The local refinery is hitting the pause button on one of its units. According to a Facebook post by the Martinez Refining Company, they're shutting things down temporarily to do some maintenance work. The process won’t be overnight – it will take a few days, and during this time, there will be some flaring. This is all part of their safety procedures.

For those living nearby, you should know this isn't a free-for-all. The company stresses that the flaring is all about burning off excess gases cleanly and safely controlled and treated process gas we're talking about here, so they're not just blowing smoke. They've looped in the relevant agencies, so everyone who needs to be in the know is. Once the unit is down, more work will be done, with the employees and contractors rolling up their sleeves for a few weeks before the eventual restart.

When the time comes to fire things up again, expect more flaring as part of the process. Martinez Refining Company wants to reassure everyone that this, too, is about combusting that process gas in the safest way possible. They're not trying to sneak anything by; agencies will get a heads-up, and the community will be clued in with another update before the restart. They've even posted links on their Facebook for anyone curious about flaring or wanting to watch the real-time air quality measurements right at the refinery's edge.

If you've got questions or you're chewing your nails about what’s going down, Martinez Refining Company's got a phone number for community inquiries, and they're keeping the line open - dial them up at 925-313-3777 or catch them after hours at 925-313-3601, they've made a point of saying they want to hear from you if you've got something to say.