With spring and gardening season arriving, Contra Costa Health (CCH) is advising residents near the refinery in Martinez not to eat produce grown in soil that may have been exposed to “spent catalyst” with heavy metals until further environmental testing is completed.
“We are making this recommendation out of an abundance of caution,” said Dr. Ori Tzvieli, health officer for Contra Costa County, who issued a health advisory on the matter today. “There is no immediate health threat to the community. That said, it’s also always better to be safe than sorry.”
Dr. Tzvieli said refinery neighbors in Martinez and Pacheco can safely plant seeds now in their yards and gardens. However, he cautioned residents to wait for the results of environmental testing before eating anything grown in soils exposed to the spent catalyst. Testing results are expected in the late spring or early summer.
For those still concerned about gardening in potentially contaminated ground soil, Dr. Tzvieli said people can choose to safely grow produce in pots, planters or raised garden beds using fresh soil.
From about 9:30 p.m. Nov. 24, 2022, to the early hours of Nov. 25, the Martinez Refining Company (MRC) inadvertently showered surrounding neighborhoods with more than 20 tons of spent catalyst, a dust-like substance that CCH later determined to contain elevated levels of aluminum, barium, chromium, nickel, vanadium and zinc.
CCH has since referred the case to the District Attorney.
An 11-member oversight committee has been formed to oversee an independent investigation and risk assessment of the November incident. The committee will be holding its second meeting on March 9.
8 comments
What warning is there for the children in this area playing in the dirt, kicking up and breathing this ” 20 tons of spent catalyst, a dust-like substance that CCH later determined to contain elevated levels of aluminum, barium, chromium, nickel, vanadium and zinc?”
It seems like your question might as well be addressed to the refinery that “inadvertently released” the 20 tons of spent catalyst. What has been their public posture on this “inadvertent release”, do you know?
The refinery had the audacity to offer up a free car wash for the ‘dust’ on peoples cars and failed to notify the Contra Costa Health community warning system…here is the press release..
https://cchealth.org/press-releases/2022/1130-Hazardous-Materials-Release-at-Martinez-Oil-Refinery.php
Perhaps the oversite committee would be interested in examining “Blinky” my three-eyed potato
I blame this on the EPA for not allowing the refinery to do the upgrades on the catalysts that need to be done. Because of it, bad things happen. Big Boom one day because of EPA
I know, right?! Under Trump, the EPA was a classic case of the fox guarding the henhouse.
@OVERWHELMED….The catalytic converter unit (cracker) is what “explodes”, it makes the catalyst. And each refinery in the area has experienced “the Big Boom” at some point in the last hundred years plus.
I’m guessing it’s a little late to be asking this question, But what about the City water?
Martinez water treatment plant is right next to this Refinery.
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