Officials Cite 'Poor Leadership' for PBF Martinez Refinery Fire — OPIS

Several federal, state and local authorities voiced their frustrations looming around PBF Energy's Martinez, Calif., refinery fire in a joint statement Tuesday, as officials called for reparations and "more aggressive oversight" into the Northern California producer's operations.

The company notified state agencies of a "leak of hydrocarbon material" that subsequently caught fire during maintenance preparations Saturday, incident filings show.

"Upon opening the equipment, the workers encountered a leak of hydrocarbon material," PBF said in its response update. "The workers immediately evacuated the area, and the material subsequently caught fire. Both of those workers were transported offsite for medical evaluation and released. The fire then spread within the immediate vicinity."

The incident resulted in six injured individuals and triggered a health advisory for residents in the area surrounding the refinery.

"The Martinez Refinery has a history of concerns regarding safety, and last week we saw the results. While we are still gathering information about the cause of this fire, what we do know is that this disaster reflects poor leadership and a lack of standards from the Martinez Refining Company," said U.S. Rep. John Garamendi. "Our community deserves answers and I will continue to work with our local leaders to get those answers and hold the Martinez Refining Company responsible."

Rep. Mark DeSaulnier echoed those remarks, emphasizing the need for increased government regulation into refinery operations. "Having had 30 years of dealing with the oil industry, it is past time for every federal, state, and local regulatory agency with jurisdiction over the Martinez Refining Company to act aggressively with all the statutory authority they have to hold the refinery accountable," said DeSaulnier. "I am working with Congressman Garamendi to ensure this happens. Without more aggressive oversight it is not a question of whether deaths will occur, but when given the company's disregard for safety."

Sen. Tim Grayson ensured a transparent and accurate investigation into events leading up to the fire, citing the "central priority" lays with the safety of the community and its workers. "This most recent incident, just one in a long string of issues, highlights the need to keep the people of Martinez, and the entire County, safe," said Martinez mayor Brianne Zorn. "We will work with the County to hold the refinery to a higher standard for their workers' safety and also to reduce the health risk the refinery continues to pose to our community."

Contra Costa County Supervisor Shanelle Scales-Preston reflected on previous significant incidents the refinery has experienced in recent years, ordering a full audit into the facility's day-to-day operations. "This is the third major incident since PBF Energy purchased the refinery in 2020 and many more spills and releases have occurred since then. This is not acceptable, and I am working to get answers for our community," Scales-Preston stated. "Currently, the County, and other regulatory agencies, will conduct an independent investigation into what caused the fire, what violations may have occurred, what potential environmental hazards linger, and what are necessary improvements needed to ensure public and worker safety and health." "In addition, I am requesting a Full Facility Audit under the provisions of the County's Industrial Safety Ordinance," Scales-Preston added.

The California department of OSHA has also opened an investigation into the incident, OPIS previously reported.

"At this time, we are unable to provide further details as it is an active investigation," Cal/OSHA stated.

The agency has up to six months to issue citations for any violations related to the incident, and inspections typically take about four months to complete, the statement said.

The Bay Area Air District Tuesday released two violation notices following the incident, saying "odor" and "visible emissions" plumed into the atmosphere from the facility's CP catalytic feed hydrotreater.

The equipment fire also warranted an additional violation notice for exceeding emission and fallout standards, the document states.

The agency filed the report on the grounds of "public nuisance, excessive smoke and soot fallout" and is continuing to investigate Tuesday.

PBF last month said it was planning 55-65 days of turnaround work at the refinery during the first half of 2025, the OPIS Refinery Maintenance Report previously reported. The work was expected to involve a fluid catalytic cracker, an alkylation unit and an FCC hydrotreater.

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• Reporting by Sydnee Novak, sbeach@opisnet.com; Editing by Michael Kelly, mkelly@opisnet.com