Environment
An employee at the Social Security Office in Richmond was hospitalized after she complained about inhaling the gas fumes that hundreds of residents reported smelling this afternoon. Starting at 2:30 p.m. the Richmond Fire Department received a large number of calls reporting the strong odor in Point Richmond. The wind carried the smell, pushing the odor up to North Richmond, said Richmond Fire Chief Michael Banks. As a precaution, the Richmond Police Department notified several schools to shelter in place….
Richmond families headed out to Point Pinole on Saturday for a day of learning and fun in the sun. The East Bay Regional Parks District hosted the 10th Annual North Richmond Shoreline Festival. Kids with painted faces rode ponies and a “choo-choo” train around the park overlooking the bay. Festival-goers enjoyed performances and free Latin fusion food. The event featured interactive booths hosted by local environmental organizations including the Watershed Project, Eco Village, Golden Gate Audubon Society, Boy Scouts and…
The city of Richmond is pushing for small businesses to participate in an energy efficiency program that could save them 20 percent on utility bills.
Richmond resident Sylvia Gray-White is one of many residents worried about health concerns following last year’s Chevron refinery fire, though health experts are unclear about any lasting effects.
The city council was hoping to hear public input on possible greenhouse gas mitigation measures relating to Chevron’s “Revised Renewal Project,” but Tuesday’s meeting ended before the council reached the comment period.
A new project aims to usher in a waste management transformation. This month, the Environmental Protection Agency awarded the Watershed Project, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting East Bay watersheds and ecosystems, a $30,000 grant to educate children and their community about recycling, reusing and composting.
Contra Costa County residents will soon have a better understanding of exactly what is in the air they’re breathing. Chevron recently installed a new air-monitoring station at Fire Station 62, in North Richmond, which will provide real-time data about what chemicals are in the air.
The city installed two state-of-the-art cameras at known littering hot spots, and they are working. Illegal dumping ceased at those locations. Officials want to add more cameras in hopes of catching illegal dumpers in the act or discouraging them all together.
250 volunteers turned out to participate in the 29th Annual Coastal Cleanup Day.