■ Supervisors seek to facilitate ‘conversation’ Monday on hot-button issue

Solano County Board of Supervisors is hoping the public will join in a “community conversation” on railroad safety Monday night.

Solano County has 73 miles of railroad line within its borders, District 2 Supervisor Linda Seifert said. She is both board chairperson and Benicia’s representative on the panel.

“The evening is about having a community conversation about our preparedness and the potential impacts from an incident along our railways,” Seifert said.

She described the meeting as beginning with a series of brief presentations, after which those attending would be divided into groups that will have guided discussions on the topics raised by those presentations.

Those conversations are “designed to raise awareness of the existing safety measures already in place throughout the county and to identify potential gaps and mitigations based on potential changes in rail traffic,” Seifert said.

Among those who have been asked to speak are representatives from the Solano County Office of Emergency Services, the Solano County Fire Chiefs Association, Valero Benicia Refinery, Union Pacific Railroad, local air quality management districts and the offices of U.S. Rep. John Garamendi, D-Fairfield, and state Sen. Lois Wolk, D-Davis.

September is National Emergency Preparedness Month, Seifert noted.

In addition, the board chose this month for the meeting because Benicia is hearing a request by Valero Benicia Refinery for approval of a project to extend Union Pacific track on refinery property so crude oil can be brought in by train.

“We know emergency responders from across the county, including the Hazardous Materials Response Team, are prepared for a wide array of potential incidents,” she said.

“Proposals to process crude oil delivered by rail will change the mix of materials coming into and passing through Solano County. It is only prudent for us to explore how to increase our capability to handle the risks associated with these changes.”

The meeting will take place from 6-8:30 p.m. Monday in the Board of Supervisors Chambers at the Solano County Administration Center, 675 Texas St., Fairfield.

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