Richmond limits Chevron's crude oil

Contra Costa Times ^ | 6/7/8 | Katherine Tam - West County Times

[SmithL]

Richmond city officials' decision to restrict the crude oil the Chevron refinery can process if it upgrades its facility could drastically affect the company's plans.

After five hours of public testimony and deliberations, the Richmond Planning Commission early Friday morning approved a crude limit to calm public fears over increased pollution and health risks.

"Let's try something a bit ground-breaking and see if it flies," Commissioner Charles Duncan said. "The health of the community is at stake."

Exactly how much the new crude cap will alter Chevron's plan to upgrade equipment will depend on how extensive that cap is. The commission directed city staff to return June 19 with legal language for a "comprehensive cap" that limits how much crude the refinery would process as well as the kind of crude.

One commissioner expressed interest in restricting the sulfur content to 1.5 percent, a major change from what Chevron has pitched. Chevron wants to replace its hydrogen plant, power plant and reformer to refine a wider range of crude that includes increasing the sulfur content from around 1.5 percent to a maximum of 3 percent.

"The whole point of the project was to enable Chevron to respond to the change in the global crude market," refinery spokesman Dean O'Hair said. The company expects sulfur content in the light to intermediate crudes it handles to go up.

The Planning Commission's vote was 3-2, with Duncan, Nagaraja Rao and Stephen Williams in the majority. Commissioners Virginia Finlay and Jeff Lee, who cast the dissenting votes, preferred a city consultant's recommendation to restrict the crude running through one machine regarded as a critical point in the refining process. Consultant Ranajit Sahu said that would accomplish the same thing as a comprehensive crude cap, but it would be easier to enforce.

Project opponents, who lobbied persistently for a broad crude cap, heralded the decision as an environmental victory.

"The proposed cap by one unit by the city staff was a good start, but it was not sufficient," said Roger Kim, assistant director of the Oakland-based Asian Pacific Environmental Network.

"The commissioners recognized that and should be commended for requesting a comprehensive cap."

The earliest the commission could grant Chevron a permit with a crude cap would be June 19.

Anyone can appeal the decision to the City Council, whose members have expected the issue to reach them eventually.

O'Hair said the company would wait to see what kind of cap planning commissioners approve before deciding to appeal.

Chevron's proposal has been the subject of public debate and protests since it was first pitched a few years ago.

Discussion has centered mostly on whether upgrades would allow Chevron to refine more contaminated crude that some fear would increase pollution and health problems.

Other issues have included greenhouse gas emissions and flaring at the refinery.

Refinery representatives say replacing 40- to 70-year-old equipment will mean a safer, more efficient facility. They said they will continue to process light to intermediate crude, and overall emissions won't increase.

Project opponents have sought guarantees in the form of tougher restrictions. In addition to the crude cap, they asked city officials to revise and recirculate the project's environmental impact report, which they say is incomplete.

The signs that peppered Kennedy High School's multipurpose room at the Planning Commission's hearing Thursday night showed the public divide.

Opponents' signs declared "Don't Let Chevron Gamble With Richmond's Future" and "No Toxic Pollution" in their call for a crude cap. "Someone always has to begin an innovation; let it be Richmond," resident Michael Beer said.

Chevron supporters, many of them employees, had a different message: "Yes for Chevron; Yes for Richmond Jobs."

"It gives Richmond hope," resident Antwon Cloird said, adding that employed residents can bolster tax revenue for the city.

In the end, the Planning Commission decided not to recirculate the EIR. Instead, commissioners certified the report as complete, while acknowledging the document is imperfect.

They removed provisions from the proposed permit that are commonly referred to as a "community benefits agreement."

The provisions would have required Chevron to give a total of $1 million a year to the city's construction training program, summer youth employment and an industrial arts training academy; create an urban forest in the city; and provide semiannual reports to the Richmond Neighborhood Coordinating Council, which is a coalition of neighborhood groups.

Finlay is a member of the Coordinating Council.

It is unfair to require Chevron to do what other businesses aren't, commissioners said.

Instead, these "community benefits," combined with a request that Chevron donate land and funding to expand the Bay Trail at the edge of the refinery, will be forwarded to the City Council for consideration.

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ACORN member Lorie Chinn yells during an anti-Chevron rally before the Richmond Planning Commission meeting at Kennedy High School in Richmond, Calif. on Thursday, June 05, 2008. Chevron is proposing to replace its hydrogen plant, power plant and reformer with new equipment at its Richmond refinery, sparking public debate on a number of issues.


Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin (right) addresses protestors while Mari Roes Taruc looks on during an anti-Chevron rally before the Richmond Planning Commission meeting at Kennedy High School in Richmond, Calif. on Thursday, June 5, 2008. Chevron is proposing to replace its hydrogen plant, power plant and reformer with new equipment at its Richmond refinery sparking public debate on a number of issues.


