Bay Area air regulators lay $3.25 million fine on Benicia's Valero for ongoing violations

The Valero Benicia Refinery in Benicia on May 8, 2025, which processes up to 170,000 barrels of oil a day, making gasoline, diesel and other fuels for California. Valero plans to shut down the Benicia refinery by April 2026, citing high costs and strict environmental rules. The Solano County city is proposing task forces to address the potential fallout of a Valero refinery closure. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

A Bay Area air regulator is fining oil giant Valero over $3 million for ongoing air quality violations at their Solano County refinery.

The multi-million dollar fine from the Bay Area Air District involves a variety of violations like leaking pressure valves, excess emissions and incomplete paperwork.

This comes as the refinery is ceasing its operations in Benicia by the end of the month after dozens of air quality violations in recent years.

In 2024, they were hit with a $82 million fine for at least 15 years of unreported toxic emissions.

The air district's chief attorney Alexander Crockett said the penalty aims to keep workers in the plant and surrounding community environmentally safe.

"Every facility in the Bay Area needs to operate safely and in compliance with air quality regulations, that's to protect all of us, and Valero is no exception," Crockett said.

Valero will also be required to publish quarterly emission reports that are accessible to the public.

Listen to the story at KQED: https://omny.fm/shows/kqed-segmented-audio/kqed-newscast-9a8697ad-96f4-4b78-8f6f-3ec2e8612aed?in_playlist=kqed-newscast