There is a health advisory for Martinez California residents

Residents Near Martinez Refinery Advised to Avoid Eating Home-Grown Produce

Contra Costa Health (CCH) recently issued a health advisory to residents near the Martinez Refining Company (MRC) in California. The advisory warns residents not to eat produce grown in soil that may have been exposed to "spent catalyst" with elevated levels of heavy metals on November 24, 2022. The refinery had accidentally released over 20 tons of metal-laden dust into the community over Thanksgiving weekend, which contained elevated levels of aluminum, barium, chromium, nickel, vanadium, and zinc.

The dust released by the refinery could have caused respiratory problems for those breathing it, and thus, the health advisory has been issued out of an abundance of caution. Although there is no immediate health threat to the community, residents are advised to wait for the results of environmental testing before eating any produce grown in contaminated soil. The testing results are expected to be released in late spring or early summer.

In the meantime, residents who are concerned about gardening in potentially contaminated soil can choose to safely grow produce in pots, planters, or raised garden beds using fresh soil. This will ensure that they are not consuming any produce grown in contaminated soil.

It is important to note that county policy required the MRC to alert the community via the county emergency system and to immediately notify the county health department, neither of which happened. The case has been referred to the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office for investigation, and refinery officials have stated that they are cooperating with the investigations.

In conclusion, residents near the Martinez Refining Company are advised to avoid eating home-grown produce until further environmental testing has been completed. The health and safety of the community is a top priority, and it is always better to be safe than sorry.