A flaring event at the Chevron Refinery in Richmond on Friday that officials called an important part of keeping the refinery safe sent plumes of black smoke above the Bay Area on Friday.
The event brought a response from a Contra Costa County hazardous materials team and further dirtied the air on a day already designated as a Spare the Air alert by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.
The refinery in a statement called the flaring a result of “an upset at a process unit.” Refinery officials said the flaring was brought under control quickly, and that it had stopped completely by 2:30 p.m.
The Chevron Richmond Refinery is currently experiencing flaring activity due to an upset at a process unit. Due to the visibility of smoke, a Community Warning System (CWS) Level 1 was issued to keep residents informed. Link to full statement below:https://t.co/szAyXzNwpR
— Chevron Richmond (@ChevronRichmond) August 14, 2020
The refinery said it issued a Level 1 warning on the Community Warning System, because of the visibility of smoke in the area. A Level 1 warning is for the lowest threat.
“As we continue to make adjustments, intermittent flaring is possible,” a statement from the refinery read. The statement also said that “flaring is an important part of keeping the refinery running safely.”
According to Chevron, flares relieve pressure during the refining processes, which in turn keeps the equipment safe.
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