Tag Archives: San Francisco Bay Area

Contra Costa County, Crude By Rail, Local Regulation, Phillips 66, San Francisco Bay Area, Tar sands crude

Rodeo, California: Phillips 66 project faces additional lawsuits

Repost from The Contra Costa Times
[Editor: see also Communities for a Better Environment sues CCCounty and P66 and Lawsuit filed to Stop Tar Sands in the Bay Area.  – RS]

Rodeo: Phillips 66 project faces additional lawsuits

By Tom Lochner, 03/06/2015 06:03:54 AM PST

RODEO — A second organization has sued to block a propane and butane recovery project at a Rodeo refinery, and a third announced it would do so as well Thursday.

Rodeo Citizens Association filed suit Thursday in Contra Costa Superior Court, Martinez against Contra Costa County and the Phillips 66 Co., contending Phillips wants to transport heavy and dirty tar sands crude by rail from outside the state to a sister refinery in San Luis Obispo County and pipe the semi-refined oil to Rodeo. The association further contends that a county-approved Environmental Impact Report fails to note that the project would increase air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

On Wednesday, Communities for a Better Environment sued the county and Phillips 66, contending the project is part of a grander plan to process heavy, dirty tar sands crude that would come to California by rail.

Phillips 66 spokesman Paul Adler said Thursday he had not seen the Rodeo Citizens Association suit and therefore could not comment on it. On Wednesday, commenting on the CBE suit, Adler had called that organization’s allegations “inaccurate and misleading.”

“Following two years of careful analysis by the Contra Costa County board (of Supervisors) and its expert staff, claims that this project is a crude by rail project were dismissed,” Adler said Wednesday.

Also on Thursday, Safe Fuel Energy Resources of California, a group representing workers at the Rodeo refinery, sued the county and Phillips 66 in Superior Court, Martinez, according to an announcement by the firm Public Good PR LLC. The group contends, among other allegations, that Phillips 66 wants to bring in tar sands crude from out-of-state and that the county improperly “piecemealed” its review of the Rodeo project from other Phillips 66 projects and neglected to analyze the cumulative levels of the various projects on air quality and human health and safety.

The timing of Safe Fuel Energy Resources’ filing was not known as of late Thursday.

Benicia CA, Environmental review, Santa Maria Refinery, Valero Benicia Refinery, Valero Crude By Rail

San Luis Obispo Tribune: Benicia to recirculate Valero DEIR

Repost from the San Luis Obispo Tribune
[Editor: Nice to know that the folks in San Luis Obispo (home of Phillips 66 Santa Maria Refinery) are keeping an eye on Benicia….  – RS]

California city plans more study of crude-oil rail shipments

The Associated PressFebruary 4, 2015

BENICIA, Calif. — The city of Benicia is planning further review of a refinery’s plan to move as many as 100 train cars of flammable crude oil daily through Northern California communities.The Sacramento Bee reports (http://bit.ly/1LLESFw ) Benicia officials said Tuesday that they have decided to redo some sections of an environmental impact analysis of the project. The city plans to release a rewritten report June 30 for public review.

The decision comes after numerous groups, including Attorney General Kamala Harris, called the city’s review of the project inadequate.

The Valero Refining Company in Benicia plans to have trains travel on the Union Pacific line that runs through downtown West Sacramento and Davis, along the same tracks that carry Capitol Corridor passenger trains between Sacramento and the Bay Area.

Information from: The Sacramento Bee, http://www.sacbee.com
Rail accidents, San Francisco Bay Area

Train Collides With Truck Carrying Gasoline In Contra Costa County

Repost from The Contra Costa Times
[Editor: This happened just outside the Point Edith Wildlife Area and less than a mile from the Waterbird Regional Preserve.  I have not been able to determine what, if anything, the train was carrying.  If you hear more on this, please send me an email (rogrmail at gmail dot com).  – RS]

Contra Costa: Union Pacific Railroad train collides with truck

Bay City News, 02/01/2015
Google Street View
View from Waterfront Road toward Solano Way. (Google Street View)

A Union Pacific Railroad train collided with a tractor-trailer carrying gasoline in Contra Costa County on Saturday night, a spokesman said.

The collision occurred shortly before 10 p.m. at Waterfront Road and Solano Way, Union Pacific Railroad spokesman Aaron Hunt said.

The intersection is northeast of Martinez and east of Pacheco Creek.

The train crew and truck driver were not injured, Hunt said.

On Sunday, trains were running on the line where the collision occurred, he said.

The collision remains under investigation.

Bakken Crude, Crude By Rail, Phillips 66, San Francisco Bay Area, Santa Maria Refinery

San Jose City Council unanimous in opposition to planned Phillips 66 oil-by-rail expansion

Repost from NBC Bay Area
[Editor: The Phillips 66 trains would come over the Sierra, and through Sacramento.  From there, they COULD travel south through Stockton and then west to the Bay Area.  OR they could continue west from Sacramento, through Davis, Dixon, Vacaville, Fairfield and BENICIA.  Here the trains would cross two seriously aging bridges in Benicia and Martinez before traveling through the heavily populated East Bay and South Bay.  See also the announcement by the Center for Biological Diversity.  Apologies for the video’s commercial ad.  – RS]

San Jose City Council Votes to Oppose Plans For Crude Oil Transport

By Robert Handa, Jan 13, 2015 


A major oil company looking to transport millions of gallons of crude oil on a train line through San Jose and Santa Clara has many South Bay residents up in arms.

Part of the expansion of the Phillips 66 Santa Maria refinery operation includes transportation along a stretch on Monterey Road in South San Jose. Many people in the area are worried about a possible train derailment involving toxic crude oil.

“Our concerns are ‘What would happen if a derailment occurred?’ And, in particular, the load that the trains are carrying,” said Sergio Jimenez, who heads up a homeowners association in South San Jose.

A check of the area shows a fence separating homes from the train tracks.

City Councilman Ash Kalra proposed San Jose take a stance on the issue with a letter opposing the oil company’s plan.

“It’s coming right through our cities within a hundred feet of homes in my council district,” Kalra said. “Going through farmlands in my council district as well, and going through downtown.”

The issue was discussed at Tuesday’s council meeting and a debate lasted lasted late into the afternoon, with some council members saying it is the federal government’s job, not the city’s, to make the call.

“We should also be asking ‘Is enough being done to make us safe?'” Councilman Johnny Khamis said. “But not outright oppose it.”

Ultimately, the council voted unanimously to oppose the plans for crude oil to be transported through San Jose and urged the San Luis Obispo Planning Commission to reject the expansion proposal.

Other cities along the rail route affected by the Santa Maria Phillips 66 project have also submitted letters or passed resolutions against crude-by-rail, including Oakland, Berkeley, Richmond, Martinez, Davis and Moorpark.

Phillips 66 did not return calls seeking comment.