Benicia City Council, Crude By Rail, Public permitting, Surface Transportation Board, Valero Benicia Refinery, Valero Crude By Rail

Benicia City Council written transcripts: April 18, April 19 hearings on Valero Crude by Rail

By Roger Straw, June 2, 2016

CITY COUNCIL WRITTEN TRANSCRIPTS – APR. 18-19 HEARINGS

Benicia, CaliforniaToday, after a lengthy delay, the City of Benicia posted written transcripts of the City Council’s April hearings on Valero Crude by Rail: April 18 transcript and April 19 transcript.  (Note that Valero was in possession of these transcripts before they were released to the public. See Valero’s May 31 petition to the Surface Transportation Board, Exhibit 6, pp. 93-96.)

The documents are fully indexed and searchable. Unlike earlier Planning Commission transcripts, which were released in two formats (full and condensed/indexed), these documents are full, unindexed transcripts.

The April 18 meeting includes final public comments, Valero’s 5-minute closing comment, and the first portion of Councilmember questions of city staff.

The April 19 meeting continues Council questions of staff, and concludes with the Council’s decision to grant Valero’s request for a delay in proceedings until September 20 so that Valero can petition the Surface Transportation Board for a declarative judgement on preemption issues that could prohibit Benicia from denying Valero’s project.