Over the holiday, some Martinez residents found a powdery substance on their cars and around their community. The leak from the Martinez Refining Company ended the next morning, but the health department said the company still didn’t contact them immediately.
In a media release on Wednesday, Matthew Kaufman, the Contra Costa Health Services deputy director, said that they learned about the spill from social media posts-- two days after the leak happened. The delay meant that the city couldn’t use their emergency notification system to warn residents about the spill.
Contra Costa Health Services tested the powder and found that it had higher-than-normal amounts of heavy metals, like lead and aluminum. Dr. Ori Tzvieli [ZAVELLI] of the public health department said the particles could cause slight irritation and residents should avoid breathing in the air.
KALW contacted Martinez Refining Company for comment, but they declined to share new information citing an ongoing internal investigation.
But the company did post a public apology on Facebook. They recommended that residents rinse their belongings with water. The company is also offering free car washes for impacted residents.
Contra Costa County Health Services has an ongoing investigation into the incident. Updates will be posted at cchealth.org when they become available.
