Contra Costa Health issues alert after Martinez Refining Company flaring

Martinez Refining Company experienced an “internal electrical issue” affecting operations at 10:53 a.m. Monday that resulted in flaring at the site and complaints of an odor from Martinez and Benicia neighbors.

Contra Costa Health issued a Level 1 alert for the community regarding the odors and flaring at the MRC refinery and launched its Hazardous Materials Program to conduct air monitoring of the area, which did not detect any results that posed a risk to public health or further action.

CCH has requested a 72-hour report from MRC related to the activity at the refinery. MRC wrote that flaring and odors stopped at approximately 1 p.m., adding, “there is potential for intermittent flaring” while employees return the refinery standard operation. Air monitoring of the refinery was under exposure limits Monday evening, according to MRC’s air quality monitoring site.

“Flares are an essential part of a refinery’s integrated, engineered safety systems, which are designed to safely manage excess gases and pressure through efficient and effective combustion,” MRC wrote in a statement. “We will investigate the root cause of the incident and identify corrective actions.”

Martinez Refining Company has been subject to numerous air pollution controversies in the past 5 years, including the 2022 release of over 20 tons of toxic spent catalyst dust, discharging millions of gallons of untreated wastewater into nearby marsh in 2023 that resulted in a $4.5 million fine, and a fire caused by improper maintenance in Feb. 2025.