BENICIA, Calif. - Two Union Pacific workers in Benicia were treated at a Bay Area hospital Friday morning (May 15) after smelling an unusual odor originally thought to have come from the Valero refinery, city officials told the San Jose Mercury News.
Valero ordered tests and initially said the odor did not come from the refinery, but outside agencies have been called to investigate and it was learned that a seal leak on a floating tank lid had occurred, city officials said.
No immediate public health threat has been identified, city officials said.
Paramedics responded at 7 a.m. to 3800 Industrial Way, where two railroad workers complained of headaches and general weakness. The patients said they smelled an unusual odor, "like onions," at about 4 a.m., the Benicia Fire Department reported.
The workers, a man and a woman, were treated at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek and released.
Valero sent a supervisor to take air samples after the incident was reported, concluding that the odor had not come from the refinery in Benicia. However, after further discussions with Valero officials, city authorities learned about the seal leak, which had occurred at 2:30 a.m., city officials said.
The Solano County Resource Management and Bay Area Air Quality Management District were investigating, city officials said.
(This item appeared May 18, 2009, in the Mercury News.)
Oh did anybody see my lunch bag? I think I may have left it in the icebox on that Roseville train... I was the old ladies moms ginzo sausage peppers and onions.
