Flaring prompts false community alert

Linda Hemmila

Jul 29, 2025 - 1 min read

Brief flaring from Chevron's Richmond refinery this afternoon triggered an unintentional level-two community alert, which was sent out to area residents.

Officials at the refinery say the notification was issued accidentally and was intended to be a level-one alert, indicating no community response was necessary as crews worked to resolve an issue causing the flaring.

"A Community Warning System (CWS) Level 2 notification was mistakenly issued, which automatically prompted a public advisory. A correction has been made. Chevron Richmond is experiencing flaring, and our workforce is working quickly to minimize and stop the flaring. It should have been a Level 1 notification. There is no emergency response or community action required," said Catlin Powell, a spokesperson for Chevron.

Contra Costa County has issued an all-clear notification, and flaring at the refinery has been halted.

Real-time air quality data can be found at richmondairmonitoring.org.

SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM - SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Grandview Independent needs your financial support to continue delivering the news that matters to our community. Quality journalism costs money, and we can't do it without readers like you.

SUBSCRIBE NOW and get:
• Unlimited access to all articles
• Newsletters with exclusive content
• The satisfaction of backing independent local news that serves your community

CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE - Starting at just $10/month

FOLLOW US FOR BREAKING NEWS:
• Twitter: @GrandviewIndy
• Instagram: @GrandviewIndependent
• Facebook: @Grandview Independent