Richmond CA's Richmond Progressive Alliance (RPA) (website; facebook page), while famously preparing (and facing a lawsuit against) use of eminent domain for the city government to save endangered neighborhoods by purchasing mortgages on underwater homes, is also vigorously pressuring oil major Chevron Corp. to improve safety and emissions controls in its local refinery expansion proposal.
In preparation for a July 9th hearing, RPA is circulating Key Points, from the proposal's Environmental Impact Report, that are understandable to the local voters who will be impacted, and are an example of what other communities should focus on in developing their positions towards polluting facilities. Among these key points:
9...Chevron has failed to make the case that increased pollution is a business necessity. And the AG [Attorney General Kamala Harris] has interpreted the law to mean that the state’s goal of reducing GHG emissions to 80% of 1990 levels by 2050 is not supported by Chevron’s proposal to increase its GHG emissions by 16% and further that AB32’s cap and trade mechanism doesn’t allow increases in local CAP and TAC emissions in communities already experiencing the highest levels of pollution in the state.
10. Chevron is proposing to mitigate only 1-2% of its proposed GHG emission increases through a local Community Greenhouse Gas Reduction Program (CGRP). This is unacceptable. If any increases in GHG emissions are approved, most of them should be mitigated via a local 10 year CGRP focused on job creation as well as GHG reduction. If Chevron spent $12 million/year for ten years on such a program instead of on purchasing cap and trade allowances, we could put solar panels on 10,000 low income homes in Richmond and San Pablo and create many needed entry level jobs.
CAP = Criteria Air Pollutant (emissions)
TAC = Toxic Air Contaminant (emissions)