2 The Chevron oil refinery in Richmond, California appears to have smoke pouring out of it Credit: Twitter/@PennieOpal Workforce participation practices should be documented by the refinery to the regulator; f. Require reporting of information to the public to the greatest extent feasible, such as a summary of the comprehensive process hazard analysis (PHA) which should include a list of inherently safer systems implemented; safeguards implemented for remaining hazards; standards utilized to reduce risks to As Low As Reasonably Practicable (ALARP) or similar; and process safety indicators that demonstrate the effectiveness of the safeguards and management systems; g. Implement an approach or system that determines when new or improved industry standards and practices are needed and initiate programs and other activities, such as an advisory committee or forum, toprompt the timely development and implementation of such standards and practices; and. Gas prices in Berkeley have been on the rise since a fire at the Chevron oil refinery in Richmond rendered a portion of the facility inoperable. Release has not been stopped and is not contained with no waterways impacted.. Chevron again will need to explain to the community why the Richmond refinery is worth the risks that accompany it. CSB stressed that the petrochemical refiners . The Richmond refinery produces about 150,000 barrels of gasoline a day or 16 percent of the region's daily gasoline consumption of 963,000 barrels, said Tom Kloza, chief oil analyst at Oil . Anyone with questions may call the refinerys general number at 510-242-2000, ask about specific noises or odors at 510-242-2127, or email richmondrefineryinfo@chevron.com. At 6 p.m., Chevron reported heavy flaming and smoke coming from the Richmond refinery. Randy Sawyer of Contra Costa Countys Health Services department, who oversees hazmat response, said the incident appeared to be a plant upset at the refinery, where gases in process were sent to a flaring system to be burned off. "Seriously?!! Off work, he enjoys playing in bands, busking and karaoke. The county did not activate its community warning system alert, and there were no plans to ask residents to shelter in place as a result, Sawyer said, adding that county staff were sending a crew to monitor conditions near the refinery on Thursday evening and that officials may ask Chevron to provide a report explaining what triggered the incident. Reports of smoke plumes over the refinery drew multiple posts to social media. Revise API RP 574: Inspection Practices for Piping System Components (3rd edition) to: a. Kat Lee, a Richmond resident and activist with the Asian Pacific Environmental Network, said she remembers watching the news of the 2012 explosion from her aunts house in San Leandro, and worrying about the effects the black plume of smoke could have on her mother and sister, then a 2-year-old with asthma. 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Specify that sulfidation corrosion rates in carbon steel piping can be significantly faster in a few, individual piping components in section 4.4.2.5 Appearance or Morphology of Damage; and. Chevron officials said the flaring that started around 6 p.m., creating visible flames and smoke. After joining with another group of protesters and swelling their ranks to well over 100 people, protesters made their way to the gates of the Chevron refinery. The Chevron Refinery is reporting a Level 1 incident, its lowest in severity, with no response from Richmond Fire. No actions by the public are needed. A report on the explosion found that it was made worse by a faulty emergency response and a lax approach to safety measures and inspections that might have prevented the event. Establish an Incident Command structure upon identification of a process fluid leak; b. "This is causing smoke to come out from the flares. https://t.co/iHVEEKjZR0, Ted Goldberg (@TedrickG) August 10, 2021, The Air District is closely monitoring the current incident at the #Chevron Refinery in Richmond. He is a graduate of Bowie State University in Maryland with a BS degree in communications. George Kelly is a breaking news reporter for the Bay Area News Group's East Bay Times and Mercury News. According to this news organizations reporting, the refinery saw multiple flaring reports within the last year, including this May and last August and November. Residents memories of a leak that sent hundreds of gallons of oil and water into San Francisco Bay this February are still fresh. ii. Revise the Industrial Safety Ordinance (ISO) to require the documented use of inherently safer systems analysis and the hierarchy of controls to the greatest extent feasible in establishing safeguards for identified process hazards. (Richmond Our Power via Bay City News). Require a thorough review of the comprehensive process hazard an alysis by technically competent regulatory personnel; c. Require preventative audits and preventative inspections by the regulator to ensure the effective implementation