Chevron Appeals Ruling Halting Bay Area Refinery Expansion
Chevron Corporation filed an appeal in the California State Court of Appeals yesterday in hopes of overturning a state Superior Court ruling made in Contra Costa County by Judge Barbara Zuniga, who tossed out Chevron’s environmental impact report for the proposed $1 billion expansion of its 107-year-old Richmond refinery, stating the report did not fully comply with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
Specifically, Zuniga ruled that Chevron’s environmental analysis failed to account for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, saying the report lacked a detailed explanation for how the addition of a hydrogen plant and distribution pipeline would change pollution levels from the refinery.
The ruling from Zuniga marks the first time a major oil company has been forced to deal with greenhouse gas requirements under the CEQA. Until now, early court battles over the law’s new greenhouse gas provisions, directing developers to plan for CO2 mitigation, have focused on municipalities seeking to upgrade their urban planning.
Representatives of Chevron have said the project is supported by the City of Richmond and its own environmental analysis, while opponents, led by environmental advocacy group Earthjustice, says the project would allow processing of heavier crude oils that could lead to increased pollution levels in surrounding communities of Contra Costa County, where some of the Bay Area’s poorer communities are situated. Earthjustice has demanded that Chevron update its environmental review procedures.
“Our community is already disproportionately harmed by toxic emissions from the refinery,” said Leonard Webster, a Richmond resident and a member of the West County Toxics Coalition. “People are dying and paying ongoing doctor bills; we need guarantees that this project will not harm even more people in this community.”
Until the California Court of Appeals can decide the case, Chevron officials say the future of the expansion project is “in question.”
Image credit: Shayan, Flickr
