A decade after the Richmond refinery explosion, protesters march to end fossil fuel dependence, Report: Chevron Richmond refinery fire response flawed, Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area. RICHMOND A process upset unit at the Chevron refinery Sunday sent flames, smoke and foul odors into rain-soaked West Contra Costa County skies. Today, the event is a footnote of Bay Area history. We coexist with industry in the area, which is why we have high regulatory standards. We need clean waters for our sea animals too. An estimated 15,000 people in the area sought treatment after a 2012 incident at the facility. 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). This method shall include monitoring of these practices and guidance at a refining system level and at the refinery level. Then the smoke blackened the sky, blanketing an Urban Tilth garden that local youth had been growing food in all summer with grimy, gooey black soot.. Were all united in the need to get off fossil fuel, said Jack Lucero Fleck, a retired San Francisco traffic engineer marching with a sign depicting the marchs sunflower emblem. (Richmond Our Power via Bay City News). He has worked as an online coordinator and, before that, a copy editor and page designer for Bay Area-based newspapers and magazines. ii. Reuters News . His first newspaper job was as a Washington Post paperboy. Require the analysis and incorporation of applicable industry best practices and inherently safer design to the greatest extent feasible into this review; and. I posted the wrong incident report above. Chevron Richmond refinery flare visible in East, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Info stolen in Oakland ransomware attack set to be released, Map: Track this weekends rain in the Bay Area, Chevron Richmond refinery flare visible in East Bay. Require the analysis and incorporation of applicable industry best practices and inherently safety systems to the greatest extent feasible into this review. Participate in the joint regulatory program described in recommendation 2012-03-I-CA-R11. Revise API RP 574: Inspection Practices for Piping System Components (3rd edition) to: a. Develop an approval process that includes a technical review that must be implemented prior to resetting the minimum alert thickness to a lower value in the inspection database. This process shall use established qualitative, quantitative, and/or semi-quantitative methods such as Layers of Protection Analysis (LOPA). These circuits have the potential to contain carbon steel components that were not manufactured to the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) A106 specification and may contain less than 0.10 weight percent silicon content. The damage mechanism hazard review shall identify potential process damage mechanisms and consequences of failure, and shall ensure safeguards are in place to control hazards presented by those damage mechanisms. Chevron did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment about the march commemorating the anniversary. Closed - Exceeds Recommended Action (C - ERA) - Action on the recommendation meets and surpasses the objectives envisioned by the Board. Lots of sirens. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. 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. George Kelly is a breaking news reporter for the Bay Area News Group's East Bay Times and Mercury News. 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. Establish an Incident Command structure upon identification of a process fluid leak; b. Establish a multi-agency process safety regulatory program for all California oil refineries to improve the public accountability, transparency, and performance of chemical accident prevention and mechanical integrity programs. From KGO (local ABC in San Francisco) RICHMOND, Calif. -- Officials have told residents of two Northern California cities to shelter-in-place as a fire at a . He has worked as an online coordinator and, before that, a copy editor and page designer for Bay Area-based newspapers and magazines. Documented use of inherently safer systems analysis and the hierarchy of controls to the greatest extent feasible in establishing safeguards for identified process hazards. Lance Iversen/The Chronicle Show More Show Less 8 of 27 Smoke from a Chevron Oil . Following an investigation, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) released a joint report with Cal/OSHA pointing to sulfidation corrosion as the cause of the incident. Replace the terminology high-temperature sulfur corrosion with sulfidation corrosion; b. ", 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. At a minimum, this program shall: a. 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.. Following the inspection, require users to follow the low-silicon corrosion rate monitoring requirements established in 2012-03-I-CA-R26(c); or. Chevron needs to pay its fair share, Martinez said. 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. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. "A Community Warning System Level 1 the lowest on the scale was issued to keep residents informed.". Develop a method to assign accountability at Chevron to determine whether any whether any new Energy Technology Company (ETC) recommended program or industry best practice, such as API guidance must be followed to ensure process safety or employee personal safety. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. h. Ensure that a means of sustained funding is established to support an independent, well-funded, well-staffed, technically competent regulator. Around 6:25 p.m., reports of smoke plumes over the refinery drew multiple posts to social media. This program shall: Require that Process Hazard Analyses required under California Code of Regulations, Title 8, Section 5189 Section (e) include documentation of the recognized methodologies, rationale and conclusions used to claim that safeguards intended to control hazards will be effective. 