At town hall, Chevron says it will help Richmond residents breathe easier indoors

Chevron is partnering with respiratory therapists at LifeLong Medical to train 15-20 health promoters, who will go into neighborhoods near the refinery to create individual medical action plans, the company announced at a recent town hall meeting in Richmond. 

As a result, some residents may get humidifiers and other devices to help reduce asthma triggers at home, Lily Rahnema, Chevron community engagement manager, told about 60 people who attended the meeting on Oct. 22. Town halls began last fall, mandated by an agreement Chevron reached with the Bay Area Air District in February 2024 to comply with more stringent emissions limits. 

Rahnema said Chevron also will be working with MCE Energy to upgrade homes to improve ventilation, reduce indoor pollutants and create energy savings. 

Those attending snacked on sliders and ginger lemonade in between speeches by Chevron representatives and guests invited by the company for the two and a half-hour meeting. Speakers shared information about the Richmond refinery’s effects on air quality and plans to improve it. 

In 2021, the air district passed a regulation limiting the particulate matter emissions that are pushed into the air during the process of breaking down crude oil into products such as gasoline. Inhaled particulate pollutants can enter the lungs and bloodstream, contributing to heart and lung problems and premature death. Initially, Chevron and the Martinez Refinery sued to block the Air District from enforcing the regulation, but later settled. 

The goal of the twice annual meetings is for Chevron to provide information to the public and answer questions about flaring events and emissions violations. In contrast with the first Chevron town hall meeting, this time the company’s critics were largely absent. 

After the first town hall last year, Katt Ramos of Communities for a Better Environment told Richmond Confidential, “It is 8:30 at night, and I feel like I spent two and a half hours for a promo commercial.” 

Kerby Lynch, a director of research and facilitation at the consulting company Ceres Policy Research, which was hired by Chevron to facilitate a community action plan, said they always invite local environmental justice groups, but that the groups have stopped coming. 

Lynch’s first move last year was to form a steering committee of residents who would volunteer their time to learn about Chevron’s practices and provide the company with “helpful suggestions.” She’s also working to prepare the public in case disaster strikes.

“How do we get communities aware of what happens when an emergency happens — where to go, who to call, where’s an evacuation zone,” Lynch said. 

There have been three major fires in recent decades at the Chevron, Richmond refinery — in 1989, 1999 and 2012. In the weeks following the 2012 fire, approximately 15,000 people from the surrounding area sought treatment for respiratory health ailments. 

Flaring is a frequent and sometimes inevitable part of the refining process, Chevron representatives said. During a yearlong period beginning April 1, 2024, there were 17 flaring events at the refinery. But sometimes, as in 2023, massive flares at the refinery have created large plumes of black smoke that have hung over the Bay Area for days. 

Alerting the community

In the past six months, Chevron representatives reported the company received 111 notices of violation from the Air District for flaring events, emissions exceedances, late reporting and other issues. For context, the previous six months showed that Chevron was hit with 87 notices of violation.

Dr. Lisa Rodelo, health officer on the hazardous materials team at Contra Costa Health, told the crowd that 1 in 3 people in Richmond has asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Rodelo and speakers from the nonprofit Community Awareness and Response spoke about Contra Costa’s Community Warning System and touched on how to stay safe when hazardous materials are released by oil refineries. 

“If you get any notification of a shelter-in-place, we want you to go inside, shut your doors and windows, turn off your HVAC, seal any gaps that you can and wait for additional information if possible,” Rodelo said. 

During a break, Richmond resident Antwon Cloird gathered attendees for a photo with Chevron employees, including refinery director Tolly Graves. 

In public comment, Cloird said, people always talk about what Chevron does “wrong,” but nobody talks about what Chevron does well. 

Cloird sees the company as a good employer and wants to see it partner with Richmond to train and educate young residents, “so our kids can be exposed to how they can access those opportunities that Chevron has.” 

Beatriz Guerrero, Richmond’s transformative climate communities coordinator, observed that Chevron is spending more on fines for air quality violations than it is investing to improve infrastructure. She said she wants to see more investment go toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions. 

“What would it take for us to be the cleanest refinery in the world?” Guerrero asked. 

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