Response and the U.S. Coast Guard, along with Chevron.
It should be noted that the California Department of Fish and Wildlife is "actively monitoring the situation to assess any potential public health concerns related to the incident".
To mitigate the problem, an additional 2100 feet of containment barrier has been placed around the spill site and three skimmers -devices designed to remove oil floating on a liquid surface- from oil will be operating overnight.
The state's press release confirmed Chevron's account of its initial response, which quickly drew local criticism as about 600 gallons reached the bay between 2:40 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. yesterday when the leak was stopped, according to Contra Costa supervisor John Gioia, who said "This is unacceptable!" in a social media post.
Chevron's initial response was "inadequate" and "the oil quickly breached Chevron's containment boom," the Oakland-based environmental watchdog group San Francisco Baykeeper said in a statement in which it released photos to back up its claims.
The ecological accident was classified at Level 2 and Contra Costa Health Services issued an advisory shortly before 4 p.m. for Richmond, San Pablo and unincorporated North Richmond, warning people with sensitive respiratory conditions to stay indoors to avoid nose, throat and eye irritation.
Booms were initially put in place to control the spread of the spill, but the East Bay Regional Park District had to close the beaches as a safety precaution and "the oil came ashore in South Richmond, which will harm wildlife and marine life," Gioia said.
State officials report that although no animals have been reported to be affected, the public should report any wildlife encounters or sightings they have oil to the Wildlife Enhanced Wildlife Care Network at 1-877-UCD-OWCN (1-800-823-6926).
