All posts by Editor

Air monitoring, Air quality, Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD), Benicia Community Air Monitoring Program (BCAMP)

Save these dates for important meetings on Air District charges against Valero for continued air pollution violations

February 21, 2022


The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) will have two important informational meetings to discuss the serious emissions violations incurred by the Valero Refinery.  BAAQMD sets and enforces air pollution regulations in the Bay Area. Valero’s violations included dangerous benzene emissions.

The first meeting is THIS THURSDAY, FEB 24, FROM 6 TO 8 PM. 

In the words of Jack Broadbent, executive officer of the Air District:

Valero’s disregard for air quality regulations and public safety in the surrounding community warrants decisive action and significant penalties to deter violations in the future. Valero did not report or control the emissions from this source as required by Air District regulations, state and federal law.

Please plan to attend the following Zoom meetings to get answers to your questions, find out more details about what has been released into our air, and learn how it could have affected the air quality in Benicia. What will be the consequences to the refinery for their negligent action? Show Valero and the Air District that we care and are prepared to take action to protect our community!!

At our last general membership meeting we announced a webinar for Benicia Community Air Monitoring System on the 24th. That has now been moved to March 3rd so you can attend these BAAQMD meetings, which we feel are vital for every member and supporter to join if they can, so we can make our voices heard on the matter of these violations, and demand Valero take important steps to regain the trust of our community. Please plan to attend!

 This Thursday, February 24, 6 to 8 pm
Air District staff are holding this meeting and will be present to discuss these violations in detail. Click on the link for more information: https://www.baaqmd.gov/news-and-events/workshops
 Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83974557503?pwd=Z2hDdTNxNitYV0h4cHgxOHR1eGtPUT09
Meeting ID: 839 7455 7503
Passcode: 808102
One tap mobile
+16699006833

Tuesday, March 1, 6 pm
Benicia City Council will address the Valero emission violations at their regular meeting. City council members have requested a briefing on the Valero case from Air District enforcement staff. This meeting is also open to the public. Please go to this page on the City of Benicia’s website for information on how to join.

Tuesday, March 15, 9:30 am
The second BAAQMD meeting is a legal hearing, where the Air District’s Hearing Board will consider approving the proposed abatement order. The public can view the agenda and provide written comment to the Hearing Board at the following link:
Hearing Board Agendas, Reports, and Orders (baaqmd.gov)
The public can also provide verbal comments to the Hearing Board during the hearing in the following ways:
 Join Zoom webinar:
https://bayareametro.zoom.us/j/88980571855
Webinar ID: 889 8057 1855
. . . or dial in remotely via phone at (669) 900-6833 or (408) 638-0968

 Please plan to attend one or all of these meetings, and thank you for supporting the health and safety of our community by taking action with us. Together, we will show Valero that no amount of cash they pump into our local elections will protect them from facing consequences for these very serious violations.

See you there!

Kathy Kerridge
Interim Chair
Progressive Democrats of Benicia

Biofuels, Meeting reflections, Renewable energy

Meeting Reflections – February 8, 2022

General Membership Meeting, Tuesday, February 8

Panel on Biofuels and Expanding PDB Membership

Our February monthly meeting was held on February 8th.

We learned a lot from our distinguished panelists, discussing biofuels, including two projects proposed by refineries in the Bay Area.

Two oil companies, Marathon and Phillips 66, propose to convert their refineries from processing crude oil to possibly vegetable oil, animal fats, or used cooking oil to create biofuels—what the industry refers to as renewable diesel. The proponents of the projects describe these projects as part of California’s plan to transition from fossil fuels and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But local activists and environmental organizations are voicing reservations as Contra Costa County officials consider whether they should grant permits in the coming months. In addition, a local Benicia company has partnered with a Wyoming-based renewable fuels company which converts organic waste to clean hydrogen and synthetic fuels.

Our panelists for this discussion, which was moderated by Kari Birdseye:

A Q&A session followed the presentation by our panelists.

In advance of the meeting, members were encouraged to read DEIR Comments by Jay Gunkelman, submitted for the Phillips 66 proposed biofuels conversion in Rodeo. Jay Gunkelman is our highly respected community expert on refineries and toxic emissions. Of note is Mr. Gunkelman’s second paragraph where he compares Phillips 66 to other refineries including Valero Benicia, with regard to required fence line detection limits to operate a 5 parts-per-billion. Note that Valero’s detection is significantly above that parameter for Xylene.

The second part of our program was open to PDB voting members only.  We concluded our previous discussions on expanding PDB membership, voting on two motions:

  • The first motion passed almost unanimously: to appoint an ad hoc committee to plan how to expand diversity within PDB and unite with other Democrats.
  • The second motion failed by a large  margin: to change the name of the club to “Benicia Democrats.”  We remain the Progressive Democrats of Benicia.
Anti-racism, Benicia Black Lives Matter (BBLM), Coming Events

Free Educational Virtual Event on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Free Educational Virtual Event on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Join Benicia Black Lives Matter for a free virtual event on Monday, January 17, from 1:30 to 3:30 pm, to celebrate the national Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK) Day of Service. Established in 1994 to honor Dr. King’s life and contributions to advancing civil rights for Black Americans, this Federal holiday was intended to be a day of not just reflection, but also a day of action and self-education.

The free educational Zoom event, which is appropriate for all ages and levels of antiracist work, will feature guest speaker Mark Lampkin and focus on Dr. King’s “Three Evils of Society” speech. In 1967, Dr. King identified these three evils as racism, consumerism/poverty, and militarism/war, and he called for a “radical revolution of values” in pursuit of a more just and equitable future for all. And yet, more than 50 years later in 2022, these three evils Dr. King described are as rooted in our daily lives as—if not more entrenched than—ever.

So what have we learned in the last 50 years, and where do we go from here? Which of these three evils affects Benicia, and how can we join together to address it? BBLM is a grassroots community organization that was organized to address anti-Black racism by actively committing to building a better Benicia, one commitment and one change at a time. Join this timely discussion and learn more about the historic urgency that calls everyone to radical change, hope in action, and loving pursuit of improving our shared communities.

ZOOM INFORMATION
Topic: Benicia Black Lives Matter ML King Jr. Day Event
Time: Jan 17, 2022 01:30 PM Pacific Time

Zoom link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86881752473?pwd=QUk0dlB6M2tRejJvanBXZ2IyNzA5dz09
OR
https://bit.ly/bblm-mlk2022

Meeting ID: 868 8175 2473
Passcode: 171213
One tap mobile
+16699009128,,86881752473#,,,,*171213# US (San Jose)

Image:  Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial sculpture in Riverside, CA by Lisa Reinertson