Chevron oil spill fouls up San Francisco Bay
An oil spill at a Chevron refinery near San Francisco deposited hundreds of gallons of oil into San Francisco Bay on Tuesday afternoon.
The spill at Chevron’s Richmond, Calif., refinery was noticed around 3 p.m. local time, according to a statement from the plant. Chevron did not say how the spill started.
The leak spilled about five gallons per minute and was stopped around 4:40 p.m., local ABC affiliate KGO reported. Based on the time estimates, approximately 500 gallons of oil spilled into the bay.
A minor health alert was issued for the area, which said people with respiratory sensitivities may experience irritation as a result of the spill.
Chevron and the Richmond fire department placed booms to contain and clean up the remaining oil in the bay, which stretched about a mile south of the refinery, according to the fire department.
