RICHMOND – A large plume of black smoke was visible for miles in the Bay Area on Monday afternoon after flaring was reported at the Chevron refinery in Richmond.
In a social media post, Chevron said the flaring activity was due to a loss of power to a portion of the facility.
“Our employees are working quickly to minimize and stop the flaring,” Chevron said.
A Community Warning System, or CWS, Level 1 was issued due to the visibility of the flare. A CWS Level 1 requires no action by the public, according to Chevron.
Chevron notified Contra Costa Health of the flaring around 3:45 p.m., said CCH spokesman Karl Fischer.
“We know that smoke is visible in the community around the refinery,” Fischer said.
Contra Costa Health dispatched a hazardous materials team to the refinery at 841 Chevron Way. As of 6:05 p.m., the team was at the facility and monitoring the activity, the agency said in a social media post.
“Air monitoring does not show any public health impact at this time,” the agency said.
Check back for updates.