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Board urges Air District to adopt numeric caps on refinery emissions
Summary
Supervisors passed a resolution urging the Bay Area Air Quality Management District to adopt enforceable numeric caps on refinery‑wide emissions of greenhouse gases and particulate matter; supporters said caps are needed for environmental justice and public health.
The Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted a resolution urging the Bay Area Air Quality Management District to adopt a refinery emissions‑reduction rule that includes enforceable numeric limits on refinery‑wide greenhouse gas and particulate emissions.
Supervisor John Avalos — who serves on the Air District board — said the push reflected years of work following the 2012 Richmond refinery fire and mounting community demands. “This is an environmental‑justice issue,” Avalos told colleagues, noting fence‑line communities and public‑health impacts.
Supervisor Eric Mar, chair of the Air District, said a numeric‑cap approach should be considered alongside other technical strategies staff have proposed; he urged just‑transition planning for workers alongside stricter limits.
The Board adopted the resolution by unanimous roll‑call. Supporters said numeric caps are a necessary way to prevent increases in harmful emissions as crude‑oil throughput changes and as new processes (including heavier crude) are introduced.
Why it matters: Refinery emissions affect frontline communities in Contra Costa and Solano counties as well as regional greenhouse‑gas inventories. Advocates and some Board members said numeric caps are the strongest regulatory tool available to prevent increases and to begin a managed transition.
Outcome: Resolution adopted unanimously.
Quotes in this article come from the San Francisco Board of Supervisors transcript for July 12, 2016.
