May 1, 2016   http://martinezgazette.com/archives/25369

According to Ann Notarangelo, external relations manager, “it is a series of planned activities for maintenance at the facility. There may be some noise, minimal flaring and additional lighting.

“We also expect more vehicles on the roads near the refinery due to a temporary increase in our workforce during this period. The areas where we expect to see more commute vehicles in the mornings and afternoons are:

– Marina Vista between I-680 and Shell Avenue and on

– Pacheco Blvd between I-680 to near Howe Road.

“We are mobilizing resources to address any potential traffic impacts. In addition, we have carefully planned this work to minimize any impact to our neighbors, so we hope that apart from noticing the additional activity, this will not cause any issues for you.”

Notarangelo told residents “if any of this activity is disruptive to you, or if you have a question or comment, we hope you will call our environmental hotline at (925) 313-3777. You can also follow what’s going on, at our Facebook page “Shell Refinery in Martinez” or on Twitter at “Shell_Martinez”.

Notarangelo added that the last few weeks some residents have complained about lengthy traffic delays on Marina Vista because of Union Pacific switching trains during morning commutes. Some Shell employees were also caught in the delays.

Some of the delays involved Shell cargo and some of the shipments were headed to other locations. Notarangelo said Shell has contacted Union Pacific and “explained the problem of blocking a roadway for any significant length of time and the sensitivity of commute hours. Government laws determine the length of time a train can block a road to 20 minutes.”

“Union Pacific has shared a phone number with us to pass along to you, in case you are caught in a delay and would like to report it.

Union Pacific Railroad Management Command Center: 888-877-7267”