Iron Workers Local 378
Phone (707)746-6100 (707)746-6124
Lets get organized! Join the fight to keep local jobs at Chevron. We are honest people looking for an honest living!
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Contra Costa Times (Media News Editorial) published the following:
Editorial: Chevron Refinery Project Should Proceed With Better EIR
The City of Richmond, Chevron and 1,000 union workers are paying the price for a flawed agreement approving the oil company’s $1 billion refinery upgrade. The hotly debated deal to accept Chevron’s refinery project passed on a 5-4 vote last year over strong objections that the environment impact report was incomplete.
Environmental groups sued, but work on the project began and was well under way when Superior Court Judge Barbara Zuniga ordered it to a halt earlier this month.
She correctly determined that the project’s EIR was vague on whether new equipment being installed at the refinery that would enable the processing of heavier crude oil would increase pollution to unhealthy levels.
Chevron says that it plans to refine lighter oil but that it needed greater flexibility to refine other grades of oil if necessary. However, as long as the upgrade Chevron plant will have the capacity to refine oil that poses an environmental threat, the EIR should have fully addressed the potential harm and remedies to keep a lid on polluting emissions. That was the conclusion of the environmental groups, four of the nine Richmond City Council members and even some local unions at an earlier date. However, the council majority, Chevron and national union leaders, worked out a deal in advance of the final council vote, with insufficient attention to the concerns of Richmond residents, environmentalists and local unions. Chevron was allowed to go-ahead with all its refinery changes, the unions would get up to 2,000 jobs at the refinery upgrades, most of which will actually reduce pollution, will be delayed and Richmond could have been approved without the lawsuit or threat to the environment. Had the Richmond City Council acted in a more open and thoughtful manner, it would have insisted on a proper EIR with environmental concerns were real and should have been dealt with in an open and complete manner. The health of Richmond residents should not have subject to potential risk and the city and local union should not have been bypassed. Fortunately, all is not lost. Chevron’s refinery updating project can and should proceed. Most of the changes will reduce pollution by replacing outdated equipment. The oil firm also may well be able to have the capacity to refine heavy crude as long as there are proper and well-defined safeguards in a more accurate EIR. Also, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District is prepared to offer its services in monitoring pollution. Instead of pursuing litigation and allotting blame. Chevron, Richmond, local unions, environmental groups and the air board need to work together to achieve a complete EIR that assures are residents there is no increased health risk. We trust that an agreement can be reached in a timely manner that will allow Chevron to update its refinery, create jobs and continue providing Richmond and community funds.
Contra Costa Building and Construction Trades Council: RALLEY FOR JOBS
Richmond City Council Meeting
Tuesday July 21, 2009
Council Chambers
440 Civic Center St (Plaza)
Richmond, CA
