"On Feb. 1, 2025, a fire at the Martinez Refining Company (MRC) released toxic byproducts for three days, prompting Contra Costa County health officials to issue a health advisory for nearby residents. Four days later, the Bay Area Air District, the public agency responsible for enforcing air quality laws in the region, issued three violation notices to MRC, the second largest oil refinery in the Bay Area."
"While significant, those fines are a pittance compared to what the air district has levied against other large-scale polluters over the last decade. According to district records obtained by Richmondside, the agency assessed nearly $122 million in fines stemming from more than 10,000 notices of violations issued between 2015 and 2025. The types of violations ranged from the rare $100 fine to people burning wood on Spare the Air days to a historic $82 million settlement with an oil refinery that's now set to close."
On Feb. 1, 2025, a fire at the Martinez Refining Company released toxic byproducts for three days and prompted Contra Costa County health officials to issue a health advisory for nearby residents. The Bay Area Air District issued three violation notices four days later and added 27 infractions two months after the incident, citing permit violations and excessive flaring. MRC accumulated 323 violations over the last decade, resulting in $741,500 in penalties. Between 2015 and 2025 the air district assessed nearly $122 million in fines from more than 10,000 notices, ranging from small penalties to an $82 million refinery settlement. Fines targeted refineries, cities, hospitals, waste managers, auto shops, dairy farms, and state agencies.
Read at www.berkeleyside.org
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