1 killed when business jet encounters severe turbulence, Palo Alto: Woman killed in single-vehicle motorcycle crash, California extends Bay Area tax deadlines to match IRS, Two hospitalized after man seen walking while on fire at UC Berkeley, Dear Abby: I love my wife but I think I better get divorced, Dear Abby: My wife said she doesn't like it, but it's part of my life, Harriette Cole: She has gone too far with the remote work option, Bobcat seen using Highway 17 wildlife crossing hours after it opens, Authorities: Man bombed PG&E transformers in South San Jose, Ask Amy: I feel guilty for not speaking up about my co-worker's activities, William backed Harry and Meghan's eviction, prefers brother never 'set foot in England again', Ask Amy: I didn't ask for what I wanted, and I'm sad they couldn't guess, Map in Murdaugh murder case: 5 deaths and a mysterious shooting, Miss Manners: I felt bad that they all skipped her baby shower -- and then I found out why, As Adderall shortage continues, DEA plans to limit some telemedicine prescriptions, House where JonBenet Ramsey was found dead listed for sale for almost $7M, Columbia University permanently drops SAT, ACT admissions requirement, The Waterbed Doctor: California retailer lays claim to retro bed with nearly 40 years of service, sales, Felonious Florida podcast: Missing teenage girl leads to several cases of child sex trafficking, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Richmond Fire added that there was no response from their department needed and that no actions from the public were necessary in response to the event. Why Pistons are praising Warriors' Map shows stunning improvement in California drought, A $200M bike bridge tantalized this Bay Area city. We are responding to the scene to conduct air monitoring in the surrounding community. 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. We need state authority to increase @AirDistrict fine& penalties. Smoke bellows from a fire at the Chevron refinery after a 2012 explosion in Richmond. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. A market analysis and benchmarking review should be periodically conducted to ensure the compensation system remains competitive with California petroleum refineries. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. According to a hazardous materials spill report filed soon after the release with the states office of emergency services and prominently shared by a KQED reporters social-media post, an unplanned upset occurred releasing an unknown amount of [sulfur dioxide] into the atmosphere. Incorporate as a normative reference API RP 939-C: Guidelines for Avoiding Sulfidation (Sulfidic) Corrosion Failures in Oil Refineries; b. Organizers expect hundreds to be in attendance Saturday, but this is not the first time that Richmond residents have protested the refinery. Revise the Industrial Safety Ordinance (ISO) to require that Process Hazard Analyses include documentation of the recognized methodologies, rationale and conclusions used to claim that safeguards intended to control hazards will be effective. 1999-03-26 04:00:00 PDT RICHMOND -- A fiery explosion at the Chevron refinery in Richmond yesterday afternoon sent flames and thick black smoke billowing into the air, forcing thousands of. 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. The Oscars will air on ABC and can be streamed on ABC.com and the ABC app as well as Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, AT&T TV or FuboTV. George Kelly is a breaking news reporter for the Bay Area News Group's East Bay Times and Mercury News. d. Develop process safety culture indicators to measure major accident prevention performance. But on Saturday a group of community members and activists marched through Richmond to the refinery to commemorate the event, demanding an end to fossil fuel dependence and the dominance the refinery has had over the city for more than 100 years. The damage mechanism hazard review shall identify potential process damage mechanisms and consequences of failure, and shall ensure safeguards are in place to control hazards presented by those damage mechanisms. Off work, he enjoys playing in bands, busking and karaoke. @CoCoHealth HazMat crews on scene doing air monitoring. CBE Richmond Organizer, Andres Soto and Senior Scientist, Greg Karras, are featured on KPFA's morning show Up Front regarding the Chevron refinery explosion and fire. Accident: Chevron Richmond Refinery Fire Location: Location: Richmond, CA Accident Occured On: 08/06/2012 | Final Report Released On: 01/28/2015 Accident Type: Oil and Refining - Fire and Explosion Investigation Status: The CSB's investigation is complete. After his speech Martinez acknowledged, The refinery is not going away anytime soon, but said the city and community could find ways to live with its presence until it was eventually decommissioned. 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, Calif. (KRON) Crews are responding a fire at the Chevron Refinery in Richmond Saturday afternoon, the company announced on Twitter. The goal shall be to drive the risk of major accidents to As Low As Reasonably Practicable (ALARP). This review shall be an integral part of the process hazard analysis (PHA) cycle and shall be conducted on all covered processes, piping circuits and equipment. "Seriously?!! Chevron Richmond refinery issues visible, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Map: Track this weekends rain in the Bay Area, Chevron Richmond refinery issues visible flares, smoke. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. For all California oil refineries, identify and require the reporting of leading and lagging process safety indicators, such as the action item completion status of recommendations from damage mechanism hazard reviews, to state and local regulatory agencies that have chemical release prevention authority. It may never get built, Hit bean company Rancho Gordo embroiled in discrimination lawsuit, San Francisco citizens once traveled by gondola. A Richmondcity public-safety alert sent at 9:06 a.m. said excess flaring began at the refinery at 8:25 a.m. and was ongoing. THE Chevron oil refinery in Richmond, California appeared to have smoke billowing out of it on Tuesday afternoon, worrying nearby residents. 