Category Archives: Public Health

Benicia City Council, Carbon emissions, Crude By Rail, Environmental Impacts, Environmental review, Local Regulation, Public Health, Refinery emissions, Valero Crude By Rail

LETTER OF OPPOSITION: Greg Karras, Senior Scientist for Communities for a Better Environment

By Roger Straw, March 31, 2016

This morning, Greg Karras, Senior Scientist for Communities for a Better Environment (CBE) sent the Benicia City Council a 15-page Expert Report, Regarding the Appeal of Planning Commission Actions on the Valero Benicia Crude by Rail Project and Environmental Impact Report (EIR).

For Mr. Karras’ lengthy attachments, see the City of Benicia’s posting of letters received March 25-31.

SIGNIFICANT EXCERPT:

Valero’s appeal asserts … that: “All of the public discussion about the Project has focused on the impacts of rail operations.” …The assertion that “[a]ll public discussion about the Project has focused on the impacts of rail operations”2 is inaccurate and misleading. Goodman and Rowan (2013) showed that the project could change the refinery’s crude slate.3 Fox (2013) showed this could cause significant impacts from refining operations.4 By 1 July 2013 at least eleven groups, including CBE and the refinery workers union United Steelworkers (Local 675), sought full disclosure and analysis of the changes in refinery oil feedstock and emissions that could result from the project.5 The EIR identified this potential for project-driven changes in its crude slate to cause impacts in the refinery as an “area of controversy.”6 Fox (2014),7 Pless (2014),8 Karras (2014),9 Fox (2016),10 Pless (2016)11 and others12 commented in detail on the EIR’s failure to evaluate these and other refining impacts of the proposed project. Valero is on record acknowledging this focus of independent public comment on refining impacts of the project, as shown by the company’s attempt, at the Planning Commission’s Public Hearing, to rebut comments regarding these refinery impacts of the project,13 in direct contradiction to its position on appeal.

Benicia City Council, Benicia Planning Commission, Blast zone, Climate Change, Crude By Rail, Fossil fuels, Local Regulation, Public Comment, Public Health, Public permitting, Public Safety, Take Action, Valero Benicia Appeal, Valero Benicia Refinery, Valero Crude By Rail

CREDO ACTION: Urge the BenIcia City Council to reject Valero’s dangerous oil train plan

From an email by CREDO Action, by Elijah Zarlin

Urge the BenIcia City Council to reject Valero’s dangerous oil train plan.

Dear … ,

CREDO_Action_NoMoreToxicExplodingPollutingOilTrainsValero Energy Corporation is trying to build an oil train terminal at its refinery in Benicia, which, if approved, would bring massive trains loaded with 2.5 million gallons of toxic, explosive crude through highly populated areas from the Nevada border, through Sacramento and into the Bay Area. (source 1: see note below)

Last month, the Benicia Planning Commission rejected the plan as a danger to the health, safety and welfare of Benicia and uprail communities.

But Valero appealed the decision. On April 4th, the Benicia City Council will make its final decision on the proposal. We need to show up in force to speak out against the danger of oil trains in our communities. Can you be there?

Stop Valero’s Oil Trains: Rally and City Council Hearing
Monday, April 4, 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Benicia City Hall, 250 East L Street, Benicia, CA 94510
RSVP to speak out against oil trains.

Busses are being organized from Sacramento. Click here for more information.

The oil train blast zone puts millions of Californians at risk. In the Sacramento area alone more than 200,000 people live within the potential impact zone of an oil train disaster.

And at a time when our planet is breaking temperature records every month, doubling down on more fossil fuel infrastructure should be an absolute non-starter.

We need to do everything in our power to urge the Benicia City Council to reject this proposal for the sake of public safety in our communities, and our fight against climate change.

RSVP to speak out against Valero’s oil train plan on April 4th.

Thanks for fighting oil trains.

