Environment
The Bay Area air-quality board approved some of the most aggressive toxic-emissions regulations in California on Wednesday, a move one official described as “unprecedented.” The rule, passed by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD), reigns in toxic emissions at facilities varying from oil refineries to mom-and-pop dry cleaners. The unanimous vote is considered a victory for local environmental groups and communities living in the shadow of the Bay Area’s worst polluters, such as Chevron in Richmond. The rule…
A federal judge signed a final judgment last month, prohibiting Valero Energy Corporation from buying oil storage and distribution terminals in Martinez and Richmond for the next 10 years.
With “nightmare” budget cuts on the legislative slate, the EPA is closing its Region 9 lab in Richmond, where scientists perform everything from monitoring drinking water to watching over some of the worst toxic waste sites on the West Coast. It will be consolidating some of the lab’s services and moving others out of California.
Over the decades, a sprawling network of shuttered chemical plants and oil refineries has left harmful pollutants in Richmond’s air, water, and soil. According to data collected by the California Department of Toxic Substance Control, the city is home to more than a hundred hazardous waste sites, including two highly contaminated, federally designated Superfund locations. Richmond Confidential’s “Toxics Map,” updated in the fall of 2017, details where the state is cleaning up and evaluating hazardous-waste sites, where cleanup is voluntary,…
The Northern California chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists awarded former Richmond Confidential reporter Reis Thebault the 2017 Excellence In Journalism Award. The accolade, announced this week, was for his investigations into the “fraud, corruption and legal woes” of the city’s medical marijuana industry. As a health, science and environmental reporter, Thebault’s stories focused on pay-to-play schemes, illicit messages sent by an Richmond Police Department officer, and hidden sales at marijuana dispensaries in the city. Thebault credits the help…
Richmond organizers held the first hazardous-waste collection event on Sept. 30. The event gave Richmond residents the opportunity to properly dispose of toxic items.
Valero recently backed out of a bid to buy two Contra Costa oil terminals after California Attorney General Xavier Becerra raised concerns about decreased competition and higher gas prices.
Wildfires in wine country have created hazardous air conditions for the entire Bay Area, affecting most heavily children, the elderly, and individuals with respiratory conditions.
Don’t have Saturday afternoon plans? Check out the North Richmond Shoreline Festival, a community event that celebrates the city’s conservation efforts.