Foul odors fill the Point Monday morning

   POINT RICHMOND - An all-too-familiar foul smell invaded The Point Monday morning, residents reported.
     The foul odors have recently been blamed by Contra Costa County health officials and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District on Republic Services' composting operation on Parr Road.
     Last Tuesday Republic Services was hit with a county cease-and-desist order to stop taking any more compostable material until it can demonstrate it can do so without generating the odor.
     
     The company has a Feb. 1 deadline to tell the county how it will change its operations to better handle composting and to remove the raw compost material on site that is believed to be the source of the odor.
     “Since September 2016, there have been more than 400 complaints from the surrounding community about odors coming from the facility. Although the odors are not imminently dangerous they do cause a public nuisance and some reports indicated having headache, nausea, throat irritation and breathing problems,” Dr. Marilyn Underwood, CCEH Director said.
     Underwood and other health and air quality officials made a presentation at the Richmond City Council meeting last Tuesday about the problems.
     At the meeting BAAQMD's Wayne Kino said he believes the large windrows of raw composting material on site are going "septic" and moving them is likely to let loose the noxious fumes generating the complaints.
     
     Early today Point Richmond Neighborhood Council President David Schoenthal said Chevron officials told him that the company is installing new odor-detection equipment at its facility.
     "Chevron is deploying new odor detection equipment that basically allows us to fingerprint odors and match those odor fingerprints with known refinery sources," said Joe Lorenz, a government affairs representative of Chevron."
     "This technology was demonstrated at last August’s refinery community tour day and was again discussed at the Chevron booth at September’s Picnic in the Park."

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CONTACT INFORMATION:

Chevron company odor hotline: 510-242-2127
Bay Area Air Quality Management hotline - 1-800-334-6367
Contra Costa County's Lori Braunesreither, Department of Health
EMAIL: Lori Braunesreither. Direct Phone: 925-692-2528

Nicole Ewing, Richmond Code Enforcement (510-621-1591)

Bielle Moore, Republic Services community affairs manager
PHONES: (510-262-7547 or 510-205-4908)
Email: Bielle Moore

KTVU reports on Republic Services

   OAKLAND - KTVU television Thursday broadcast a story about the cease-and-desist order from Contra Costa County that instructed Republic Services to immediately stop accepting compostable material at its Parr Road facility in Richmond.
   The county's action was announced Tuesday night, moments in advance of a Richmond City Council study session about the ongoing problems of noxious odors emanating from Republic.
   Click here for The Point's Wednesday's story about the study session and the county's action issuing its order: COUNTY ORDERS REPUBLIC.

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KTVU television's report:

     RICHMOND (KTVU) -- Contra Costa county health officials have issued a cease-and-desist order to a Richmond composting facility after hundreds of people complained about terrible smells from the facility.

     Inspectors recently visited the site and say they found unsafe conditions at the facility, indicating serious operational problems at the facility.

     Marilyn Underwood, the county's environmental health director, said the plant handles green waste from west and central Contra Costa County, including waste from residents in Richmond and Walnut Creek.

     Follow this link for the rest of the KTVU story: KTVU REPORTS

Republic Services says raw compost material on Parr Road site within limits

  POINT RICHMOND - Republic Services area manager for post-collection services told the Point Richmond Neighborhood Council Wednesday night that piles of raw compost material at its Parr Road facility - the material pointed to by several public agencies as the most likely source of the foul smells that have plagued the area for months - have been within legally allowed limits.
     "We were within our limits all during our process," Don Litchfield said.

Republic Services' Don Litchfield

     Litchfield's statement was in reference to questions from the audience about a Nov. 30, 2016 report from the Contra Costa County Environmental Health Department that said the company was way beyond its permitted amount.
     "In some cases, the amount of material on site greatly exceeded that allowable by the RFI (Report of Facility Information)," the report says. "For example, the maximum amount of 'curing compost' allowed onsite is 32,000 cubic yards, but 359,054 cubic yards were found during an Aug. 9, 2016 inspection..."

     That same report - made public at the Weds. Dec, 7, 2016  PRNC meeting - also pointed to a Sept. 22, 2016 event that kicked off a string of more that 400 hundred complaints from area residents about the noxious odor that has been blamed for headaches, sore throats and nausea.
     ..."The operator moved a large amount of organic material from the compost piles and spread it on the south, west and north facing slopes of the closed landfill, reportedly as an erosion control measure," the report says. The disturbed material ... released odors that were detected by numerous West County residents, in some cases more than 5 miles away."
     Republic Services blamed the discrepancy between county estimates of raw compost on site and its own calculations on the way the windrow piles of raw material are measured.
 
