By Tony Hicks. Bay City News.
The Municipal Council of Martínez will receive a report on Wednesday night on the investigation of the release of "spent catalyst" from the Martinez Refining Company ?MRC? on November 24 and 25, 2022.
The refinery released more than 20 tons of metal-laden dust over Thanksgiving weekend without notifying the community through the county emergency system or county health services department, both of which are required. by law.
The release began around 9:30 p.m. on November 24 and continued until the early hours of November 25, spraying the surrounding community with the powder-like substance.
Subsequent dust samples showed elevated levels of aluminum, barium, chromium, nickel, vanadium and zinc, all of which can cause respiratory problems.
County health officials said they learned of the launch through media reports a day and a half after it began. The county formed an 11-member independent panel to investigate the incident and referred the case to the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office.
Last month, the health department warned nearby residents not to eat food grown in their gardens at the time of the launch.
City staff said in a report for Wednesday's meeting: "The consequences of this incident have caused great distress and frustration in the community, as well as draining significant city resources."
The report also mentions that while the city has no regulatory authority over MRC, it is closely monitoring investigations by county health officials and the District Attorney's Office. It also says the city is "closely monitoring MRC activities" as well as "communicating as necessary when pertinent information becomes available."
Martinez Deputy City Manager Lauren Sugayan is a member of the 11-person investigative body. He also prepared the report for Wednesday's meeting that says the Martinez Police Department has been working with the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office and representatives from the community alert system "to understand opportunities to improve the system."
The Surveillance Committee of the Martínez Refinery holds its next virtual meeting at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday. You can find information about the meeting at www.cchealth.org/hazmat/mrc
The committee met twice and released a request for proposals to hire consultants to conduct a root cause analysis of the incident and conduct a community risk assessment, including soil sampling. The committee has also interviewed consultants.
The Martinez City Council meets Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. at City Hall, located at 525 Henrietta St. in Martinez. You can join the meeting virtually on Zoom at https://cityofmartinez-org.zoom.us/j/92996850755?pwd=akhKQzRXSVMwTng1cDAxM2d5dHJmUT09.
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