Company to pay $1,469,579 for emissions violations
SAN FRANCISCO – The Bay Area Air Quality Management District announced today that it has fined Tesoro Refining & Marketing Company $1,469,579 for air quality violations at its Martinez refinery.
The resolution of the case involved an extensive investigation into periodic, brief exceedances of the Air District’s hydrogen sulfide emissions standards at one of Tesoro’s ground level monitoring stations located on Waterfront Road along the border between the refinery and the Point Edith Wildlife Area, approximately two miles from any residential zone. Hydrogen sulfide is a colorless gas known for its pungent “rotten egg” odor at low concentrations.
“The unpleasant odors associated with hydrogen sulfide emissions can significantly impact the quality of life for those living in communities surrounding the Tesoro Refinery,” said Sharon Landers, interim executive officer of the Air District. “Strict regulations and penalties resulting from Tesoro’s air quality violations help ensure that the facility fixes operational issues quickly and avoids future violations to protect public health.”
The Air District’s investigation determined the causes of the emissions issues, which included recovered oil tank leaks, wastewater treatment system leaks and wastewater pond management deficiencies. The penalty announced today also covers certain other related emissions violations. In some cases, drought-induced emissions of H2S from the Point Edith Wildlife Area may have contributed to the emissions exceedances.
In addition to the payment of civil penalties, the Air District has required Tesoro to correct operational issues with the recovered oil tanks and shut down use their use entirely by the end of 2024; implement structural and operational improvements to the wastewater treatment system; implement ongoing operational and management plans to prevent future emissions from the wastewater management system ponds; install and operate a new ground level monitoring system at the border of the refinery near the community of Clyde, to better monitor emissions that might affect the
community; and conduct ongoing investigations to determine the cause of any potential future emissions exceedances at the Waterfront Road monitor.
The resolution of the case also includes penalties for emissions violations at Tesoro’s Pacheco Slough monitoring site, which occurred while Tesoro was conducting required soil remediation work
All violations included in this case have been corrected.
The Air District issues Notices of Violation when facilities violate a specific air quality regulation or rule. Violators are generally required to respond to the notice within 10 days and submit a description of the actions they will take to correct the problem. These actions can include shutting down certain operations immediately or changing operations or equipment to come into compliance. All penalty funds will be used to fund Air District activities such as inspection and enforcement efforts.
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District is the regional agency responsible for protecting air quality in the nine-county Bay Area. Connect with the Air District via Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
For more information about Spare the Air, visit www.sparetheair.org.
