Photo by MichaelRLopez | Used by permission
Welcome to day two of The Dirty Thirty. Today, we look at PBF Energy’s Martinez Refinery as a case study on fossil fuels in the neighborhood.
Photo by Screen shot- foxtvu | Public Domain
Since November of 2022, residents in Martinez, California have experienced three instances of toxic releases — two of them occurring within one month of each other. Hazardous spent catalyst dust covered Martinez and surrounding communities in Contra Costa County on Thanksgiving night in 2022, and coke dust twice in July.
Martinez Refinery Co delayed providing information about these hazardous releases to locals and failed to promptly notify Contra Costa County of their actions. For over an hour, Martinez Refinery Co did not report the spent catalyst release to Contra County Health officials after the release initially occurred on Thanksgiving, and over two hours after coke dust was released in July.
Photo by screenshot | Public Domain
Martinez Refinery Co and PBF Energy violated California climate policy multiple times and refuse to comply with regulations from BAAQMD, specifically rule 6-5 which would have likely prevented the spent catalyst incident from occurring. In May, the FBI and EPA intervened after Contra Costa County warned residents of potential toxins in the soil of their home gardens.
Photo by Screenshot | Public Domain
Communities need protection against the impacts of fossil fuel operations, and California lawmakers can secure these protections through tougher rules and stronger standards.
