Category Archives: Air Monitoring

Air Monitoring, Benicia elections, Lori Wilson CA Assemblywoman, Progressive Democrats of Benicia

3 Important Benicia Meetings this week, Wed., Thurs., Fri.

[Sorry for short notice. Here are 3 great opportunities to help shape Benicia’s future THIS WEEK! – BenIndy]

WEDNESDAY SEPT 4 (7pm tonight!)– Zoom in on School Board Candidates AND Ballot Measures!

The Progressive Democrats of Benicia (PDB) are hosting a candidate forum on Wednesday, September 4, at 7pm via Zoom (sign-in details on the PDB website).   This virtual event, which is free and open to all regardless of city of residence or political party, will feature interviews with Democratic candidates vying for local office.  (Find out more about the candidates on the PDB website.)

This is YOUR opportunity to engage with local Democratic candidates and gain insights into their positions on key issues affecting Benicia and to learn about the important measures on this fall’s ballot.  Everyone is welcome.

THURSDAY SEPT 5 – Air District hosting Informational Webinar on Refinery Corridor Air Monitoring Community Workgroup

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District is launching a new program to take the first step to improve air monitoring during unplanned incidents at the Bay Area refineries.

We are hosting a webinar this Thursday (9/5) from 4-5 pm to provide community members with an overview of the particulate monitoring program and ways to get involved, including a community workgroup that will guide the program’s development and implementation. See the email below for additional details.

If you are interested in attending, you must register in advance using this link. Please also feel free to forward this message to others who may be interested in attending.

If you have any questions, you can reach us at bayaircenter@baaqmd.gov.

FRIDAY SEPT 6 – Assemblywoman Lori Wilson available for conversations in Benicia

Assemblywoman Lori D. Wilson, California 11th District

Benicia’s Assemblywoman, Lori D. Wilson, along with her district and capitol staffs, will be at Benicia City Hall for a District 11 event, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Sept 6.

There are two options to meet with Wilson’s office:

    1. Wilson’s staff will be on site for drop-in discussions between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.
    2. If you wish to speak with Wilson herself, you can schedule a 10-minute, one-on-one meeting between 1 and 4:30 p.m. Reach out to Tisha Simpson to schedule your time by emailing:  tisha.simpson@asm.ca.gov. Click here to send email.

All events are at Benicia City Hall chamber, 250 E. L St.

From Assemblywoman Wilson’s invitation: This event offers a unique opportunity to engage directly with your elected representative, where our dedicated District and Capitol staff will be ready to hear and address your concerns, ideas, and feedback.

  • 10:00 AM – 10:55 AM City Departments and Special Districts
  • 11:00 AM – 11:55 AM Local Businesses and Nonprofits
  • 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM Lunch
  • 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM Scheduled one-on-one appointments (no drop-ins)

Wilson’s website is https://a11.asmdc.org. You can link to her legislative proposals on the page.

Wilson is seeking her second full term in the Assembly. She is in a runoff election on Nov. 5 against Republican Dave Ennis.

Air Monitoring, Air Quality, Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD), Refinery emissions

Air District and Environmental Democracy Project Announce Landmark Settlement Agreement

July 17, 2024

SAN FRANCISCO – The Bay Area Air Quality Management District and the Environmental Democracy Project are proud to announce a landmark settlement agreement designed to further a shared commitment to transparency, public health and environmental justice.

The Air District has reached a positive resolution with the Environmental Democracy Project to address community concerns and enhance reporting and public engagement practices under the Air Toxics “Hot Spots” Information and Assessment Act of 1987.

“This agreement represents a significant step forward in our efforts to protect public health and ensure transparency,” said Dr. Philip Fine, executive officer of the Air District. “We are grateful for the collaboration with the Environmental Democracy Project and look forward to continuing our work together. By prioritizing transparency, we empower the public with the information they need for cleaner air and a healthier environment.”

“The Environmental Democracy Project is absolutely thrilled with this agreement and look forward to working closely with the Air District,” said Tanya Boyce, executive director of the Environmental Democracy Project. “It’s a huge win for our communities, providing them with the vital information they need to understand the health risks posed by industrial emissions. Participatory democracy makes things better, and this agreement is a shining example of howempowering residents can lead to stronger environmental protections and healthier, happier communities. We are so excited to continue this important work together!”

As part of this agreement, the Air District has committed to several key actions:

  • Annual Health Risk Reports: The Air District will publish annual reports identifying industrial facilities that pose cancer risks and other health threats. These reports will include information about each facility’s toxic air pollutant emissions and will be distributed to county boards of supervisors, city councils, and local health officials.
  • Public Hearings: The Air District will hold public hearings to present these reports and discuss their significance, ensuring that the community has the opportunity to engage with the findings and understand their implications.
  • Comprehensive Facility Map: The Air District will include the information about each facility’s emissions on the comprehensive facility map available on its website. Making this information more easily available on the internet will serve as a critical tool for community members seeking to understand local environmental health risks.

The Air District will continue to work closely with community stakeholders, including the Environmental Democracy Project, to ensure that residents living near industrial facilities are well-informed about health risks from emissions.

The Environmental  Democracy Project works to ensure that all communities, particularly those most impacted by industrial pollution, have a voice in environmental decision-making processes. EDP advocates for transparency, accountability and justice in environmental governance.

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.