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. It was one of 124 other "significant" U.S. oil refinery incidents that occurred that year, according to the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, commonly known as the Chemical Safety Board, or CSB. @KRON4Desk #kutv #KCBSPhoneForce pic.twitter.com/UvOJriEG3G. A march organizer leads protesters in chants as the group proceeds through Richmond to the Chevron oil refinery. ", The Twitter account for the Richmond County fire department in California noted that the Chevron Refinery reported "a Level 1 incident, its lowest in severity.". A massive fire broke out at an oil refinery in northwestern Iran on Saturday, the semi-official Fars News Agency reported. Chevron filed a report with the state and revealed an "unplanned upset" caused the flaring activity, ABC7 reported. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! Will Bay Bridge go dark forever? The shimmering Bay Lights turn off Sunday night as the effort to raise $11 million to fund a bigger, better version is only partway there. Events will begin at 9:30 a.m. with protesters gathering at the Richmond BART station and marching to the Chevron refinery. @TedrickG @AirDistrict @supejohngioia @MayorTomButt pic.twitter.com/JoHKp72Mkz, Gretchen Takes Her Shots (@gbdonart) August 10, 2021, Major flaring occurring at the Chevron Richmond refinery now. More than a hundred activists protested outside of Chevron's Richmond refinery today to recognize the ten-year anniversary of one of the worst refinery accidents in decades in the Bay Area.. A market analysis and benchmarking review should be periodically conducted to ensure the compensation system remains competitive with California petroleum refineries. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. iv. 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. Inspect every component within all carbon steel piping circuits susceptible to sulfidation corrosion that may contain low-silicon components once. According to @CCCounty HazMat there has been flaring at Chevron due to a process upset. At the time, the tragedy dominated the airwaves. 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. Revise API 570: Piping Inspection Code: In-service Inspection, Rating, Repair, and Alteration of Piping Systems to: a. This is a carousel. Richmond Fire, CA (@RFDCAOnline) August 10, 2021. "We encourage our neighbors to visit www.richmondairmonitoring.org to view real-time air quality data," the statement added. His first newspaper job was as a Washington Post paperboy. Richmond Fire added that there was no response from their department needed and that no actions from the public were necessary in response to the event. The Richmond refinery was in an excellent position with its plentiful crude oil, state-of-art equipment and prime location to capitalize on the increased demand for petroleum products on the West Coast. 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. This review shall be an integral part of the Process Hazard Analysis cycle and shall be conducted on all PSM-covered process piping circuits and process equipment. 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. On the afternoon of August 6, 2012, a thick black plume grew over Richmond, California, 10 miles northeast of San Francisco. How long have Keir Starmer and Sue Gray been secretly cooking up their plot? Chevron Richmond refinery flare visible in East, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Map: Track this weekends rain in the Bay Area, Chevron Richmond refinery flare visible in East Bay. Residents memories of a leak that sent hundreds of gallons of oil and water into San Francisco Bay this February are still fresh. Revise the Industrial Safety Ordinance (ISO) regulations for petroleum refineries to require a process safety culture continuous improvement program including a written procedure for periodic process safety culture surveys across the work force. I will update with more details as I get them. Ensure the effective implementation of the damage mechanism hazard review program (2012-03-I-CA-R1 and 2012-03-I-CA-R2), so that all necessary mechanical integrity work at the Chevron Richmond Refinery is identified and recommendations are completed in a timely way. From what we saw, most of the smoke went up high and we didnt see anything on the ground here.. 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.. How much does Vegas believe in Dubs to repeat? He acknowledged that the City of Richmond fills its coffers with tax revenue from the refinery, but that he wants to see public dollars sunk into alternatives so the jobs the refinery creates could be moved to clean energy industries. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. The regulation should provide workers and their representatives with the authority to stop work that is perceived to be unsafe until the employer resolves the matter or the regulator intervenes. 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 . His first newspaper job was as a Washington Post paperboy. On Aug. 6, 2012, a hydrocarbon release and massive fire occurred at the Chevron Refinery in Richmond, Calif. Around 6:25 p.m., reports of. 6 of 27 7 of 27 Smoke from a Chevron Oil refinery fire fills the sky above Richmond Calif, Monday August 6, 2012. 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. 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. RICHMOND An unspecified equipment issue at the Chevron refinery led to flaring Thursday evening, officials said, with smoke visible for miles around the facility. Our team did go out to the site and run tests, he said before referencing the afternoons light southerly winds that dissipated most of the smoke within 30 to 45 minutes. An August 6, 2012, release of flammable vapor led to a fire at the Chevron Refinery in Richmond, California. Around 60 protesters assembled at the Richmond BART Station Saturday morning, holding signs emblazoned with sunflowers and slogans like End Climate Chaos, Chevron Kills and Chevron has a flare for business, a reference to the pillars of fire that continue to burn near the refinerys smokestacks. In March 2021, a fire at Cilacap gasoline storage facility at the largest oil refinery on the main island of Java prompted the evacuation of 80 nearby residents and injured at least 20 people.