HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 12171991 - X.4 X.
TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS �}
FROM: Supervisor Tom Powers Contra
Costa
DATE: December 17 , 1991 COurity
SUBJECT: Chevron Refinery in Richmond
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
Recommendation:
Direct the Health Services Director to work with the Bay
Area Air Quality Management District to insure that the
Chevron Refinery in Richmond insures that all valves and
systems associated with the recent Point Richmond release
are secure and work under actual stress situations . Also, to
require that Chevron' s refinery alerts the Public
Health Department immediately in cases of all releases or
potential. releases . Finally, to direct the Public Health
Department to develop a plan and a position that is
perceived, well as actually supportive, of the concerns of
the community.
Background:
The recent release of toxic contaminated sand into the Point
Richmond area has created an unfortunate set of
circumstances that forboad a more serious set of facts
occurring .and which suggest that we have a long way to go as
a county in insuring that the public has confidence in the
way we are handling protection of the community from
potential harmful releases of materials from local sources .
My recent talks with the BAAQMD suggest that an
investigation of the valve associated with the release is
still on going. The valve is still being operated manually
and not as apart of the electronic network. Also, other
sources suggest that the valve has a questionable past and
that there is now no answer as to why the valve
malfunctioned. I do not think, considering the potential
high risk to the community, that we can stand by and allow
these types of questions to continue to be unanswered.
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT:X YES SIGNATURE:
RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
APPROVE OTHER
SIGNATURE(S)
ACTIJN OF BOARD ON December 17, 1991 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X OTHER
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
XX UNANIMOUS (ABSENT - - ) I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
AYES: _ NOES: AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN
ABSENT: ABSTAIN: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD
OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN.
CC: Health Services Director ATTESTED December 17, 1991
Director, OES Phil Batchelor,perk of the board of
Supervisors and County Administrator
M382/7•93 BY DEPUTY
Information about the handling of information about the
release leaves much to be desired. First of all , the Chevron
refinery personnel did not let the County know about the
release until one-half hour after the actual release
occurred. This suggests a serious error in judgement or a
problem in the system of notification. This problem
occurred several years ago with the Chevron refinery when a
release affected the Richmond Produce Co. and it was
promised at the time that this would not occur again. It did
to the detriment of the public .
Also, the information once received by the County suggests a
systems failure on the part of the telephone notice program
recently instituted by the County. This program must be
improved so it works without question or we will need to
move to a more basic way of notice, such as a siren or the
like .
Finally, and more difficult to solve, is the need to assure
the public: that Contra Costa County must be perceived and
actually be an agency that is sought by the public for help
in dealing with the resolution of these kind of problems . To
do so we cannot be looked on as defending or making excuses
for industry. Unfortunately, in this situation we were
perceived as protecting Chevron from their failures .
we should keep tabs on the investigation at BAAQMD and
conduct our own investigation on the telephone notice
procedure and other issues . Most importantly, we should take
all efforts to correct all of the problems which we are able
to and seek all possible actions , penalties and enforcement
mechanisms to prevent future problems out of the refinery
and any other situation associated with possible dangerous
chemical releases .
ChevRel