Air District issues 4 violation notices to Chevron after flaring in Richmond
A partial power outage at the Richmond Chevron refinery is causing visible flaring. Nov. 27, 2023.
RICHMOND, Calif. - The Bay Area Air Quality Management District on Wednesday announced it issued four notices of violation to Chevron for this week's flaring event at the Richmond refinery.
Three notices are for visibile emissions and one is for causing public nuisance.
The air district said the agency is still investigating and more violations may be issued.
So far, the district's legal team has not yet assessed what the financial penalty will be, according to spokeswoman Kristine Roselius.
The flaring and visible flames on Monday prompted at least 100 complaints over the smell and smoke.
For more than 10 hours, workers burned off gasses following an unexpected power outage affecting part of the facility, Chevron said.
The refinery followed up with a statement late Tuesday, to say they continue to work with local agencies to avoid a similar power outage in the future.
They said the investigation is in its preliminary stages and that a "safety mechanism activated" on their "internal electrical system."
That's what caused the partial power outage including at a steam generation plant, according to Chevron.