A Chevron oil refinery in Richmond, Cali. dumped an estimated 600 gallons of petroleum into San Francisco Bay yesterday. The leak was not detected until an oil sheen on the water near the refinery was noticed around 3 p.m. Many local residents complained of the fumes from the spill, which eventually washed up onshore. “It smelled like somebody spilled gasoline in front of my house. It smelled very very badly for [the] whole day,” Margaret Berczynski, told ABC7-KGO. “I’m really devastated. I cannot take my kids to the water. … I’m really scared,” she added. Officials warned the fumes could cause ear, nose, and throat irritation.

Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia harshly criticized the refinery. “It is unacceptable to have this happen in our community,” he said. An oil spill like this, he added, “causes harm to people’s health. It causes harm to bird life, wildlife and marine life.” The cause of the spill is still unknown. (ABC-7 KGO News, East Bay Times, KTU, SFGate, KCRA Sacramento, KPIX-CBS5, San Francisco Chronicle)