Regulation 6 Rule 5: Particulate Emissions from Petroleum Refinery Fluidized Catalytic Cracking Units - 2021 Amendment (Superseded)

Learn about the Air District's process for developing amendments to Regulation 6, Rule 5, which would further reduce particulate matter emissions from petroleum refinery fluidized catalytic cracking units.

Find out about the status and anticipated timeline of the rule development process. Information on hearings, workshops, and other events is provided below, along with supporting documents and materials.

In February 2024, the Air District reached two separate agreements with Chevron and Martinez Refining Company resulting in an end to the litigation against the agency over its July 2021 amendments to Rule 6-5, major emissions reductions from both refineries, unprecedented penalties and other payments of up to $138 million, and a Richmond-area Community Air Quality Fund, among other benefits.

Amendments to Regulation 6, Rule 5: Particulate Emissions from Petroleum Refinery Fluidized Catalytic Cracking Units (Rule 6-5) were adopted by the Air District Board of Directors at a public hearing on July 21, 2021:

Air District staff developed proposed amendments to Regulation 6, Particulate Matter, Rule 5: Particulate Emissions from Refinery Fluidized Catalytic Cracking Units (Rule 6-5). Rule 6-5 was originally adopted by the Air District Board of Directors in December 2015, and subsequently amended in December 2018 for minor clarifications and revisions. The purpose of the rule development effort for amendments to Rule 6-5 is to further reduce emissions of particulate matter, including condensable particulate matter, from petroleum refinery fluidized catalytic cracking units (FCCU), which are some of the largest individual sources of particulate matter emissions in the Bay Area.

This rule development effort for amending Rule 6-5 follows previous Air District rulemaking and planning actions to address emissions from these sources. Rule 6-5 was originally adopted in 2015. The Air District’s 2017 Clean Air Plan and AB 617 Expedited Best Available Retrofit Control Technology (BARCT) Implementation Schedule identified the need to further evaluate and consider additional efforts to control particulate matter emissions from these sources.

The Air District released a Notice of Public Hearing, proposed amendments to Rule 6-5, and a Staff Report in March 2021 and accepted public comments on these materials. The Air District Board of Directors initiated a public hearing on Wednesday, June 2, 2021 to consider adoption of the proposed amendments to Rule 6-5, and continued the public hearing on Wednesday, July 21, 2021. 

Supporting Documents for Responses to Comments:

Information on the June 2, 2021 public hearing and the Wednesday, July 21, 2021 continued public hearing can be found on this page under "Hearings, Workshops, and Other Events".

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Hearings, Workshops and Other Events

Throughout the rule development process, we provide information on upcoming and past workshops, hearings, and other events.

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Documents

Supporting materials, such as staff reports, regulatory language, and other technical documents related to rule development, are posted throughout the development process.

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Comments

The Air District provides opportunities for the public to submit comments throughout the development process, and posts comments received during the open public comment periods.

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Last Updated: 3/6/2024