Evergreen Oil Warns Work Will Be Odiferous

Evergreen Oil announced Tuesday that the company’s refinery in Newark, California is performing maintenance work that will produce fragrances.  

The announcement clears confusion about the source of an odor that has wafted through the city all weekend. Some suspected the scent emanated from the bay, while others said it smelled like garlic. It was actually Evergreen Oil.

On Saturday at noon on September 28th, the oil refinery shut down an oil processing line for maintenance. That line will be shut down for 9 more days, while employees clean, repair, and upgrade equipment attached to it.

The company opened equipment for cleaning on Tuesday that produced a “localized nuisance odor,” according to a company spokesperson. 

That equipment is being scrubbed, according to the spokesperson. A second phase of cleaning will take place on Wednesday, October 2nd.  The company said it would be taking actions to neutralize particularly pungent vapors prior to opening the equipment to reduce the chance that nearby residents will be forced to inhale them.

Newark residents can expect to experience the fragrant bouquet of Evergreen again, between October 13th through the 24th, when another shutdown takes place.