Contra Costa Health lifts Martinez Health Advisory following refinery fire

Contra Costa Health (CCH) has lifted a public health advisory today at 3:00 p.m. following confirmation that the fire at Martinez Refining Company (MRC) is out. Residents in the affected area can now resume normal activities and should open doors and windows to air out buildings and homes. (See related article)

CCH was first notified of the event when MRC, owned by PBF Energy, reported the fire through the county’s Community Warning System (CWS) at 1:49 p.m. on Saturday, February 1. CCH’s Hazardous Materials Program has continued to monitor air quality since Saturday.

In addition to a 72-hour report, due to the County later today, and subsequent 30-day reports, MRC will be required to perform a Root Cause Analysis, which is an investigation aimed at identifying how the incident happened and what can be done to prevent future similar incidents from occurring.

CCH is investigating the cause of the incident, in accordance with state requirements and the county’s Industrial Safety Ordinance and will explore all options available under the regulatory authority provided through the state as a Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA) to ensure safety issues are all addressed.