Environment
Chevron said Monday the rotten egg odor that wafted through West Contra Costa County communities late last week was caused by a part of the Richmond Refinery’s flare system that was out of service, allowing gas containing hydrogen sulfide to reach the flare. “The immediate issue has been resolved, and we are committed to working with the Air District and County Hazardous Materials officials to investigate the incident and implement appropriate corrective actions,” the company said in a Facebook post…
On an otherwise quiet Friday morning, a chainsaw buzzed through the Hillside Natural Area in El Cerrito. Then, a massive eucalyptus tree crashed to the ground, causing a loud thud that echoed across the hillside and threw up a cloud of dust and wood chips. Behind the safety line, workers moved their equipment into position as freshly cut branches and logs lay scattered across the work area. Where trees have already come down, the hillside is now open, offering a…
Volunteers grabbed bagels, then made their way down the ravine at San Pablo’s Davis Park, where they would use trash grabbers, buckets and kitchen tongs to pick up everything from tiny bits of plastic to beer bottles and cigarette butts from the dry bed of Wildcat Creek. About 40 people pitched in at the 32nd annual Wildcat Creek Cleanup Saturday, which was organized by San Pablo and KIDS for the BAY, a group that connects kids with nature. The cleanup…
Richmond City Council has still not decided how to spend a $550 million award from a landmark settlement against Chevron two years ago, frustrating residents who have been waiting to be included in the process. On Tuesday, the council is expected to provide updates about a timeline for a public engagement process on how to spend the funds, after delaying the updates during two meetings in September. The council voted 4-1 on Sept. 15 to move the public engagement process…
When Josh Detius first learned that a community garden was opening this fall along the Richmond Greenway near Unity Park, he was excited for the opportunity to put his skills to use. “I’d learned to garden and take care of plants at Diablo Valley College, so I knew what to do,” said Detius, who volunteers at the garden through VistAbility’s Commercial Support Services program in Richmond, which serves adults with developmental disabilities. Created in partnership with Richmond and agricultural nonprofit…
Volunteers trickled into Pinole’s Bayfront Park Saturday morning, signing in, receiving cleanup instructions, grabbing plastic bags and heading for the shoreline. The gathering was part of California Coastal Cleanup Day, a statewide effort organized by the California Coastal Commission that brings volunteers together to remove trash from waterways throughout the state. In Pinole, about 80 or so people joined in the cleanup, organized by the city and the Friends of Pinole Creek Watershed. That was fewer than last year, when…
Kennedy High School will reopen for students on Tuesday, allowing school to start on schedule and on campus, two weeks after the site was closed because of toxic vapors. The Kennedy High community has been living with uncertainty since July 31, when tests confirmed the presence of tetrachloroethylene, also known as PCE, in soil vapors on the campus at Berk Avenue and Cutting Boulevard. PCE was found in six locations within 0.7 mile of the campus, on the north and…
Kennedy High School students will begin their school year on schedule, with several backup locations under consideration while further testing for a toxic chemical on campus is conducted. Richmond’s Kennedy High School was closed on Monday after preliminary test results indicated levels of tetrachloroethylene, also known as PCE, underground. At a town hall meeting Thursday night, Jeff Carter, West Contra Costa Unified School District interim associate superintendent of business services, said the district is “planning for no delays to the…
Chevron reported on Facebook Wednesday that less than a barrel of hydrocarbon liquid had spilled into San Francisco Bay at the Richmond Refinery Long Wharf during a maintenance activity. The company said it responded immediately to contain the spill, along with the U.S. Coast Guard and California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and that it was investigating the cause. “The release was quickly stopped, kept away from environmentally sensitive areas, and clean up has concluded. There were no reported community…