Refinery to pay $345,000 for air quality violations unrelated to recent Hearing Board case
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Category Archives: Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD)
Air District fines Valero $345K for 2017 violations
Air District Reaches $345K Settlement With Benicia Valero Refinery Over 2017 Violations
KPIX CBS SF Bay Area, March 24, 2022BENICIA (CBS SF) – The Bay Area Air Quality Management District announced Thursday that they have reached a $345,000 settlement with Valero over violations at its Benicia refinery in 2017.
According to an agency statement, the settlement addresses 17 notices of violations at the facility. Violations include excessive visible emissions, exceeding limits on carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, along with violations on late reporting.
“The hundreds of emissions points at each refinery require regular inspections, monitoring and data review by the Air District,” said Damian Breen, the agency’s senior deputy executive officer of operations/enforcement. “Penalties resulting from that oversight ensure that facilities fix and avoid future air quality violations. This helps to protect public health.”
Agency officials said the violations leading up to the settlement have been corrected.
Thursday’s settlement is unrelated to an abatement order issued against the refinery last week over unreported emissions that the air district was not aware of for years. The air district said that penalties regarding the abatement order have yet to be determined.
Benicia FINALLY gets a seat on the Air District Board
By Roger Straw, March 22, 2022
Benicia Mayor Steve Young chosen to sit on Bay Area Air District Board of Directors
Benicia Mayor Steve Young has been appointed as a member of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) Board of Directors.
The appointment was made by the seven Mayors in Solano County. The seat was vacated when the current representative, Suisun City Mayor Lori Wilson, was elected to the State Assembly and resigned her position as Mayor.
Said Mayor Young “I want to thank my fellow Mayors for their support in making this appointment to the BAAQMD Board. As the only City in Solano County with an oil refinery, it is past time that the City was represented on this important regional board.”
Asked to confirm that Benicia has never had a mayoral seat on the BAAQMD Board, former Benicia Mayor Elizabeth Patterson recalled that some years ago, she was “appointed to the Air District Board but on a technical mistake, and had to turn badge and binder back.” She explained that “the district had miscalculated the population numbers to qualify the county for a city representative.” Later when Solano County qualified, Patterson received “a commitment from Mayor Price of Fairfield, but Solano Supervisor Jim Spering helped Price renege on his commitment, and Vallejo Mayor Osby Davis was appointed.” Patterson’s recollection is that Davis’ attendance on the Board was minimal. More recently, Patterson sought to be appointed again, but Mayor Lori Wilson of Suisun City was appointed.
Solano County currently has two of the 23 seats on the BAAQMD Board. Solano’s mayoral representative is chosen by the seven mayors in the county. The Solano County Board of Supervisors has its own representative, currently Supervisor Erin Hannigan of Vallejo District 1.
Young’s appointment will be official when sworn in by the Board at their next meeting on April 6.
Mayor Young will also be taking a seat on the Executive Committee of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission/Association of Bay Area Governments (MTC/ABAG).
Video of March 15 Hearing Board meeting vs. Valero Benicia Refinery
BAY AREA AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT
HEARING BOARD, MARCH 15, 2022
DOCKET NO. 3731:
APCO vs. VALERO REFINING COMPANY – CALIFORNIA
Accusation of Violation of Regulation 8, Rule 2; and (Proposed) Stipulated Conditional Order for Abatement (BENICIA)
Summary of Hearing:
Vallejo Sun report, by Scott Morris: Valero Benicia Refinery ordered to stop 20 years of illegal toxic emissions, public gets detailed summary of emissions 2003-2021
Background documents from BAAQMD website:
| 3/15/2022 | Hearing Board Calendar Accusation – filed 01/24/22 Statement by Complainant – filed 02/17/22 Statement by Respondent – filed 03/10/22 |
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