(The following story by Tony Burchyns appeared on the Times-Herald website on May 19, 2009.)
VALLEJO, Calif. — Bay Area air district officials said Monday that a tank malfunction at the Valero refinery in Benicia sickened two nearby Union Pacific workers early Friday.
Valero officials initially said the tank problem may or may not have produced the odor to which the railroad workers were exposed.
But an investigation found that hydrocarbon leaks on tank hatches were the main odor source, a Bay Area Air Quality Management District report concluded last weekend.
Valero officials say the odor was not harmful to the public.
Air-district officials said lab results are expected today that could determine what caused the problem. The results will be shared with public health agencies, the district said.
The inspection followed two medical emergencies reported at about 4 a.m. Friday from the Union Pacific office on Industrial Way. Two railroad employees, a man and a woman, reported feeling sick after being exposed to an unusual odor that smelled “like onions” that they thought came from the refinery.
The workers were treated on the scene and transported to a local hospital, where they were treated and later released.