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On December 28, the Air District announced that Valero Refining Co. agreed to pay $142,000 to settle violations at its refinery in Benicia. The settlement covers a group of 20 notices of violation issued to the company for non-compliance with air quality regulations that occurred largely in 2015.

The Air District has fined Chemtrade West US LLC $160,000 for air quality violations at its sulfuric acid manufacturing plant in Richmond, which is connected to the Chevron Richmond refinery. Chemtrade supplies various chemical products to industry, including sulfuric acid, which is a byproduct of refining crude oil. 

The Air District’s Finance Office has received the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award from the Government Finance Officers Association for its fiscal year 2025–2026 budget document. The Air District’s Director of Finance, Stephanie Osaze, also received a Certificate of Recognition for Budget Preparation, instrumental in achieving this award.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District today announced a recent settlement with Chevron U.S.A to pay a $146,000 civil penalty for air quality violations at its refinery in Richmond. The settlement covers 22 notices of violation that the Air District issued for incidents that occurred between 2012 and 2014. 

Today, the Air District Board of Directors voted to retain Sharon Landers as the interim executive officer beginning Monday, May 23, for a nine-month contract. Ms. Landers will serve as the Air District’s interim executive officer while the Air District Board begins its search for a candidate to permanently fill the role.

The Air District is announcing that its independent Hearing Board has ordered Martin Marietta to get a permit for the company’s sand distribution plant located at Pier 92 in Bayview Hunters Point, San Francisco. The Hearing Board has also imposed restrictions on the plant’s operations to reduce emissions and protect public health.

The Air District will host its first career fair on Tuesday, October 6, from 10am to 2pm at Saint Mary's Cathedral in the St. Francis Hall. The career fair will provide information about job opportunities at the Air District, and will give attendees an opportunity to speak to current employees about their areas of expertise.

The Air District is announcing the expansion of its Clean Cars for All grant program, which offers incentives of up to $9,500 for income-qualified Bay Area residents to retire older cars and replace them with a hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or electric vehicle, or to get a pre-loaded Clipper Card for public transit. 

The Air District has reached a settlement with Tesoro Refining & Marketing Company that will significantly enhance air monitoring data transparency, providing more information about air pollutants around its refinery in unincorporated Contra Costa County, near Martinez. The agreement requires Tesoro to take new data access and community engagement actions beyond those required by regulation or permit.

The Air District announced today that it has successfully secured a Closure Plan and Agreement with Martin Marietta, terminating operations at its Bayview Hunters Point sand and aggregate processing site at Pier 94. This action will require Martin Marietta to cease all sand and aggregate processing operations by October 31, 2023, and comply with dust control provisions until it vacates the site. 

The Air District has filed a lawsuit against Acme Fill Corp. for illegally emitting high levels of methane and other organic compounds from its landfill in Martinez. The complaint, filed today in Contra Costa County Superior Court, seeks monetary penalties for multiple violations of state and local air quality regulations following a compliance inspection conducted by the Air District on August 24, 2023.

The Air District has announced a $13.3 million grant to the San Mateo County Transit District toward the installation of new high-capacity electric bus charging infrastructure at its San Carlos facility. This SamTrans project will help accelerate the transition of the SamTrans bus fleet to zero-emission technology and improve air quality in communities most affected by air pollution.

The Air District is announcing a significant expansion of the Clean Air Filtration Program, which will provide portable air filtration units to unhoused and low-income residents in impacted communities as well as to emergency and cooling centers Bay Area-wide. This is the first program of its kind and will help mitigate the potential health impacts of wildfires, especially for the Bay Area’s most vulnerable residents.

The Air District will host an in-person open house on Thursday, August 1, 2024, from 1 – 3 PM. at the Air District’s San Francisco headquarters at 375 Beale Street. The open house will feature informal presentations and opportunities for discussion on the agency’s draft Strategic Plan, which outlines the Air District's roadmap for achieving its mission, setting priorities, and securing resources over the next five years. 

The Air District has reached an agreement with Argent Materials, Inc., that resolves violations at the company’s aggregate recycling facility in East Oakland. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Argent will install and operate a fenceline air monitoring system at both yards of its East Oakland facility to enhance transparency and provide continuous air quality data to the Air District and the community.

The Air District's Board of Directors has adopted two new regulations to further tighten air pollution controls on petroleum operations at Bay Area refineries. Regulation 9, Rule 14 reduces sulfur dioxide emissions from the largest Bay Area source, coke calcining. Regulation 12, Rule 15 is a first-of-its-kind requirement that will better enable the Air District to track refinery emissions as changes are made at the facilities.

The Air District celebrated the exceptional public service of outgoing Board Director and former Mayor of the City of Berkeley, Thomas H. Bates, by awarding him a Lifetime Achievement Award at today’s Board of Directors meeting. The Lifetime Achievement Award is the first of its kind issued by the Air District and honors the distinguished career of those serving to improve air quality and protect the climate for all residents of the Bay Area.

The Air District announced today it has reached two separate agreements with Chevron and Martinez Refining Company resulting in an end to the litigation against the agency over its groundbreaking Regulation 6, Rule 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. The Air District estimates that the emission reductions achieved by the rule will result in tens of millions of dollars per year in health benefits by reducing early deaths and other health impacts of exposure to particulate matter.

Breathmobile makes its Bay Area debut

Aug 25, 2014 ... FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Ralph Borrmann August 25, 2014 ...