The Valero Refinery would like to work collaboratively with the City to strengthen awareness about the extensive operations and safety programs in place.
2016 Refinery Safety Rules
The Governor’s Task Force of experts on Refinery Safety just spent 5 years developing the toughest regulations for refinery safety in the United States – regulations that all refineries in California are subject to. This process includes important updates and improvements that have been made since the Contra Costa County's ISO was adopted ten years ago.
Fenceline Air Monitoring
In addition, Valero is awaiting the Bay Area Air Quality Management District’s approval on our fenceline monitoring plan. This will bring air quality monitoring to Benicians on a publicly available website, in addition to monitoring tools available through the air district.
Emergency Response and Communication
We maintain a strong commitment to the safety of our community, refinery workers and facility. This includes close contact with Cal/OES (Office of Emergency Services), City Fire and Police Departments, Solano County and BAAQMD in the event of any incidences on the refinery property. We also have a 24-hour community relations phone number available to members of our community 707-745-7543.
Cal/OSHA VPP Designation
Valero has been a part of the Benicia community for almost fifty years and we are proud of the safety culture we have created. As a Cal/OSHA VPP Star Site, we meet and exceed the strictest refinery safety standards in the nation. We believe a review of existing safety, air monitoring and communications regulations will reveal that a city-wide ISO would be a costly and redundant strain on limited City resources.
We strongly recommend that City Council and staff meet individually with agency representatives from these programs, including California’s Accidental Release Prevention Program (CalARP), regulators from the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) and personnel with Solano County’s Hazardous Materials Department to discuss each agency’s expertise and jurisdiction.