of the comprehensive process hazard analysis (PHA); d. Require that all safety codes, standards, employer internal procedures and recognized and generally accepted good engineering practices (RAGAGEP) used in the implementation of the regulations contain adequate minimum requirements; e. Require mechanisms for the regulator, the refinery, and workers and their representatives to play an equal and essential role in the direction of preventing major incidents. Open - Awaiting Response or Evaluation/Approval of Response (O - ARE/AR) - The recipient has not submitted a substantive response, or the evaluation by CSB staff of a response is pending, or the Board has not yet acted on staff recommendation of status. pic.twitter.com/DZodFAhzNq, John Gioia (@supejohngioia) May 28, 2021, In a social-media post Thursday evening, Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia expressed his frustration with what he described as how frequent their flaring is occurring.. The goal of Saturdays march is to advocate for the eventual phaseout of oil refineries statewide. 6 of 27 7 of 27 Smoke from a Chevron Oil refinery fire fills the sky above Richmond Calif, Monday August 6, 2012. A market analysis and benchmarking review should be periodically conducted to ensure the compensation system remains competitive with California petroleum refineries. Anyone with questions may call the refinerys general number at 510-242-2000, ask about specific noises or odors at 510-242-2127, visit the refinerys air-monitoring site at https://www.richmondairmonitoring.org or e-mail richmondrefineryinfo@chevron.com. ", The Crockett-Carquinez Fire Department said on Twitter that residents in the area might see "dark smoke" due to the flaring but that "NO shelter in place orders have been issued for Crockett or Port Costa. c. Refer the reader to the 100 percent component inspection or pipe replacement requirements detailed in API RP 939-C: Guidelines for Avoiding Sulfidation (Sulfidic) Corrosion Failures in Oil Refineries (pursuant to recommendation 2012-03-I-CA-R26) and API 570: Piping Inspection Code: In-service Inspection, Rating, Repair, and Alteration of Piping Systems (pursuant to 2012-03-I-CA-R28(c)) for carbon steel piping circuits susceptible to sulfidation corrosion that may contain low-silicon components. Randy Sawyer of Contra Costa Countys Health Services department, who oversees hazmat response, said the incident appeared to be a plant upset at the refinery, where gases in process were sent to a flaring system to be burned off. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! Chevron Oil Refinery Richmond; Richmond, CA. iv. RICHMOND An unspecified equipment issue at the Chevron refinery led to flaring Thursday evening, officials said, with smoke visible for miles around the facility. Jointly plan and conduct inspections with Cal/OSHA, California EPA and other state and local regulatory agencies with chemical accident prevention responsibilities to monitor the effective implementation of the damage mechanism hazard review and disclosure requirements under 2012-03-I-CA-R9 and R10 above. someone wrote on Twitter alongside a photo of the site with an alarming amount of smoke rising above it. Reference API RP 939-C: Guidelines for Avoiding Sulfidation (Sulfidic) Corrosion Failures in Oil Refineries when discussing that nonsilicon-killed carbon steel is susceptible to sulfidation corrosion; and. As the march wound its way westward in the lanes of Macdonald Avenue, protesters on bicycles blocked cars from entering intersections and blasted upbeat hip-hop and Afrobeat tunes, complemented by the occasional blaring of a sympathetic car horn. The Board believes, however, that there is enough supporting evidence to ask the recipient to reconsider. His first newspaper job was as a Washington Post paperboy. The Chevron refinery in Richmond is experiencing a flareup Thursday evening. This process shall use established qualitative, quantitative, and/or semi-quantitative methods such as Layers of Protection Analysis (LOPA). Richmond Vice Mayor Eduardo Martinez then called for the crowd to take local action on climate justice. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. e. Be periodically updated to incorporate new learning from world-wide industry improvements in order to drive continuous major accident safety improvements in California. While (Contra Costa Health Services) did not order a shelter-in-place, this flaring incident impacted our communities through its odors and visibility.. By 1915, the refinery spread across 435 acres (176 ha), employed 1,700 workers, and had a capacity of 60,000 barrels (9,500 m 3) a day. Off work, he enjoys playing in bands, busking and karaoke. This oversight committee shall: a. In a statement to ABC7 News, Chevron writes: "This morning at approximately 11:20 a.m., the Chevron Richmond Refinery experienced flaring activity due to an upset at a process unit. THE Chevron oil refinery in Richmond, California appeared to have smoke billowing out of it on