Air Monitoring, Air Quality, Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD), Good Neighbor Steering Committee, Refinery emissions, Valero Benicia Refinery

Air District launches new air monitoring station in Benicia

[BenIndy: This information is at the bottom of the release, but it’s worth repeating top and center. You can view data from the Benicia-Fitzgerald air monitoring station (BFAMS) on the Air District website by Air Quality Index level and by pollutant concentration level. If you go to those pages, scroll down to the “Eastern Zone” section to check on BFAMS’s data. More info on the effort to expand air monitoring in communities near refineries can be found here. A brief BenIndy overview of the site with screenshots follow this release. To be totally transparent, the BenIndy has unilaterally assigned the station acronym of BFAMS  as it’s currently unclear if there’s an official acronym.]

July 18, 2024, 10:01 AM

SAN FRANCISCO – The Bay Area Air Quality Management District is announcing a new air monitoring station in Benicia as part of the agency’s efforts to establish or expand air monitoring stations in areas where large sources of pollution may contribute to localized pollution sources that are not captured by the Air District’s existing network.

The additional data generated by community monitors, like the Benicia air monitoring station, will provide refinery frontline communities with real-time, local-scale air pollution data, reflecting day-to-day cumulative air pollution levels. This data also supports analysis of air quality trends and other air quality assessments.

“This new, state-of-the-art air monitoring station in Benicia is a major step forward in assessing and addressing refinery emissions in a community impacted by those emissions” said Dr. Philip Fine, executive officer of the Air District. “The station will provide crucial data to better respond to incidents and to inform our plans to better protect residents. It is one of many tools the Air District is employing to improve air quality in communities near large pollution sources such as refineries.”

“This new Benicia air monitoring station is a vital addition to our community, providing us with the detailed, real-time data needed to understand and address our air quality concerns,” said Steve Young, Benicia mayor and member of the Air District Board of Directors. “It’s a step in the right direction for ensuring the health and safety of Benicia’s residents.”

The Air District is prioritizing communities with petroleum refineries and large renewable fuels manufacturing facilities, such as Benicia. The new station, the Benicia-Fitzgerald air monitoring station, is located near East 2nd and East J Street in Benicia.

The Benicia-Fitzgerald air monitoring station provides real-time data on the following pollutants: particulate matter, or PM2.5, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, nitric oxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide and black carbon.

While the Air District operates numerous ambient air monitoring stations across the Bay Area, the data from those stations does not reflect pollutant concentrations in every neighborhood. In addition, exposure to pollution varies from place to place and some communities near large industrial facilities bear a disproportionate burden from emissions or other forms of air pollution.

Data from the Benicia-Fitzgerald air monitoring station can be viewed on the Air District website by Air Quality Index level and by pollutant concentration level. More info on the effort to expand air monitoring in communities near refineries can be found here.
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.

Notes on BFAMS from BenIndy:

So what does this new beast look like? Let’s take a look. The following screenshots were taken around 7 pm on July 18, 2024. They are here for illustrative purposes only.

 

  • This screenshot from BAAQMD’s Air Quality Data webpage shows the Benicia-Fitzgerald Air Monitoring Station’s (BFAMS) readings of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5), helpfully indicating elevated levels with yellow.

 

  • Users can click the Pollutants button to toggle the display to check on other pollutants.

 

  • The pollutants BFAMS is monitoring include Ozone, Fine Particulate Matter, High Conditions, Carbon Monoxide, Nitrogen Dioxide, and Sulfur Dioxide. Clicking the pollutant you are interested in will change the display to show those readouts specifically.

 

  • Per BAAQMD’s explainers, “High Conditions displays the highest overall AQI value estimate for each hour, and in the right-hand column the highest AQI for the day, which will usually be for ozone in the summertime and PM2.5 in the wintertime.”

This is a wonderful tool for a refinery town.

Air Monitoring, Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD), Benicia Community Air Monitoring Program (BCAMP), Valero Benicia Refinery

Major Leadership Shift at Benicia Refinery: Valero VP/GM Josh Tulino Replaced by Returning Industry Heavyweight

[BenIndy: At last, the rumors have been confirmed. We won’t speculate as to what prompted the Valero Benicia Refinery’s exiting GM/VP to retire at 49; we will simply wish him good luck. The incoming GM/VP Lauren Bird, who has more than 37 years experience working in the oil refining industry, served as GM/VP for two other refineries and worked at the Benicia refinery when it was Exxon Benicia. This leadership transition bears careful attention, especially in light of the imminent votes on an Industrial Safety Ordinance for Benicia.]

From the Valero Benicia Refinery Community Update May 31, 2024 Constant Contact Newsletter.

From the Valero Benicia Refinery Community Update newsletter, sent May 31, 2024

Josh Tulino, Vice President (VP) and General Manager (GM) of the Valero Benicia Refinery has elected to retire. Josh began his career with Exxon as a process engineer at Benicia and became a Valero employee when Valero purchased the Benicia Refinery in 2000. Josh held different positions throughout the Valero Energy Corporation circuit and was promoted to VP & GM at our Memphis Refinery in 2017 and then transferred to Benicia as our VP/GM in 2020.

With Josh’s retirement, Lauren Bird will relocate to Benicia as VP/GM effective June 1, 2024. Lauren started his career at Exxon Baytown and later transferred to Exxon Benicia progressing through positions of increasing responsibilities. He joined Valero when Valero purchased the Benicia Refinery and was promoted to Director of Refinery Operations in 2002. Lauren was then promoted to VP and General Manager of Valero’s Meraux Refinery in 2012, he then relocated to Valero’s McKee Refinery as the VP and GM in 2014. We are excited that Lauren will be coming back to Benicia where he raised his family.

There is a group of concerned citizens of Benicia who support the adoption of a Benicia Industrial Safety and Health Ordinance (BISHO). To learn more about the effort and add your support, visit www.bisho.org.

 

Read more! As Air Quality is so essential to our health, you might want to check out these resources: