Martinez Refining Company – 2022 Hazmat Release Incident

Oversight Committee

The MRC Oversight Committee advises the Contra Costa Board of Supervisors and Contra Costa Health's (CCH) Hazardous Materials Program on the hiring of contractors to probe the cause of the 2022 spent-catalyst release, and separately the impact that it had on community health and the environment. The committee is reviewing and directing the work as it proceeds and is ultimately reported to the Board and the public. Committee members include representatives from the City of Martinez, the City of Benicia, the Martinez Refining Company and residents from affected communities.

Committee Members

• Ken Axe (Martinez Refining Company representative)
• Pedro Babiak (Community representative, Martinez)
• Dierdre Castillo (Community representative, Pacheco)
• Josh Chadwick (City of Benicia representative)
• Cheryll Grover (Community representative, Martinez)
• Nicole Heath (Contra Costa Health's HazMat Director)
• Kent Hull (Community representative, unincorporated area)
• Tom Lang (Community Representative, El Sobrante)
• Nick Plurkowski (MRC labor representative)
• Tony Semenza (Community representative, Martinez)
• Steven Devine (City of Martinez representative)
• Ben Therriault (Community representative, Martinez)

Media Releases

• Soil Sampling Being Done Around Martinez Refinery to Assess Health Risks from "Spent Catalyst" Release - May 4, 2023
  • YouTube video: B-roll of soil samples being collected
  • Photos: Soil Sampling Photo 1 | Soil Sampling Photo 2
  • YouTube video: Media Availability
• Health Department Safety Advice on Gardening to Residents who Live Near Martinez Refinery - March 7, 2023
• Contra Costa Seeks Volunteers for Oversight of Martinez Refinery Release Investigation - January 18, 2023
• Health Department Asks District Attorney to Pursue Legal Action Against Martinez Refining Company for Hazardous Materials Release - January 5, 2023
• Contra Costa Health Recommends an Independent Investigation of Martinez Refinery Release - December 14, 2022
• Hazardous Materials Release at Martinez Oil Refinery Contained Heavy Metals - November 30, 2022

Incident Reports from MRC

The reports below were submitted by the Martinez Refining Company (MRC) as required by the County's Industrial Safety Ordinance (ISO) following the release of up to 24-tons of metal laden "spent catalyst" on Nov. 24-25, 2022.

Root Cause Analysis Report (Feb. 6, 2023)
Martinez Refining Company's report to Contra Costa Health (CCH) about what led to the release and why it failed to notify the community, and corrections it will make.

30-Day Report (Dec. 23, 2022)
Martinez Refining Company's report to CCH to verify it was making progress toward a timely Root Cause Analysis Report.

72-Hour Report (Nov. 29, 2022)
Martinez Refining Company's report to CCH with its preliminary summary and explanation for the incident, including a Safety Data Sheet about the material it released.

Sampling Data & Reports

This page contains initial environmental sampling data and reports done after the Martinez Refining Company released up to 20-24 tons of "spent catalyst" over the Thanksgiving holiday in 2022. Initial wipe samples of the spent-catalyst dust taken by Contra Costa Health in the days after the accident showed elevated levels of certain metals, such as aluminum, barium, chromium, nickel, vanadium, and zinc.

A community risk assessment report from a toxicologist, including results of soil sampling, will be posted on this page when completed.

Sampling Data

• Storm Drain Samples:
  • Storm Drain Community Samples (Dec. 7, 2022)
  • Storm Drain Background Samples (Dec. 9, 2022)
• Community Samples:
  • Bulk Sample (Nov. 30, 2022)
  • Wipe Sample (Nov. 28, 2022)
• Air District Samples
• Additional Resources

Soil Sampling Locations