Tuesday afternoon, worrying nearby residents. I posted the wrong incident report above. In July, the Bay Area Air Quality Management Districts boardvoted to requireChevron Richmond Refinery and a separate refinery in Martinez to use wet gas scrubbers to clean up hazardous particulate matter. Provide mechanisms for federal, state and local agency operational coordination, sharing of data (including safety indicator data), and joint accident prevention activities. The company's refinery in El Segundo also had flaring activity just two days prior after a compressor went down, KTLA reported on August 9. Incorporate as a normative reference API RP 939-C: Guidelines for Avoiding Sulfidation (Sulfidic) Corrosion Failures in Oil Refineries; b. We need a (Richmond) general fund that is not dependent on fossil fuels, Robinson said. Revise API RP 571: Damage Mechanisms Affecting Fixed Equipment in the Refining Industry to: a. Following the inspection, require users to follow the low-silicon corrosion rate monitoring requirements established in 2012-03-I-CA-R26(c); or. The action taken meets the objectives envisioned by the Board. This is causing smoke to come out from the flares. She said an affiliated group, Communities for Better Environment, was working on a decommissioning plan for the plant to be proposed to elected officials. A march organizer leads protesters in chants as the group proceeds through Richmond to the Chevron oil refinery. The goal shall be to drive the risk of major accidents to As Low As Reasonably Practicable (ALARP). In the days that followed, 15,000 people in the area sought . Require the use of leading and lagging process safety indicators to actively monitor the effectiveness of process safety management systems and safeguards for major accident prevention. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. This section shall require users to identify carbon steel piping circuits at risk to contain low-silicon components by following the requirements detailed in API RP 939-C: Guidelines for Avoiding Sulfidation (Sulfidic) Corrosion Failures in Oil Refineries (pursuant to 2012-03-I-CA-R26(a)) and API RP 578: Material Verification Program for New and Existing Alloy Piping Systems (pursuant to 2012-03-I-CA-R29). Open - Unacceptable Response/No Response Received (O - UR) - Recipient responds by expressing disagreement with the need outlined in the recommendation. . According to this news organizations reporting, the refinery saw multiple flaring reports within the last year, includingthis Mayand lastAugustandNovember. @CoCoHealth HazMat crews on scene doing air monitoring. d. Develop process safety culture indicators to measure major accident prevention performance. RICHMOND, Calif. (AP) A major fire at one of the country's biggest oil refineries that sent scores of people to hospitals with breathing problems will push gas prices above $4 a gallon on the . Kayaktivists protest fossil fuel permits in an undated photo. He is a graduate of Bowie State University in Maryland with a BS degree in communications.George Kelly is a breaking news reporter for the Bay Area News Group's East Bay Times and Mercury News. (BCN) Bay Area activists plan to gather Saturday in Richmond for a march and actions commemorating the 10-year anniversary of an explosion and fire that tore through the Chevron Richmond refinery. We coexist with industry in the area, which is why we have high regulatory standards. Work with the regulator, the petroleum refining industry, labor, and other relevant stakeholders in the state of California to develop and implement a systemthat collects, tracks, and analyzes process safety leading and lagging indicators from refineries and contractors to promote continuous safety improvements. The company also linked to a flaring fact sheet for more information. Participate in the joint regulatory program described in recommendation 2012-03-I-CA-R11. I will update with more details as I get them. Last month, the Bay Area Air Quality Management Districts board voted to require Chevron Richmond Refinery and a separate refinery in Martinez to use wet gas scrubbers to clean up hazardous particulate matter. The Chevron Richmond long wharf at the Chevron refinery in Richmond in February 2021. Ten years ago, an explosion and fire at the Richmond Chevron refinery poured black smoke and rained acrid chemicals across the East Bay city, sending thousands to hospitals gasping for air.. He has worked as an online coordinator and, before that, a copy editor and page designer for Bay Area-based newspapers and magazines. Select an expert third party that will administer a periodic process safety culture survey; b. Between 2010-2012, refinery shutdowns caused by fires at three West Coast oil refineries helped drive up the cost of fuel to over $4.00 per gallon. "RP states an unplanned upset occurred releasing an unknown amount of SO2 into the atmosphere," a statement noted. Initial Notification: On April 10, 1989, there was an explosion and fire at Chevron's hydrocarbon