The Department of Justice DOJ and The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) assessed the $27 and half million dollar fine penalty in April 2023, after Tesoro violated a previous court order that required a reduction in air pollution at its Pacheco refinery.
Tesoro failed to limit air emissions of nitrogen oxides — a pollutant that contributes to smog and particulate matter, which can cause severe respiratory health issues in high quantities, according to the Agency For Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
The letter, issued jointly by the county and the Bay Area Air Quality District, asks for 40 percent of those fines to be applied to local air programs.
“Our health department works closely with communities on these issues already. And funding to be able to expand these programs would benefit residents who’ve been impacted for decades by refinery pollution and specifically impacted by these violations," Supervisor John Gioia said.
Some of the funding proposals supported by Contra Costa County and the Air District include: expanding the In-home Asthma Mitigation and Energy Efficiency Program, the distribution of portable air purifiers, installing Heating/Ventilation/Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems and supporting the air district and Contra Costa Health with equipment or training.