Elijah Zarlin, Director of Climate Campaigns
CREDO Action from Working Assets

Source 1: “Oil Train Blast Zone,” Stand.Earth
Benicia City Council, Crude By Rail, Local Regulation, Public Health, Public permitting, Public Safety, Valero Benicia Refinery, Valero Crude By Rail

350 BAY AREA calls for everyone to attend Benicia City Council on April 4

Repost from 350 Bay Area
[Editor:  To RSVP to 350 Bay Area, click here and scroll down.  – RS]

Stop Crude-By-Rail in Benicia 4/4

By Carla West, March 19, 2016

350 Bay AreaThe Benicia Planning Commission voted unanimously to reject Valero’s proposal for a crude-by-rail project at its Benicia refinery in February. The vote was a stunning victory for citizens, Benicians for a Safe and Healthy Community, and environmental groups who have been campaigning for years against Valero’s proposed crude-by-rail project. It came after four nights of testimony from citizens, lawyers, up-rail communities, environmental groups, & Valero. It was the second major defeat of proposed fossil fuel expansion projects in the Bay Area recently. The Pittsburg City Council voted this winter to kill WesPac’s proposal to build massive storage terminals in the city. The February hearing in Benicia was packed with people in the chambers as well as three overflow rooms waiting all week into the wee hours to testify.

One important point was the issue of federal preemption. The Interstate Commerce Commission Termination Act of 1995, or ICCTA, preempts state and local regulation of rails and gives jurisdiction to the federal Surface Transportation Board, or STB. While Valero argued that federal preemption applied in this case, several lawyers from environmental groups such as Communities for a Better Environment, Sierra Club, and others testified that this is not an accurate reading of the law and that the city has authority over the use permit.

Another issue is the the changing composition of the crude oil to be processed by the project. Scientists from environmental groups point out that part of the reason for this project is to bring in tar sands oil from Alberta, Canada which is more toxic than traditional crudes.

Valero had ten days to appeal the unanimous decision by the Planning Commission to reject their proposed project, & they appealed it during that time period, so the appeal went to the city council. The Benicia City Council began hearing presentations on the project on March 15th. They will continue to hear testimony from citizens on April 4, 6, & 19 or until everyone who has shown up has had a chance to speak. Then the council will vote, and after that the next stop is litigation which could tie the project up for years. The outcome at the city council is crucial. It will determine whether the project can’t happen or whether it gets to go forward for the years during the litigation.

Please join us – RSVP to let your voice be heard or just come to support those who are speaking. Please let us know if you need a ride.

WHEN
April 04, 2016 at 7pm – 11pm

WHERE
Benicia City Hall
250 E L St
Benicia, CA 94510
United States
Google map and directions

CONTACT
Carla West · carlacwest@gmail.com

Benicia City Council, Benicia Planning Commission, Blast zone, Crude By Rail, Explosion, Oil trains, Public Health, Public Safety, Take Action, Valero Benicia Refinery, Valero Crude By Rail

SIERRA CLUB NATIONAL TAKE ACTION: Protect California’s communities from explosive Benicia oil trains

Repost from the Sierra Club
[Editor:  Take action on the Sierra Club page.  – RS]

Take action: Protect California’s communities from explosive oil trains

Aftermath of the tragic 2013 crude-by-rail explosion in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, which took 47 lives.

Last month, decision-makers voted unanimously to reject a proposed crude-by-rail project at the Valero oil refinery in Benicia because it “would be detrimental to the public health, safety, or welfare” of Benicians and communities along the oil train routes. It was the right decision — projects like these, which put more than five million Californians within the blast zones of explosive oil trains, are not worth the risk.

But the oil company behind this project is appealing this decision to the Benicia City Council — so we need to speak out to protect communities like Benicia, Truckee, Davis, and Sacramento, that would be put at risk if this project moves forward.

This is an all-hands-on-deck moment to stop this dangerous crude-by-rail project once and for all. Take a moment (click here) to urge the Benicia City Council to listen to the public and the city’s own Planning Commission and say NO to Big Oil!

(TIP: If you personalize your message to the City Council with why you care about this issue, your public comment will carry more weight.)