Air District will require Valero to expand fenceline monitoring program after “significant incidents” that polluted surrounded community, including a gasoil release in Dec. 2021
The Valero refinery, seen in this archival photo, has been idled but new fenceline monitors are slated to be installed in surrounding areas. (Adobe)
The settlement resolves 118 notices issued by the air pollution regulator for violations that occurred between 2019 and 2023, according to Kristine Roselius, a spokesperson for the Air District. In addition to the penalty, Valero will be required to expand its fenceline air quality monitoring program, and provide public access to and reporting of the monitoring data.
Reposted with permission, The Benicia Bridge Excellent reporting from Benicia’s newest award-winning journalism duo, Monica Vaughan and Laura López González. – Roger Straw Learn more and subscribe to the newsletter here.
[BenIndy Editor: The following is excerpted from part 1 of a Stephen Golub interview of Benicia Fire Chief Josh Chadwick as it appeared in the Benicia Herald today, April 26. The whole interview is interesting , but especially so at the end when addressing Benicia’s Industrial Safety Ordinance (ISO) and the idling and transition of Benicia Valero Refinery.]
Stephen Golub interview with Chief Chadwick: the ISO & Valero as it transitions to a tank farm
The stacks at Benicia’s Valero refinery .
By Stephen Golub, The Benicia Herald, April 26, 2026
GOLUB: You played a large part in crafting Benicia’s Industrial Safety Ordinance, which was adopted by the City Council last year. When you first started as a firefighter, did you have any expectations that you could end up doing anything like that?
CHADWICK: Firefighters are trained in hazardous materials response. We are also training in air monitoring, which is the realm of confined space rescue. But being asked to develop an Industrial Safety Ordinance is not the norm. I have good working relationships with many other fire chiefs, and none of them deal with this issue
GOLUB: Particularly given that the ISO’s implementation has been affected by Valero’s decision to idle the refinery, do you have any thoughts on how that implementation is going? Any thoughts on its implementation or challenges going forward?
CHADWICK: Overall, the implementation is going well. I understand there may be some in the community who would like to see more visible progress, but significant work has been happening behind the scenes. This is a new program for Benicia, so there is naturally a ramp-up period.
We also didn’t truly get started until after the ordinance development process was complete. It was approved by the council in April 2025, but it didn’t take effect for another 120 days, and finalizing the associated fees extended into December. So, in many ways, we’re still in the early stages of implementation.
The idling of the refinery has had more of an indirect impact. Historically, the periods of highest risk for incidents and flaring are during shutdowns und startups, so it was expected that taking the refinery offline would in involve some increased activity. And more broadly, it’s important to recognize that no level of regulation can completely eliminate the risk associated with large industrial operations.
GOLUB: In what ways might Valero’s idling the refinery make the BFD’s work easier? In what ways might it make the work tougher? How might the answers change if Gov. Newsom’s plan for the refinery to transition to becoming an oil storage terminal (“tank farm”) for fuel produced elsewhere goes through? Is it yet clear what will become of Valero’s on-site firefighting personnel and equipment once the facility transitions from a refinery to an oil terminal?
CHADWICK: There are a few different pieces to that.
From a firefighter’s perspective, if refining operations are idled, that generally reduces some of the more complex and high-risk processes we plan for. In general, there is a reduction in pressure and temperature. So, in that sense, it could simplify parts of the risk profile.
That said, it doesn’t eliminate the hazard. Whether it’s a refinery or a fuel terminal, you’re still dealing with large volumes of combustible and flammable liquids. A transition to a tank farm shifts the risk rather than removes it. More focus is on storage, transfer operations, and transportation components. Those come with their own set of challenges and fire protection considerations.
In terms of whether that makes the iob easier or tougher, it’s probably more accurate to say it makes it different. We would need to evaluate the specific operations and adjust our planning, training, and response accordingly.
As for on-site firefighting personnel and equipment, that’s not entirely clear yet. From our standpoint, maintaining a strong on-site fire protection capability is critical given the scale of the hazards, and that’s something we’ve been actively engaged in discussions about.
Swings will be installed at the Playground of Dreams on First Street in Benicia within the next six weeks. The historic wooden play structure at the downtown park requires major restoration work that won’t likely begin until 2030.
Benicia’s Playground of Dreams was built in 1992. Famed playground architect Robert S. Leathers used local schoolchildren’s drawings as inspiration, which gave rise to the structure’s iconic dragon slide. Credit: Benicia Friends of the Playground
Swings are expected to return to downtown’s Playground of Dreams in the next six weeks. The new, donated equipment will be the first swings at the City Park in five years, said Dan Smith of the local nonprofit Benicia Friends of the Playground. Smith was speaking at Tuesday’s City Hall meeting.
… [Continued on The Benicia Bridge…]
Reposted from The Benicia Bridge Excellent reporting from Benicia’s newest award-winning journalism duo, Monica Vaughan and Laura López González. – Roger Straw Learn more and subscribe to the newsletter here.
RETRACTION: “Operation Epstein Fury” letter to the editor on Friday, April 17
By Galen Kusic, Editor, The Benicia Herald, April 22, 2026
The Benicia Herald extends a sincere apology to the Jewish community and all Benicia residents for printing a letter to the editor, “Operation Epstein Fury” by Jake Pickering in the Friday, April 17 edition in the Forum section. Antisemitism should never be tolerated in any form. We are truly sorry for the pain and hurt this letter has caused to the Jewish community and beyond. As editor, this was an egregious oversight and I take full responsibility on behalf of the Herald and staff.
Allowing a platform for baseless conspiracy theories and hateful stereotypes is both dangerous and irresponsible. Benicia celebrates a diverse Jewish community and no one of any ethnic or cultural background deserves to be subjected to these baseless attacks or false generalizations and stereotypes.
Antisemitism is on the rise worldwide, especially in the United States. Let this be a moment to denounce bigotry and hate in all forms. It is my hope that through this editorial blunder, education and awareness can be brought to this issue that unfortunately still largely persists in our society. By drawing attention to the problem, it is my goal that this type of thinking and behavior will one day be eliminated altogether.
Providing a safe space for a robust political discourse is a crucial component of the Herald’s service to the community. Exercising First Amendment rights and free speech is greatly encouraged. The Forum page serves as a vital place for community dialogue and discussion, allowing differing views and opinions.
Unfortunately when this turns to hate, generalized stereotypes and bigoted rhetoric, it ceases to serve that purpose. The Herald failed miserably in this respect on Friday, April 17 by violating its own letter guidelines and printing this hateful letter. I graciously thank all those that have written, called or reached out to share their concerns and point out this bigotry and hate.
Let us all work together to better educate each other and expose hate when it appears. Together, through unity, equality and love we can all help make the world a better place.
The Herald apologizes for any harm caused and prints this retraction and apology on behalf of all those affected.
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