The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) sought input from Benicians on potential locations for air monitoring stations during a workshop Monday at Veterans Memorial Hall. The workshop was the final stop for a series of presentations about the topic held in the Bay Area’s refinery communities, with previous discussions held in Richmond, Martinez […]
Air District wants monitor recommendations
By Donna Beth Weilenman Martinez News-Gazette Special to the Herald Where should additional air monitors be placed in cities that are home to oil refineries? A series of Bay Area Air Quality Management District workshops is letting the public answer that question. Those workshops already have sought answers in Richmond and Martinez, and upcoming sessions […]
Air District to host series of community air monitoring workshops
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) will be hosting a refinery air monitoring workshop next month at Benicia Veterans Memorial Hall. The workshop is part of a series of four events BAAQMD– the agency responsible for protecting air quality in the Bay Area– will be holding over the next three weeks in the […]
Letters: Oppose Phillips 66 marine terminal permit
Oppose Phillips 66 marine terminal permit On Monday, I attended a Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) presentation on Phillips 66’s plan to expand their marine terminal. It was sponsored by Solano County Supervisor, Monica Brown, and held in Benicia’s City Hall. Five or six BAAQMD staff members were present, as were many members […]
BAAQMD investigation into Valero flareup continues
Approximately 74,000 pounds of sulfur have been released into the atmosphere since the Valero Benicia Refinery shutdown on May 5, according to a report the company submitted to the California Office of Emergency Services. On May 5, a disruption at the refinery led to a power outage. After power was restored, a large plume of […]
Council hears update on Valero flaring incident
Fire Chief Jim Lydon delivered a preliminary report on the May 5 Valero Refinery incident at Thursday’s City Council meeting which prompted additional questions by residents. On the morning of the incident, Valero’s Benicia refinery experienced a power outage as Pacific Gas & Electric was doing maintenance on power lines. The outage resulted in black […]
Letters: Cannabis, refinery emissions and Gold Ribbon Awards
The real public safety issue At a recent City Council meeting, an elected official reaffirmed disapproval of storefront cannabis dispensaries, citing public safety concerns. I can find no credible evidence to sustain a view that crime goes up when cannabis dispensaries are introduced in a neighborhood. To the contrary, many notable sources, including the FBI, […]
Letters: BERT and BAAQMD
A highly useful class I would like to thank the Benicia Fire Department for the excellent BERT (Benicia Emergency Response Team) training they provided, free of charge, to interested members of our community. I was part of Class No. 31, and for six weeks attended a three-hour class each Monday night. This past Saturday, March […]
Valero pays $183K for air quality violations
Valero Benicia Refinery has agreed to pay $183,000 to settle seven notices of violation that took place December 2010, Tom Flannigan, Bay Area Air Quality Management District administrative analyst, said.