   PRNC members  - and others who packed the Point Richmond Community Center for the meeting - also questioned how safe the air is when laden with the odors that at times have caused Point residents to stay inside their homes to avoid breathing the fumes.
     "There are 105 VOCs (volatile organic compounds) that can come out of compost," Point resident Bill Nadal said.
     "Why are we the parakeets in the mine?"
     The PRNC meeting came just one day after Contra Costa County health officials issued a cease-and-desist order, telling Republic Services to stop taking any more green waste and to prepare a new Report of Facility Information about its composting practices.
     The green waste that would have gone to the Parr Road facility is being trucked to other Republic Services composting facilities in the interim, Litchfield said.
     The county's order was announced at the beginning of a Richmond City Council discussion of the odor problems Tuesday night.

     The City of Richmond will be taking up Republic's city use permit in coming months including a review of how much raw material Republic is allowed to have on site at any given time, city planning director Richard Mitchell told the council.
     Wayne Kino of the BAAQMD told the council air quality officials are concerned about what will happen when Republic starts moving the large mounds of material already on site, material he said officials are worried has already begun to go septic.
     "There are going to be a lot of issues as they break up those piles," Kino said.
Wednesday's PRNC discussion about the odors also included comments from officials from Chevron as well as Joe Doser, a county supervising environmental health specialist.

County orders Republic Services to stop accepting green waste for composting

  RICHMOND -  Contra Costa County has ordered Republic Services' Parr Road facility to stop accepting green waste for its composting operation, starting today.
   The cease and desist order - delivered to the company at 5 p.m. Tuesday - also includes a requirement that the company provide information about how it will operate in the future to avoid the noxious odors that have plagued the area since last summer.
   The announcement about the county's order came during a Richmond City Council study session about the bad smells.
   "Basically we are calling it a time out," Marilyn Underwood of the county environmental health department said. The order is open-ended and won't be lifted until the county is satisfied the problem of smells - and other health-related concerns - are taken care of, she added.
   In the interim, green waste that would normally be taken to Republic's Richmond facility will be diverted to Milpitas and other Republic facilities.

  The council study session came after months of complaints by area residents of a foul odor that has been was blamed for various health issues including headaches, sore throats and nausea.
   Since early fall the facility has been cited six times for creating a public nuisance, Wayne Kino, director of compliance for the Bay Area Air Quality Municipal District said.

County health, Bay Area air quality and recycling officials brief the City Council Tuesday

   The Republic Services timeout also comes as the City of Richmond is preparing to review the city-issued use permit for the facility.
   Richmond Planning Director Richard Mitchell said the city will be looking at Republic's operation to see if its current acceptance of green waste has exceeded what is allowable under its permit.
   In July, county environmental health inspectors discovered that that facility had 10 times the allowable amount of material on site - and that much of that raw compost had gone sour.
   "We still have serious concerns," Joe Doser of the county environmental health department told the council.

  Richmond Mayor Tom Butt - who asked the council to hold Tuesday's study session - said that at a tour of the facility last week, he and city manager Bill Lindsay observed that only a fraction of the raw composting material was being processed in a newly installed system.
   The balance was stacked in huge piles awaiting processing.
   "It smelled pretty rank," Butt said.
   BAAQMD's Kino said that his agency was concerned that the windrows Butt referenced are already going septic.
   "There are going to be a lot of issues as they break up those piles," Kino said.

  Tonight the Point Richmond Neighborhood Council is scheduled to hear a presentation from Republic Services about its new composting system installed early this year.
   There is also expected to be discussion about whether Republic is meeting its contract obligations to the West Contra Costa Integrated Waste Management Authority - an issue brought up Tuesday night by Stan Hakes of Recyclemore.
   The PRNC meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Point Richmond Community Center and is open to the public.

