No new refineries. Importing refined products hurts the economy. But expanding existing refineries is bad too. Any other answers?Richmond's Planning Commission agreed early today to limit the amount of a new type of crude oil that Chevron wants to process at its refinery in the city, and the panel's decision drew cheers from environmental groups concerned that a planned plant expansion would increase air pollution.
Chevron officials want to expand their 3,000-acre refinery on Richmond's waterfront to add a new power plant and crude oil processing facility. The material processed at the new facility would have higher contents of sulfur and other impurities, city officials said.
But planning commissioners said three years of review of the project was adequate. The city commissioned a highly detailed environmental impact report, which concluded that the expansion would increase air pollution in a "less than significant" way.
Chevron officials and the independent firm that produced the environmental impact report said the plan is a modernization project that will reduce toxic emissions and will not increase greenhouse gases. They also say the project meets or exceeds state and federal regulations.
| Get the names of the environuts at the meeting, and pass a law prohibiting them from buying gasoline for the next six months. Just a small sacrifice for them to pay ... |