Bay Area Air District reaches settlement with Chevron for Richmond refinery violations
RICHMOND, Calif. - The Bay Area Air Quality Management District and Chevron USA Inc. have reached a $147,000 settlement for more than two dozen violations at Chevron's Richmond refinery, the air district said Monday.
The settlement will cover 29 notices of violation that were issued to Chevron between 2016 and 2018 for multiple issues, including instances of flaring, odor nuisances, an excess of visible emissions and a larger-than-permitted amount of sulfur dioxide at a sulfur recovery operation at the refinery.
The violations have since been corrected.
The Chevron refinery in Richmond, Ca., as seen on Tuesday September 12, 2017. A new study is laying blame for the warming of the planet on 90 companies, with Chevron and Exxon squarely at the top of the list. (Photo by Michael Macor/San Francisco Chr
"This settlement is part of an ongoing process to ensure that Chevron is held accountable and follows all state, local and federal permit conditions to protect the health of those in neighboring communities," air district executive officer Jack Broadbent said.
"Chevron has agreed to settle Bay Area Air Quality Management District Notices of Violations and cooperated fully with the BAAQMD in reaching this agreement," Chevron said in a statement. "Chevron takes environmental protections seriously and has taken preventive measures to avoid similar situations from occurring in the future."
The settlement funds will be used to fund the district's inspection and enforcement efforts throughout the region.