By Michael J. Fitzgerald

City Council, PRNC plan 'odor' meetings

  RICHMOND - The Richmond City Council and the Point Richmond Neighborhood Council this week in separate meetings will discuss the ongoing noxious odor problems that have plagued Point Richmond, Richmond and surrounding communities since early fall.
   The city council has a special study session on the issue planned for Tuesday, starting at 6:30 p.m. at the Community Services Building, 440 Civic Center Plaza in Richmond.
   The PRNC's meeting will be Wednesday, beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the Point Richmond Community Center.
   Both meetings are open to the public.

   The city council's meeting is a special study session devoted specifically to discuss the problem of the noxious odors. 
   Representatives from Contra Costa County, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District as well as Richmond City officials will be on hand to discuss their findings with the council.
   Last week the city posted a report about the foul odors on the city website: CITY REPORT ON ODORS.

   The BAAQMD and city officials believe the most likely source of the foul smells that have wafted over the area is the composting operation managed by Republic Services on Parr Road.   The company earlier this summer was found to have more than 10 times the amount of raw compost on site than it was permitted for.
   Local residents have filed more than 400 complaints about the smell while also reporting health issues including sore throats, sinus problems and headaches.
   The PRNC will have representatives of Republic Services at its meeting to report on the company's composting operations and to answer questions from the PRNC and the public. 
   Chevron officials have also been invited to attend.

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CONTACT INFORMATION:

Chevron company odor hotline: 510-242-2127
Bay Area Air Quality Management hotline - 1-800-334-6367
Contra Costa County's Lori Braunesreither, Department of Health
EMAIL: Lori Braunesreither. Direct Phone: 925-692-2528

Nicole Ewing, Richmond Code Enforcement (510-621-1591)

Bielle Moore, Republic Services community affairs manager
PHONES: (510-262-7547 or 510-205-4908)
Email: Bielle Moore

City Council meeting set on odor problems

   RICHMOND - The Richmond City Council will have a special study session Tuesday (Jan. 24) starting at 6:30 p.m. to discuss the ongoing noxious odor problems that have plagued Point Richmond, Richmond and surrounding communities since early fall.
     The meeting is open to the public and will be held at the Community Services Building, 440 Civic Center Plaza in Richmond.
    The special meeting is expected to include representatives from Contra Costa County and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District as well as Richmond City officials. Earlier this week the City of Richmond posted a brief report on the city website with links to 10 separate documents related to the city's response to the problem.
    Here is the link to that posting: CITY REPORT ON ODORS.
   
  The BAAQMD and city officials believe the most likely source of the foul smells that have wafted over the area is the composting operation managed by Republic Services on Parr Road.   The company earlier this summer was found to have more than 10 times the amount of raw compost on site that it was permitted for.
    Much of that material was believed to have gone sour, prompting the stench that has flooded the area anytime the raw compost was moved. Since early fall, Republic has been moving the material directly to a Republic owned landfill in Pittsburgh. A new composting system - touted by Republic as being vastly superior to its former system of "windrows" - has been in place since Jan. 1. But several large piles of raw composting material remain on site.
   
 One issue the council is expected to discuss is if Republic Services is simply overwhelmed with too much raw composting material at the facility and can't process it adequately. Republic Services is accepting green waste for its composting operation from areas beyond Point Richmond and Richmond.
    Local residents have filed more than 400 complaints about the smell while also reporting health issues including sore throats, sinus problems and headaches.
    Following Tuesday's meeting, the Point Richmond Neighborhood Council will be taking up the matter at its meeting Wednesday, beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the Point Richmond Community Center. The PRNC has Republic Services officials on the agenda.
   The PRNC has also invited Chevron officials to attend.

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CONTACT INFORMATION:

Chevron company odor hotline: 510-242-2127
Bay Area Air Quality Management hotline - 1-800-334-6367
Contra Costa County's Lori Braunesreither, Department of Health
EMAIL: Lori Braunesreither. Direct Phone: 925-692-2528

Nicole Ewing, Richmond Code Enforcement (510-621-1591)

Bielle Moore, Republic Services community affairs manager
PHONES: (510-262-7547 or 510-205-4908)
Email: Bielle Moore

Republic Services rate hike on city agenda

  POINT RICHMOND - A member of the Richmond City Council has agreed with citizen requests to remove a consent calendar item from the council's Tuesday meeting agenda, that would grant a rate increase for Republic Services.
   The rate increase is listed on the agenda among 18 consent calendar items. Consent calendar items are considered non-controversial and are usually approved in a single motion by the city council.
   (Link to the Republic Services item: Republic Services rate hike - I7 on the consent agenda.)
   When pulled from the consent calendar and put on the regular agenda, the council can discuss the rate hike as well as allow public discussion - if it so choses.
   The Richmond City Council meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Community Services Building, 440 Civic Center Plaza.

