03 Feb Intermittent Flaring Reported Sunday at Richmond Refinery, ‘No Threat’ to Community

(Photo of Chevron Richmond refinery via Richmond Confidential)

By Bay City News

There has been “recent intermittent flaring” at Chevron’s Richmond refinery, but the flaring does not represent a threat to the community, according to a public safety alert issued Sunday morning.

There is no offsite impact to the community, the Richmond Fire Department said on social media.

The flarings are described as CWS Level 1, the alert said. The Richmond Fire Department is closely monitoring conditions at the refinery and is in constant communication with Chevron staff, according to the alert issued at 11:22 a.m.

A “CWS Level 1” refers to the lowest level of alert within a Community Warning System, indicating a minor incident that is not expected to have off-site health consequences and typically does not require any community action.

Flaring is the burning of excess gas that occurs during equipment shutdowns or malfunctions.

The flaring at the Richmond refinery comes one day after at least six people were injured in a fire Saturday at the Martinez Refining Co. that prompted a shelter-in-place alert for some nearby residents.

Four people were taken to a hospital for treatment and three were released, said Ted Leach, a Contra Costa County Fire Protection District captain. Two others were treated at the scene and released, he said.

To monitor current air quality conditions, visit https://richmondairmonitoring.org/.

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