RICHMOND, Calif. (KCBS) -- Construction at the Chevron refinery in Richmond ground to a halt after a judge’s order requiring further environmental review of the project.
Superior Court Judge Barbara Zuniga said Chevron must clarify whether the facility will process light crude oil, or heavy crude oil that generates more pollution, once the equipment upgrade at the facility is complete.
KCBS' Margie Shafer reports
A suit brought by the non-profit Earth Justice on behalf of three community groups accused the City of Richmond of violating state environmental laws when it approved the previous statement submitted by Chevron.
“The city just didn’t do the proper environmental review. Chevron shouldn’t have started building until they knew the project complied with the law,” said an attorney for the group, Will Rostov. “They put their own workers at risk.”
A spokesman for Chevron said the decision would cost millions in lost income for the 1,000 building and construction workers being laid off while the new paper work is being prepared.
“We’ve already released about a hundred workers and over the next several weeks will continue to release workers as we begin to safely demobilize the project,” said Chevron spokesman Brent Tippen.
Tippen expects the project will move forward once a revised environmental impact report has been filed. The judge also ordered the company to redo its greenhouse gas mitigation plans.
(jro)
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