Environment
Almost five years after Richmond filed a lawsuit against Chevron for damages in response to the massive 2012 fire at the oil company’s local refinery, the case is finally moving forward to the trial phase.
Richmond’s mayor Tom Butt claims the county’s community warning system did not work correctly.
Richmond’s lawsuit against 29 oil and coal companies, including Chevron, aims to hold the fossil fuel industry responsible for future costs related to climate change. Richmond is the ninth city to sue fossil fuel companies, following on the heels of San Francisco, Oakland and Santa Cruz.
On January 31, over 100 people gathered on the observatory deck at the Chabot Space and Science Center in Oakland to witness the rare spectacle of the Super Blood Blue Moon.
A $4 billion bond measure that will determine funding for California’s local and state parks will appear on ballots during the June statewide direct primary election.
Spirits were low in McCovey Cove as the San Francisco Giants played a discouraging game against the Kansas City Royals. The visitors were on track to win, holding on to an 8-1 lead for several innings. The atmosphere was buoyed, however, when a cameraman spotted an unlikely supporter in the cove: a leopard shark swimming along the surface of the water. Giants player Jeff Samardzija’s nickname is “Shark,” and fans seemed to interpret the animal as a good omen. The…
The underground parking is cool and dark, even on the sunniest day. Bulbs let off pale white light, and green exit signs emit a neon glow. Three electric chargers are located near the building entrance, surrounded by six electric cars. By the time Cesar Zepeda leaves his office in downtown Oakland, his white Ford Focus Electric is fully charged. The ring-shaped LED indicator of the charge port shines brightly. The screen reads “thank you” when he pulls the plug out…
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.