Chevron
(This story is part of “The Stakes,” a UC Berkeley Journalism project on executive orders and actions affecting Californians and their communities. It was co-published with The Contra Costa Pulse.) Amid the rows of sunflowers, tomatoes and kale on a North Richmond farm, sits an abandoned concrete slab. It is the foundation of what was meant to be the area’s first community resilience center — a sanctuary for air-quality disasters and extreme heat that’s now stalled after the Trump administration revoked its…
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…
Asked to be a better neighbor, Chevron has agreed to be more transparent in reporting off-site pollution, to file quarterly reports about it, and to engage the Richmond community on how it can better present pollution data. The Bay Area Air District said Tuesday Chevron is the first of the area’s five refineries to agree to be more transparent in measuring pollutants near its property lines. The refineries don’t have a good track record with the monitoring program. The Air…
Contra Costa Health, in collaboration with the Community Warning System, has updated its text notification system for hazardous materials alerts. This system now allows residents to sign up for text messages for Level 1, 2 and 3 events at industrial facilities regulated by the county, including the four oil refineries. That means residents receiving alerts will even be notified of refinery flares. Previously, residents were only receiving text messages about Level 2 and 3 events — the kinds of incidents…
Dozens of community members gathered at Richmond Memorial Auditorium Wednesday to imagine Richmond’s economic future, expressing concerns about economic hardship, pollution and a lack of community spaces. The event is part of a series called “Our Future Economy,” which the UC Berkeley Othering & Belonging Institute is hosting along with the mayor’s office to devise ways to transform the economy for communities, workers and climate well-being. Othering & Belonging says on its website that Richmond was selected for a number…
“People of Richmond” is a regular series in which reporters pose a question to people in the community. Answers are presented verbatim, though sometimes edited for brevity. Q: Do you think it would be good for Richmond if Chevron closed the refinery? Rob LeBeau “With a refinery closing down, we would have to clean up that land. You thought Superfund sites existed now? You have no idea what kind of mess exists there. We’re talking about big changes, but it’s…
What might drive a person to act on air pollution? Dr. Niyi Omotoso, an Oakland pediatrician has asked himself that question. One answer, he believes, is asthma. Omotoso has treated many children with asthma, especially when he practiced in Richmond and San Pablo for 12 years. He saw how the disease disrupted the lives of the children and their families. A concerning UC San Francisco report confirms his experience: Around 25% of Richmond’s population suffers from asthma, almost double the…
Chevron says it has contained an oil spill that contaminated the San Francisco Bay at the Richmond Wharf on Thursday, and is working to clean it up. A Chevron employee reported the spill to state authorities at 5:14 a.m. The company said less than three barrels of a diesel-based liquid leaked into the bay because of a pump failure at the Richmond Long Wharf. Caitlin Powell, a Chevron spokesperson, said the company is still trying to determine the exact time…
“People of Richmond” is a regular series in which reporters pose a question to people in the community. Answers are presented verbatim, though sometimes edited for brevity. Q: What should Richmond do with the $550 million Chevron has agreed to pay over the next decade? Ricardo Sanchez “They could be major funders for the school district because schools are generally understaffed all the time. And there’s also not enough funds for kids to have their supplies. Sometimes they don’t have…