Regulators are seeking an abatement order against the Valero refinery in Benicia to stop what it calls ongoing violations, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District said Thursday.
The air district wants to require Valero to install pollution control equipment on eight pressure relief devices (PRDs), which are safety measures used to prevent extreme overpressures that the district says could “cause catastrophic equipment failure.”
According to the district, these controls are required when a refinery experiences two or more pressure releases within five years.
“Valero’s PRDs have been subject to these requirements for years, and in some cases for over a decade,” BAAQMD officials said, “but Valero has failed to install the required pollution control equipment.”
Air district chief counsel Alexander Crockett called Valero’s alleged violations “extensive” and “of great concern.”
Valero did not respond to a request for comment.
The alleged violations were discovered when the air district investigated other violations involving Valero’s hydrogen system. An abatement order was issued in 2022 for what the district said were excessive emissions from the refinery’s hydrogen system for over 10 years.
An abatement order is separate from any monetary penalties that the BAAQMD could impose for violations, according to the district.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a $1.2 million settlement with Valero in April to resolve violations of the Clean Air Act at the oil giant’s Benicia refinery.
10 years of excessive emissions? What’s taking so long to do the fix? Oh, and so they discovered the problems while investigating other violations.
Well, it’s obvious. It would cut into company profits, otherwise it would have been immediately resolved.
Just wait until we price ourselves out of existence. Yes I agree with safety but not at the expense of society. I have watched these knuckleheads (EPA) sell “carbon offsets” (car buyback programs and many others) as if it was always ok for big business to pollute but not anyone else and now it is biting them so they “suddenly” have to find something else to fine. Yes…electric cars and whatnot are fine but they still drive on roads made of oil and damn I sure do appreciate elastic in my underwear.
Why not examine process control used in refining process ?
Failure to control process resulted in releases.
Maintenance and equipment calibrations should also be reviewed.
They’re shutting the door after cows are out of the barn.
Other problem baaqmd probably lacks persons experienced enough to understand refinery process control software.
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Better yet, just close the place . . . . . go all electric.
Regulators do look at Process Control systems in the refineries. It is very rare that a failure in the Control System itself causes upsets/releases.
You can rest assured that maintenance and calibration records are reviewed.
Close the place? LOL Mankind lives on the products that come out of those refineries. Newsom’s magic fairy power isn’t going to do it.
AD
Where I used to work had folks show up at one of the security gates demanding entry to assess a spill.
Turned out aerial photos they’d relied on, well there were standing puddles of liquid.
They were too dense to remember it had rained and what photos showed was puddles of rainwater.
No apology, got back in their vehicles and left.
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Also had people show up who not only did not understand process and didn’t even know what a PID controller was or how it functioned.
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“Newsom’s magic fairy power isn’t going to do it.” Ain’t that the truth !
Won’t stop ’em passing a bill and him signing it.
Am tired of paying for them to experiment on us.
AND there are no repercussions for them when they get it wrong, they just wander off doing some other brain fart idea.
Like their fantasy of using EV batteries as compensate when solar and wind can’t keep up.
EV batteries have a finite life, powering CA shortens their life.
Ah what happens when EV owner unplugs their car to save battery life . . . . they didn’t consider that.
Where do you think the electricity comes from? Generators fired by hydrocarbons. Please do research before posting these statements.
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Will the Bay Area Regional Water Quality District assess or fine EBMUD for releasing millions and millions of untreated sewer wastewater into SF Bay last winter?
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They probably stopped paying bribes or new people in those positions.
Gas is about $5.20 a gallon now. I work at that facility. I can tell you the cost of gas will go up even higher. They will pass the cost onto that consumer. There are much greater sources of pollution than refineries. A quick Google search will show you.
They’ll just keep raising gas prices to recover any loss on they’re islands, vacations, bonuses, these greedy demons!