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Contra Costa County HAZMAT ombudsman outlines role; Martinez incident reports due to ISO ad hoc Sept. 29
Summary
Deputy health officer Lisa Rodello described the HAZMAT ombudsman as a county point of contact for environmental health concerns while county staff said final Martinez Refining technical reports will be brought to an ISO ad hoc meeting on Sept. 29 after the public comment period closed July 21.
Lisa Rodello, one of Contra Costa County’s deputy health officers and the county’s HAZMAT ombudsman, told the Hazardous Materials Commission that she and her team will “serve as a single point of contact for people who live and work in Contra Costa County,” helping investigate environmental health concerns, facilitate resolutions and provide information about programs and procedures.
The presentation, delivered to the commission during a regular meeting, emphasized outreach and transparency as central functions of the ombudsman. Rodello said the position is housed in the health department’s director’s office and will act as an independent advocate to promote accountability and connect community members with subject-matter staff.
Nicole Heath, director of hazardous materials programs, reported on two active follow-ups related to refinery incidents. ``The public notice periods for the toxicologist report and the root cause analysis incident investigation for Martinez Refining Company had ended July 21,'' Heath said, and staff will assemble responses to public comments and bring a final draft to the ISO ad hoc committee on Sept. 29. Heath added that edits will be made as necessary and that any Board of Supervisors comments will need to be addressed before a final administrative package is completed.
Commissioners pressed staff on the ombudsman’s scope: whether the office is intended for chronic health concerns, acute incidents, or both. Rodello and Heath said the ombudsman will accept chronic and acute health-impact reports and act as a liaison to county response teams and technical experts, but they emphasized that active emergencies should still be reported through emergency-response channels (911, Confire or the county hazardous materials response line) so responders can act immediately.
Heath also said the county will post the consultants’ materials online and circulate the final reports and presentations to the ISO ad hoc committee. Separately, staff said they are recruiting for one accidental-release-prevention engineer and two hazardous materials specialist positions and will introduce the new hires to the commission when onboarding is complete.
The next procedural milestone for the Martinez work is the ISO ad hoc review scheduled for Sept. 29; staff will notify the public when materials are available online.