Pro Chevron demonstrator Antwon Cloird (left), of Local #374 and a Richmond resident, argues with Juan Reardon, of Richmond, and Jessica Tovar (right), of Communities for a Better Environment (CBE), during an anti-Chevron rally before the Richmond Planning Commission meeting at Kennedy High School in Richmond, Calif. on Thursday, June 05, 2008. Chevron is proposing to replace its hydrogen plant, power plant and reformer with new equipment at its Richmond refinery sparking public debate on a number of issues.

[SmithL]

Richmond isn't satisfied with gas being only $4.30 a gallon.

[Alright_on_the_LeftCoast]

Chevron should just SHUT it all down.....tell Richmond to stick it where the sun doesn’t shine, and LEAVE the area to the green morons that already seem to run it.

[cquiggy]

Richmond city officials’ decision to restrict the crude oil the Chevron refinery can process if it upgrades its facility could drastically affect the company’s plans.

After five hours of public testimony and deliberations, the Richmond Planning Commission early Friday morning approved a crude limit to calm public fears over increased pollution and health risks.

The signs that peppered Kennedy High School’s multipurpose room at the Planning Commission’s hearing Thursday night showed the public divide.

Kennedy High School. Enough said.

[Psycho_Bunny]

Sounds like Chevron should close down their Richmond operations and move to a city that will welcome them.

[nyyankeefan]

screw richmond....chevron should move the plant overseas and not sell to these a-holes!!!!

[Paperdoll]

This has to be unconstitutional! As long as the people put up with it, the gubmint (the Beast) will prevail and Americans will suffer no end!

[bray]

They must want $5/gal gas?

Pray for W and Our Troops

[Enterprise]

Bunch of ....... morons.

[SkyDancer]

I hope they’re oiling up their bicycles ... not with Chevron oil I guess .....

[taildragger]

Pro Chevron demonstrator Antwon Cloird (left), of Local #374 and a Richmond resident, argues with Juan Reardon, of Richmond, and Jessica Tovar (right), of Communities for a Better Environment (CBE), during an anti-Chevron rally before the Richmond Planning Commission meeting at Kennedy High School in Richmond, Calif. on Thursday, June 05, 2008.

Glenn Beck nailed it.

The Greenies since the war in Iraq have started a war on us under the pretext of saving the environment. Basically anti-capitalism via controlling you because you are meanie because you want and need to consume energy. It is veiled Marxism, but all in this audience know that.

I fear as the election season heats up, this confrontation between the "Greenies" and the "Producers and Users" may become more common place.

The question is, how long will civility reign in these confrontations......

[freekitty]

Why are select people allowed to do this?

[Enterprise]

Civility should have stopped at 2 dollars a gallon.

[Amerigomag]

California should promote the relocation of refineries from all over the US, but not in an oxy valve such as the Carquinez Straights.

Based on the prevailing westerlies, all California refineries should be on the east side of 805 between, Chula Vista and San Ysidro.

[umgud]

This isn’t about protecting the environment. It’s about killing business, especially big oil.

Abortion, homosexuality, socialism, political correctness, have all become religious planks to these leftists who will now add hatred of business.

[Dog Gone]

It is very difficult to feel any sympathy for what the gasoline prices are in California.

Every single day it seems that there is a new proposal to further restrict supply.

Get it over with, California. Ban gasoline altogether.

[17th Miss Regt]

I fear as the election season heats up, this confrontation between the "Greenies" and the "Producers and Users" may become more common place.

While the greenies are out protesting the refinery modifications, someone could slip into the parking lot and siphon all the fuel from the tanks of the green weenies' vehicles. They deon't like fossil fuels anyway so they won't miss the gas. Just look for the huge SUVs with the 'Go Green' bumperstickers. ;)

[RightWhale]

This was already on-going in 1969 with the discovery well at Prudhoe. The talk of renewable resources was well underway in 1973. They are all over the State of Alaska and just recently got their Polar Bear decision from Pres Polar Bear Bush.

[Farmer Dean]

Doesn’t this violate the interstate commerce laws? The mayor looks like a loon by the way.

[bert]

Ain’t black America Great..... feeling their oats.

When Hussein is President America is over.

[STONEWALLS]

“The provisions would have required Chevron to give a total of $1 million a year to the city’s construction training program, summer youth employment and an industrial arts training academy; create an urban forest in the city; and provide semiannual reports to the Richmond Neighborhood Coordinating Council, which is a coalition of neighborhood groups.”

....this means CVX has got to pay off black & hispanic “activists” as well as class warfare groups like ACORN...
I’m a CVX shareholder and I’m going to write the CEO and tell him “no payola” to the Marxists and instead up my quarterly dividend....