Full Notification

The February 24, 2024 Valero Benicia Refinery Odor incident is still ongoing. A unit at the refinery went down last night, which caused product to need to be moved between two tanks. It was discovered that in the process of moving the product, some of it got on the lid of a tank and that was the source of the strong odor. There is no specific name for the product; it is a mixture of refined hydrocarbons similar to a light oil. The chemical vapor in the air causing the odor is H2S, hydrogen sulfide. The odor has dissipated significantly in most parts of Benicia.

The department has been in continuous communication with Solano County Public Health. They only recommended to shelter in place if the odor smell was too strong and/or it was aggravating.

Benicia Fire Department staff have been activated at the Valero Emergency Operations Center since early this morning. Fire Department staff continue to respond and monitor the situation.

Clean up efforts of the spill on the tank are currently underway but will likely not be fully completed until 7 p.m. this evening.

If there is a significant change or development for this incident, we will update the community. Otherwise, this concludes our updates for this incident.

Sign up for emergency alerts at https://www.solanocounty.com/depts/oes/alertsolano/information.asp.

For media inquiries, contact Della Olm at 707-746-4272.