Tag Archives: Public permitting

Benicia Planning Commission, Crude By Rail, Public permitting, Revised Draft EIR (RDEIR), Valero Benicia Refinery, Valero Crude By Rail

Public comment period on Valero Crude-by-Rail RDEIR extended by one day

Repost from the Vallejo Times-Herald

Public comment period on Benicia’s revised Crude-by-Rail report extended

By Times-Herald staff report, 09/01/15, 5:46 PM PDT

Benicia >> The city announced Tuesday afternoon that the public comment period for the revised report on the Valero’s proposed Crude-by-Rail project has been extended by a day.

“Due to the delay in the distribution of the Notice of Availability for the Revised Draft EIR (environment impact report) via mail,” the period has been extended to 5 p.m. on Oct. 16, according to the announcement.

The report was redistributed to the public Monday after comments from the public when the draft was first released in June, 2014.

The proposed project, would allow Valero Benicia Refinery to transport crude oil through Benicia via two 50-tanker car trains, rather than shipping the crude oil by boat. It will not replace the crude that is transported by pipeline.

The revised portions of the report are subject to a 45-day public comment period.

The Planning Commission will hold a formal public hearing to receive comments on the revised report on Sept. 29.

In anticipation of the number of speakers, additional Planning Commission meetings to receive comments are scheduled for Sept. 30, Oct. 1, and Oct. 8.

These additional meetings will only be held as necessary to hear public comment. All meetings will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, Benicia City Hall, at 250 East L St.

No action on the projects will be taken at these meetings, staff said.

Comments may be provided at the public hearing, or may be submitted in writing, no later than the new deadline.

Written comments should be submitted to amillion@ci.benicia.ca.us or Principal Planner Amy Million at the Community Development Department 250 East L St.

The report can be reviewed at the Benicia Public Library, 150 East L St.; the Community Development Department, 250 East L St.; or here.

Bakken Crude, Crude By Rail, Derailment, Explosion, Public Health, Public permitting, Public Safety, Valero Crude By Rail, Wildlife

BENICIA HERALD LETTER: Thanks for opposing views of Valero Crude-by-Rail Project

Repost from the Benicia Herald
[Editor:  No link is provided for this letter because the Benicia Herald does not publish Letters in its online edition. – RS]

Thanks for opposing views of Valero Crude-by-Rail Project

By Georgia Taylor Benedict, September 1, 2015, Benicia Herald

Thank you for two thought-provoking columns in the Sunday, Aug. 30 (“Benicia: Not exactly a smart, green city,” by Grant Cooke and “Crude by rail can be solution to Benicia’s budget woes,” by Dan Broadwater).  Mr. Cooke and Mr. Broadwater presented opposing view of the Valero Crude-by-Rail Project.  What was obvious was that Mr. Cooke’s analysis was far more inclusive than that of Mr. Broadwater.

The most obvious point Mr. Broadwater (writing in favor of crude by rail) failed to address was the inherent and demonstrated danger to communities, waterways, wildlife and natural habitats caused for transporting highly volatile Bakken crude over thousands of miles.  Trains derail, leak, and spill fuel and highly toxic crude oil with what appears to be alarming frequency.

The risk to the city of Benicia of a deadly explosion or highly polluted air if this project is approved is not a matter of if but when.  To support this project because it may create 20 long-term jobs is laughable.

I sincerely hope that our elected city officials will deny Valero’s proposal after due consideration.  To fail to do so could be catastrophic for our lovely town.

Crude By Rail, Local Regulation, Public permitting, Revised Draft EIR (RDEIR), Valero Benicia Refinery, Valero Crude By Rail

Valero Benicia Crude by Rail: RDEIR now available, links here

Project Documents: Valero Crude by Rail

By Roger Straw, Benicia Independent Editor, 8/31/15
UPDATED September 4, 2015

Here you can download documents from the City of Benicia’s website.  They are the official documents submitted by Valero and/or prepared by City consultants, including the Report itself, eight appendices and ninety (!) reference documents.  (Documents submitted by citizens and others commenting on the proposal may be found on our Project Review page.)  Caution: many of these are huge downloads.

The Recirculated Draft EIR – released August 31, 2015
Benicia Herald, Benicia Planning Commission, Crude By Rail, Public permitting, Valero Benicia Refinery, Valero Crude By Rail

Benicia publishes Notice of Availability & Public Hearings on Valero Crude by Rail

By Roger Straw, Editor, Sunday, August 30, 2015

An official notice appeared in the Benicia Herald today regarding the proposed Valero Crude By Rail project.  The newspaper notice details plans to release and recirculate the Revised Draft Environmental Impact Report and to hold hearings on the new report.

The City of Benicia arranged for the Benicia Herald to publish this in its Sunday 8/30/15 edition, but it is not yet available online.  I am providing a scanned version is available here .  (UPDATE: See the City’s  online version here.)

SIGNIFICANT HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE TEXT

  • In response to requests made in comments on the DEIR,  the City is issuing this RDEIR to consider potential Impacts that could occur uprail of Roseville, California (i.e., between a crude oil train’s point of origin and the California State border, and from the border to Roseville)  AND  to supplement the DEIR’s evaluation of the potential consequences of upsets or accidents involving crude oil trains based on new information that has become available since the DEIR was published .  In order to allow the public and interested agencies the opportunity to review this information, the City has elected to recirculate  certain portions  of the DEIR.
  • SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT:  …The environmental analysis conducted to date indicates that  there would be a significant and unavoidable impact associated with air quality and greenhouse gas emissions, hazards and hazardous materials, and biological resources .  The impacts associated with all other environmental issues either would be less than significant or would be reduced to a less-than-significant level with the incorporation of mitigation measures.
  • AVAILABILITY AND PUBLIC REVIEW PERIOD:  … 45-day public review period beginning on Monday, August 31, 2015 and ending at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 15, 2015 .
  • Because the proposed revisions to the DEIR affect only portions of the analysis, the City is recirculating only those affected portions for public review. Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15088.5(f)(2),  anyone wishing to submit comments on the RDEIR should limit those comments to the revised portions shown In Chapter 2 of the RDEIR  (Revisions to the Draft Environmental Impact Report).
  • PUBLIC HEARINGS:  …  The City of Benicia Planning Commission will hold a formal public hearing to receive comments on the RDEIR on September 29, 2015. In anticipation of the number of speakers, additional Planning Commission meetings to receive comments on the RDEIR are scheduled for September 30, October 1, and October 8, 2015 .  These additional meetings will only be held as necessary to hear public comment.  All meetings will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, Benicia City Hall , located at 250 East L Street, Benicia, CA 94510.  Comments on the RDEIR may be provided at the public hearing or may be submitted in writing, no later than 5:00 p.m., on Thursday, October 15, 2015.
  • All written comments should be provided to:

Amy Million, Principal Planner
Community Development Department
250 East L Street, Benicia, CA 94510
amillion@.benicia.ca.us
(707) 747-1637 (fax)
NOTE: The comment period on the DEIR ended on September 15, 2014 and the City Is in receipt of comments previously submitted so  there is no need to resubmit comments previously provided .