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Valero’s Benicia Refinery Fined $3.25 Million as Operations Wind Down

Regulators paired the penalty with real-time monitoring to give neighbors visibility during the shutdown.

Overview

  • Bay Area air regulators announced Tuesday that Valero will pay $3.25 million for violations at its Benicia refinery.
  • The enforcement covers 118 cases that included particulate spikes, a butane release, boiler emissions and leaking valves.
  • The settlement requires fenceline sensors with public real-time and historical data and quarterly pollution reports.
  • Valero began idling units in February and plans to end fuel production by late April, then run the site as an import hub.
  • More than 200 workers are expected to lose their jobs at the Solano County plant, after a separate $82 million fine in 2024 for older violations.