Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD), Valero Benicia Refinery

Air District finally planning to share millions of dollars with Benicia in Valero air quality fines

On April 8 the Air District invited us to help decide how those millions of dollars will be spent!
Smoke from the Valero Benicia refinery during a 2017 incident. | Bay Area Air Quality Management District.

For years, Benicians have been calling for the Bay Area Air District to direct some of the millions in violation money collected from refineries to the communities where the refineries are located – the communities that suffer from the harm caused by the violations.

Finally, this year, the Air District is getting serious about sharing those funds. And here in Benicia, the dollars are huge!

Last October, the Air District (and CARB) fined Valero Refining Co. $82 million for Benicia air quality violations! In an email yesterday, Benicia Mayor Steve Young sent out an alert with the subject line, “Help decide how to spend $64 million from the Valero settlement in Benicia.”

Young was referring to an invitation issued by the Air District to fill out a survey and attend an ONLINE WORKSHOP TODAY AT 5PM. Here is the content of the invitation as it appears in the Benicia City Manager’s latest newsletter:

Help Shape How Millions in Community Funds Are Spent – Take the Survey or Join the Workshop!

The Bay Area Air District has established a new Community Investments Office to help direct funding from enforcement actions into projects that benefit communities most impacted by air pollution across the Bay Area. Your voice is critical in shaping how these funds will be distributed.

We’re reaching out to ask for your input in two ways:

    • Take a brief survey to share your thoughts on community priorities, funding needs, and more: Take the Survey
    • Join us for a virtual community workshop on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, from 5:00– 6:00 PM to learn more and walk through the survey together.
Workshop Details
Date: Tuesday, April 8, 2025
Time: 5:00-6:00 PM
Join via Zoom

More information is available at the new: Community Investments Office web page

If you have questions, feel free to reach out to communityinvestments@baaqmd.gov.

Thank you for helping shape a cleaner, healthier future for our communities

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District is the regional agency responsible for protecting air quality in the nine-county Bay Area. Connect with the Air District via X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.