■ Kamala Harris letter to city: Crude-by-rail report fails to address multiple key issues In a letter composed Oct. 2, California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris urged Benicia to revise the Draft Environmental Impact Report prepared for the proposed Valero Crude-by-Rail Project. She and Deputy Attorney General Scott J. Lichtig wrote Benicia Principal Planner Amy […]
Planning panel learns to read DEIR
Benicia Planning Commission is the panel that will decide — at least initially — whether the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) on the Valero Crude-by-Rail Project should be certified. Meanwhile, a few other projects that have come across the Community Development Department’s desks also may require similar in-depth examination of their effects on the environment. That’s […]
Valero refinery engineers to address DEIR
Monday meeting requires RSVP Valero Benicia Refinery engineers will speak Monday at a public meeting on the refinery’s Crude-by-Rail Project and Benicia’s Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) that was released June 17. “Valero remains committed to informing the community about the project and to promoting public discussion of the DEIR,” refinery officials said in an […]
‘Significant’ impact to air quality from crude by rail
Long-awaited environmental report addresses, dismisses some concerns over Valero proposal, but says effect on area air would be ‘unavoidable’ After months of investigation and more than one delay, Benicia released the draft of an environmental report on the Valero Crude-by-Rail Project on Tuesday. The city chose to have the report drafted to meet requirements of […]
Planning Commission prepares for release of oil-by-rail report
Several residents spoke out Thursday about the proposed Valero Benicia Refinery Crude-by-Rail project, which would add train track to the refinery’s own property so Union Pacific could deliver domestic crude oil, replacing some of the oil currently supplied to Valero by oceanic tanker ships. Residents speaking to the Planning Commission asked that the public get […]