District and regional presenters outlined how recent and historic fines levied on Chevron will feed a community investment fund and described eligibility, review and allocation rules for Richmond. Presenters said the program will prioritize projects that address air quality, public health and economic resilience in neighborhoods including the Iron Triangle, Santa Fe and Coronado.

The presentation explained that fines collected over multiple years have been pooled for reinvestment; presenters cited $36,000,000 received recently and a cumulative amount presented as $124,000,000 to date. Staff said funds are organized into two pools and that Richmond’s share across those pools is approximately $35,000,000 (as presented). The presenters described an allocation formula of roughly 80% to local projects and 20% to broader-area units, and said grant tiers and durations vary by award size.

Why it matters: speakers said the money is explicitly intended to mitigate environmental harms from refinery pollution and to support local projects for health, air quality and economic benefit. Organizers emphasized that grant awards will be competitive, that reviewers will include district staff, board members, local government officials and outside technical experts, and that review-panel members must avoid conflicts of interest.

Details: presenters summarized three tiers of awards (tier descriptions and amounts were provided in the slide deck). Eligible applicants listed in the presentation included community organizations and contractors working under a project’s fiscal sponsor. The panel will score proposals and provide recommendations; presenters said a prior application date had passed (listed as Oct. 27 in slides) and additional rounds are scheduled through November, February, May and September (dates as presented).

Staff noted implementation timing: reviewers will typically take about three weeks to review a single application and the full application-to-award process may take roughly three months for smaller organizations. Presenters encouraged prospective applicants to use the Richmond-specific guidance document and to contact communityinvestment@baaqmd.gov for examples and application materials.

Community response: attendees asked whether funds could be separated by county; presenters confirmed Richmond-specific allocations and reiterated outreach plans to ensure Richmond-area projects are prioritized. Several residents asked for clarity on how the money will be spent and when application details will be posted; staff said a Richmond-specific application guide and separate postings for neighboring jurisdictions will be made available.

Next steps: staff said district guidelines will be finalized and posted, additional outreach sessions will be scheduled, and community members may apply or nominate existing projects for consideration.