information and resources

California and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) have some of the nation’s most stringent regulations to control emissions and protect public health.

Chevron Richmond maintains a comprehensive network of safety systems that are designed to keep our plants running safely and reliably during all operating conditions. One of the most visible components of those safety systems is our network of flares.

These essential safety devices are used to relieve pressure during the refining process. Chevron Richmond has invested hundreds of millions of dollars to deploy new technologies that have allowed us to recover gases that would otherwise be flared and recycle them back through our processing plant.

Sometimes it is not possible to fully recover all the excess gas in a safe manner. In these instances, our flare gas recovery system is designed to route any excess gas through the flare stack. Most of the excess gas is fully combusted before it is released. The flare stacks are very tall to minimize the potential impact to surrounding neighborhoods.

Chevron Richmond is committed to identifying and addressing areas that can improve flaring performance. There was an increase in flaring events as we brought our new, more energy-efficient, hydrogen plant online in 2019. In response, we made changes to our operating practices and invested in new equipment and technology, which have resulted in an improvement in flaring performance.

• www.richmondairmonitoring.org (funded by Chevron but operated independently)
• www.baaqmd.gov (search air quality)
• www.transparentrichmond.org
• www.purpleair.org
• www.ramboll-shair.com
• www.breezometer.com
• www.airnow.gov

BAAQMD-reportable flaring events are listed below. Chevron Richmond fully investigates the cause of flaring events and implements necessary corrective actions.