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air quality and flaring

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Richmond air quality and flaring

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.

Government
Chevron Richmond works with more than 36 federal, state, and local regulatory agencies to ensure that we fully comply with environmental standards for air, water, and waste.
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We have a robust air quality compliance program to manage the hundreds of thousands of compliance requirements related to our air quality permits.
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Nearly two dozen employees work full-time to ensure our entire workforce is working to maintain compliance with environmental requirements.

flaring

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.

read our community guide to understanding refinery flares

fast facts

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Number of flaring events at Chevron Richmond decreased by about 30% from 2022 to 2023.
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Through targeted efforts, there has been an 85% reduction in flare gas volume at the Hydrogen Plant since 2019.
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As a result of improvements to the facility, including the Modernization Project, we have reduced particulate matter emissions by about 36 percent since 2018.
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stay informed

When a flare event happens, we provide timely information to regulatory agencies who inform the public of any potential action required.

Chevron Richmond is committed to keeping the community informed and updated when flaring occurs. Here are ways you can contact us and access information:

  • Call the Chevron Richmond Community Hotline
  • Email the Chevron Richmond Community Inbox
  • Check Facebook and X
  • Register for county Community Warning System alerts
  • Report noise and odor concerns

community air monitoring resources:

flaring reports

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

Qualified flaring events, will be listed here when they occur.

click here for our flare minimization plan

Richmond air quality

more information on air monitoring