    The rate hike for Republic comes amid numerous reports of the return of noxious odors - similar to what Point residents have complained about since September.

   More than 400 citizen complaints have been filed with various local government entities as well as Republic Services directly.
  Republic's ongoing composting operation has been identified by Bay Area air quality officials as the likely source of the foul smells.
 
   Republic Services this fall held two meetings with Point residents, explaining that the company was trying to get rid of a massive pile of sour compost by trucking it to another Republic landfill near Pittsburgh.
   By January, Republic said all of the suspect compost had been removed and the company had installed a new system for treating compost. Company officials assured people at both meetings that the new composting system was nearly guaranteed to be odor free for residents.
   But in the past week residents have reported smelling the strong fumes again to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, the Contra Costa County Health Department and City of Richmond Code enforcement.
   The city council meeting comes slightly more than a week before the Point Richmond Neighborhood Council's scheduled meeting Wednesday Jan. 25.
   Among a variety of items, the PRNC is expected to discuss the noxious fumes that have continued to plague Point Richmond, Richmond and are now drawing reports of bad smells from other neighboring communities.
   The PRNC has Republic Services on the agenda to give an update about its transfer station and composting operation on Parr Road. Officials from Chevron have also been invited.
   The PRNC meeting is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Point Richmond Community Center and is open to the public.

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CONTACT INFORMATION:

Chevron company odor hotline: 510-242-2127
Bay Area Air Quality Management hotline - 1-800-334-6367
Contra Costa County's Lori Braunesreither, Department of Health
EMAIL: Lori Braunesreither. Direct Phone: 925-692-2528

Nicole Ewing, Richmond Code Enforcement (510-621-1591)

Bielle Moore, Republic Services community affairs manager
PHONES: (510-262-7547 or 510-205-4908)
Email: Bielle Moore

New Marina Way south housing project

   POINT RICHMOND - The planned Richmond-to-San Francisco ferry service has been described as a game changer in support of a developer's plans for a new housing project underway in Marina Bay, at 830 Marina Way South.
     (Here is a link to an earlier story about the SF Bay ferry: FERRY SERVICE TO SF.)
     The project is close to where the new ferry will dock when it begins operating in 2018.
     Details about the 10-acre project - which is projected to have 100 town homes and 98 "live-work" units - were published today in the East Bay Times.
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From the East Bay Times

Former warehouse to become new housing

    By Karina Ioffee

     RICHMOND — A former industrial warehouse site will soon become live-work units and town homes, part of Richmond’s ongoing development of its shoreline that has drawn considerable interest from both home buyers and developers.

     In late December, crews began work cleanup on the 10-acre property in the Marina Bay neighborhood and less than half a mile from the waterfront and a ferry terminal set to begin operations in 2018.

     “We felt there was quite a bit of potential in this area and think the ferry will be a game-changer,” said Matt Hamilton, project manager with Development Solutions Seascape LLC, based in Newport Beach, which is developing the property. “It is one of the last relatively affordable areas in the core Bay Area ring.”

LINK to the rest of the story

Chevron eyed as one source of foul smells

   POINT RICHMOND - The East Bay Times reported late Friday that officials are "zeroing in" on the Chevron Refinery in Richmond as the likely source of at least some of the noxious odors  experienced in Richmond, Point Richmond and across the Bay in San Francisco in late December.

FROM THE EAST BAY TIMES, January 6, 2017:

By Karina Ioffee

     RICHMOND — Air district officials are zeroing in on the Chevron refinery in Richmond as the source of foul odors detected in San Francisco and Richmond, with fines against the company likely, according to one member of the district’s board of directors.

    The refinery experienced two flaring incidents, one on Dec. 27, shortly before midnight, and the other Dec. 28 around 8:45 p.m., according to a report issued by the refinery for Contra Costa County health officials. One of the flaring incidents was not reported for at least 12 hours, violating state law, according to John Gioia, a Contra Costa County supervisor and member of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District board.

    Gioia said in a phone interview Friday that air district officials now believe that the flaring incidents were responsible for the odors that were reported in San Francisco and Richmond.

For the rest of the story, click HERE.