Chevron fined $900K for air pollution monitoring failures at Richmond refinery, air district says

RICHMOND, Calif. -- Bay Area air quality regulators announced this week that Chevron was hit with a $900,000 fine for air pollution monitoring failures at its Richmond refinery.

Bay Area Air District officials said Tuesday that portions of Chevron's air monitoring system weren't "configured to detect the full range of potential emissions and were limited in how much emissions they could measure."

After Air District auditors found that 20 of Chevron's monitors weren't up to snuff, the company was ordered to make upgrades.

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When Chevron "failed to implement the upgrades by the required deadline, the Air District issued nine notices of violation," district officials said in a news release.

"Requiring Chevron to install and maintain its own monitors provides additional emissions data and further supports compliance and transparency," said Air District executive officer Philip Fine.

Chevron has since fixed the problem and Air District personnel are working to make sure the monitors are all now working properly, according to district officials.

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A Chevron spokesperson said in an email that the company agreed to add a second set of monitors "that go above and beyond federal regulations," a concession that "comes at high cost with little benefit."

"We believe the existing monitors were sufficient and any potential instances of noncompliance with monitoring requirements were reported to the Air District," according to the statement. "It is a local example of the type of excessive regulatory action that is driving up costs in California."