It’s been more than a month since an oil refinery plant in Newark started re-refining oil again after a March fire shut down its operations, but Refinery has yet to be back in full operation.
Plant Manager Bob Gwaltney said the re-refinery and hazardous waste company is currently identifying repairs and replacements needed for portion of the plant, known as Train 1, . Train 2, which runs near Train 1, was back in operation on Oct. 31.
Gwaltney said the plan is to have Train 1 be back in operation in a few weeks.
Both portions of the re-refinery section of the plant, which is located off Smith Street, carry out the same procedures and are made up of similar equipment to transform used oil back into a base oil. Train 1 was built in 1986, while Train 2 was established in 2010.
When at full capacity Evergreen re-refines 400 million gallons of used oil per year through this procedure, Gwaltney said. The used oil comes from numerous vendors throughout the state, including Wal-Mart and Jiffy Lube, and extensive testing of the quality of the oil is conducted throughout the entire process, he added.
Gwaltney said since the fire, the company has and will continue to enhance its community outreach efforts.
The newest feature for residents is the company’s Odor Complaint Hotline. For off-site odor complaints, residents can call 510-608-0180 or email communityoutreach@evergreenoil.com.
Once a complaint is made, it is logged and then forwarded to the shift supervisor in charge at the time of the call. Then an email notification goes out to more staff. Gwaltney said the procedure also can include an Evergreen representative visiting the site where the odor is being reported from.
Evergreen has also established the , a group that will meet quarterly and act as a liason between Newark residents and the oil refinery. Its next meeting will be in February
Evergreen officials said there are still some seats open on the panel. For more information, contact Evergreen Community Relations Manager Denise Glover at dglover@evergreenoil.com or 510-795-4400.
Evergreen’s re-refinery section was immediately shut down March 29 after a thinning pipe and caused a in the re-refinery portion of the plant. It began in Train 1, but also impacted Train 2. One employee suffered from an arm injury as a result of the fire.
Investigation of the fire found that the blaze damaged pumps, wiring and other equipment. By late August, 200 feet of pipeline was replaced using stainless steel, a material less subject to corrosion.