cracking tower at the Richmond Long Wharf. The elected representatives should have a legally recognized role that goes beyond consultation in activities such as the development of the comprehensive process hazard analysis, implementation of corrective actions generated from hierarchy of control analyses, management of change, incident investigation, audits, and the identification, prevention, and control of all processhazards. This process shall use established qualitative, quantitative, and/or semi-quantitative methods such as Layers of Protection Analysis (LOPA). To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. Documentation of the recognized methodologies, rationale and conclusions used to claim that inherently safer systems have been implemented to as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP) or similar, and that additional safeguards intended to control remaining hazards will be effective; iii. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. The periodic process safety culture report shall be made available to the plant workforce. Chevron needs to pay its fair share, Martinez said. Include requirements for inherently safer systems analysis to be automatically triggered for all Management of Change and Process Hazard Analysis reviews, prior to the construction of new process, process unit rebuilds, significant process repairs and in the development of corrective actions from incident investigation recommendations. The Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) will convene a public meeting on January 28, 2015, starting at 6:00 p.m. at 440 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond, CA, 94804. These improvements shall include engaging a diverse team of qualified personnel to perform a documented damage mechanism hazard review. Richmond police vehicles kept watch over the event, and no Chevron representatives came out of the black gate enclosed behind a layer of cyclone fencing. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! According to this news organizations reporting, the refinery saw multiple flaring reports last year, including two straight days in February 2020 and an August 2020 episode. Richmond Chevron right now with fire coming from two stacks. @ktvu @KCBSRadio @KRON4Desk @Chevron @ChevronRichmond pic.twitter.com/1JHczDsoiu, Pennie Opal Plant (@PennieOpal) May 28, 2021, Richmond Chevron right now with huge gray smoke and fire coming from 2 stacks. RICHMOND An equipment issue Tuesday at the Chevron refinery led to clouds of black smoke billowing into Bay Area skies. CSB Releases Board Approved Regulatory Report on Chevron Refinery Fire - Proposes a More Rigorous Refinery Industry Regulatory System in California, New California Law on Refinery Maintenance Operations Can Prevent Accidents, Save Lives, Effective Regulation of Chemical Industry Still Elusive Since 1989 Accident - Houston Chronicle Op-ed, California is Leading the Way on Oil Refinery Safety - Sacramento Bee Op-ed, Testimony of U.S. Chemical Safety Board Chairperson Rafael Moure-Eraso at March 6, 2014, Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Hearing, Statement from Chairperson Rafael Moure-Eraso on California Refinery Safety Interagency Working Group Final Report, Public comments on the CSB's Draft Report, "Regulatory Report: Chevron Richmond Refinery Pipe Rupture (Report No. Today on Democracy Now, Richmond Green Mayor Gayle Mclaughlin called for a full investigation of the August 6th Chevron Richmond Oil Refinery fire that sent 900 people to the hospital, "not only by Chevron, but by independent sources so that we can get a full analysis of what caused this fire and how we can assure the safety of our community that has suffered for decades from environmental and . RICHMOND, Calif. (KRON) Crews are responding a fire at the Chevron Refinery in Richmond Saturday afternoon, the company announced on Twitter. He is a graduate of Bowie State University in Maryland with a BS degree in communications.George Kelly is a breaking news reporter for the Bay Area News Group's East Bay Times and Mercury News. It ended badly, California snowpack hits highest level this century for March, Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, At first, it was unclear what was causing the black smoke above the Chevron oil refinery, Later, Chevron revealed an "unplanned upset" caused the flaring activity, The same site dealt with a fire on March 25, 1999, with smoke from that explosion pictured here, Chevron refinery fire fears as thick black smoke seen rising from huge 2,900-acre oil site in Richmond California, Inside sinister rise of pink cocaine sweeping UK nightclubs as warring cartels battle to control 'Coca Cola of drugs', We live on Britain's WORST street - it's rife with drug addicts, crime & prostitutes we're terrified for our lives, Man 'naked and covered in blood' arrested before mum found 'murdered' at home as neighbours reveal hearing screams, Leicester 'explosion': Listen to massive 'sonic' boom that shook homes and rattled windows.