We always strive to operate our refineries in a safe, stable and reliable manner. The safety of our employees, neighbors and the Benicia community is paramount.

We recognize the community may have questions and concerns about the May 5 PG&E power outage. Valero does, too. It is a significant concern to Valero when our power provider interrupts our main source of electricity, as well as the back-up supply. This was the case on May 5, forcing our refinery into an emergency shutdown, causing flaring -- a part of our safety response. We were just as surprised as the City by the unexpected and complete power loss. Valero has asked PG&E for answers, but we have received very little information since the event occurred.

While Valero's internal investigation is ongoing, we continue to work with the City of Benicia, Solano County, Cal/OSHA, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and other agencies to better understand this incident to ensure it does not happen again.