Date

Thursday, March 24, 2022

The Air District has settled 17 Notices of Violation with Valero Refining Co. for $345,000 for violations at its Benicia refinery. 

Spare the Air Status

The Notices of Violation were issued to the company for non-compliance with air quality regulations in 2017. This settlement is separate and unrelated to the Air District’s abatement order stemming from a 2019 inspection that found unreported emissions of harmful organic compounds.

The violations addressed in this settlement include:

  • Six violations for excessive visible emissions.
  • Three violations for public nuisances.
  • Three violations for exceedance of Carbon Monoxide limits.
  • One violation for exceedance of Sulfur Dioxide limits.
  • Two violations for exceedance of Nitrogen Oxide limits.
  • One violation for oil on a tank roof.
  • Five violations for late reporting.

All violations that led to this settlement have been corrected.

The Air District issues Notices of Violation when facilities violate a specific air quality regulation or rule. Violators are generally required to respond to the notice within 10 days and submit a description of the actions they will take to correct the problem. These actions can include shutting down certain operations immediately or changing operations or equipment to come into compliance.

All settlement funds will be used to fund Air District activities such as the inspection and enforcement activities that led to this settlement. 

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Last Updated: 3/24/2022