Northern California Campaigns and Projects

Contra Costa

CBE is continuing its long-standing organizing and political work in West Contra Costa County in 2009. CBE will continue to challenge Contra Costa's refinery's plans for major expansion. We will be addressing the environmental and health impacts of the expansion plans and working to ensure that modern and updated equipment results in pollution reduction for our communities. In addition, our work on the ground will include building on some of our important recent victories, conducting community-wide educational forums, and begin advancing new policy goals with local allies in the City of Richmond. 

For Chevron Refinery Expansion contact Jessica Tovar at jessica@cbecal.org or 510-302-0430 ext 24 for more information.

Flares Prevention Measures

Flaring continues to be a chief concern among Richmond residents, episodes at Bay Area refineries still pollute in amounts that can impact local air quality an average of twice per week.  The landmark flare control rule we won last year needs to be enforced.  That means each refinery's “Flare Minimization Plan” needs to include all feasible prevention measures to prevent and minimize flaring, as required by the rule.  We will organize to demand that the Bay Area Air Quality Management District require all feasible measures in the plans. We are depending on community voices and active participation to hold the AQMD responsible for implementing the Flare Control Rule they adopted!

Measure T: A fair share for Richmond

* Was on the ballot in November because the people of Richmond put it there.

* Required large manufatureres like CHEVRON to pay a fair share for a business license.

*Millions were to be generated for services.

*DOES NOT increase fees for retail, non-manufacturing businesses, small businesses or landlords.

*Its time for CHEVRON to pay Richmond a fair share of the billions in profits it makes.

Imagine a City of Richmond that can: train and employ thousands of youth, have recreation centers and libraries open day and night, fix all the streets and keep them fixed, double or triple the violence prevention outreach, create beautiful common spaces in each neighborhood. If you think Richmond can't afford this, think again! We have untapped wealth right here in our city. For example, the Chevron corporation is able to make over one million dollars profit every half hour, partially because the Richmond refinery is a prime location on the San Francisco Bay. The People of Richmond can determine the terms and conditions under which companies may operate within our city limits. People are doing now by insisting that Chevron reduce the pollutants they inflict on us. Measure T Flyer En Espanol(Parte 2) / Measure T Flyer In English(Part 2)

UPDATE ON MEASURE:

Chevron Files Suit to HALT Costly New Policy

SF Gate, February 26, 2009 - "Chevron filed a long-expected lawsuit against the city of Richmond today, asking the courts to toss out the city's new business-license fee that would extract millions of dollars from the oil giant for city coffers.
The suit targets Measure T, passed by voters in November, that would raise the annual license fee paid by the Chevron refinery in Richmond by several hundred-fold. It's unclear how much Chevron would be required to pay. Past city estimates have ranged between $16 million and $26.5 million, depending on the fluctuating price of oil. The fee is based on the value of materials used in the manufacturing process. The Chevron suit, filed in Contra Costa County Superior Court, says Measure T violates state laws banning tax on business inventory and regulating local sales and use taxes. The measure also violates the commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution and parallel principles in the state constitution by being not fairly related to the services provided by the city, by burdening commerce and by other means, the suit says.
The mayor of the financially struggling city, Gayle McLaughlin, a Green Party member and backer of Measure T, said today she's "confident this measure will hold up in court." "The will of the voters will be defended aggressively by our legal team," she said.
The refinery's general manager, Mike Coyle, said in a statement today, "A new business license tax negatively impacts not only current Richmond businesses such as the Chevron Refinery and other manufacturing businesses, but also businesses considering locating in Richmond. "The measure applies to all manufacturers, not just Chevron, though the Measure T campaign singled out the refinery in its "Fair Share for Richmond" slogan. McLaughlin and other Measure T supporters say Chevron enjoys vast profits but has long resisted paying what it should to Richmond. Chevron, the nation's second largest oil company, posted a new record profit of $23.93 billion last year, up from the previous record of $18.69 billion, set the year before.
Chevron says it supports the community in many ways, including $61 million worth of contributions for various city projects and programs offered before the council's approval last year of a controversial refinery upgrade. Approved by 51.5 percent of the voters, Measure T says all manufacturers in the city must pay whichever amount is higher in a two-tier system -- either a fee based on the number of employees, as currently done, or a fee equal to 0.25 percent of "the values of materials used in the manufacturing process." There are about 60 manufacturers in the city, but city officials don't know what other companies besides Chevron would have to pay a fee based on materials used in manufacturing, said Antonio Banuelos, revenue manager for the city's finance department. Calculation of the materials' value is up to the business, but would be subject to possible city audit, he said. Chevron spokesman Brent Tippen says the company doesn't publicly disclose its calculation of the license fee. The fee took effect Jan. 1, and Chevron's deadline for paying this year's fee is March 15, though businesses have a month-long grace period."

CBE's Richmond Health Survey

CBE’s Richmond Health Survey- Community Meeting March 28th 2009

Last summer, Communities for a Better Environment together with collaborators from Brown University, UC Berkeley, and Silent Spring Institute, launched a health survey in Richmond.  The survey was focused on residents living in the Iron Triangle area and North Richmond.  We asked residents a variety of questions about their health, their family members’ health and their neighborhood. 

The goal of the study is to learn more about Richmond residents’ health and environmental concerns.  The health information we collected will complement CBE’s work around environmental exposures, including the Household Exposure Study conducted in 2006. Additionally, CBE could use survey results when advocating for improved environmental health policy.

We are finished administering surveys and are currently working on analyzing the data.  We have planned a Richmond Health Survey- Community Meeting for March 28th 2009 (location and time TBD) to present our results please contact Andrea Lopez at (510) 302-0430 Ext. 22 if you have any questions or recommendations.  Access Health Survey Community Meeting Flyer here.

A report of CBE's Health Survey will is now ready! Person's interested in obtaining this report should contact our office (510) 302-0430 x22. A PDF version of this report should be availible in our web archives on or around June 1st.

Contra Costa Pipeline Project

CBE comments on the draft EIR for the proposed Contra Costa Pipeline project.

Adrienne Bloch

Greg Karras

Anna Lee

View Organizer, Jessica Tovar's bio »