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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>Editor’s Note: This story includes details of alleged sexual misconduct against minors.\u003c/em> \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A jury on Thursday found a former \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/benicia\">Benicia\u003c/a> teacher guilty of sexually abusing four students at Robert Semple Elementary School, bringing to a close a criminal case that rocked the waterfront community and highlighted statewide gaps in educator vetting. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Matthew Shelton, 44, faced 12 felony counts of lewd acts with a child. He was convicted of 11 of those counts. The jury declared a mistrial for the remaining count. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This was not the first time Shelton had been on trial for sexually abusing elementary students. Nearly two decades ago, Shelton stood trial over similar allegations that he sexually abused students at Phillips Edison Elementary School, a charter school in Napa. The jury acquitted him in 2008 after deliberating for just 20 minutes. The Benicia Unified School District hired him months later. Shelton then taught at the West Contra Costa Unified School District before returning to Benicia in 2015. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of the victims of the alleged abuse in Napa, who testified in Shelton’s trial this month, said the verdict felt like a long time coming. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Justice was served. We’re finally here. Almost 20 years later,” she told KQED. This news organization does not name victims of alleged abuse without their consent.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The woman, now in her 20s, said she testified on behalf of the girls in Benicia — and to make sure Shelton did not escape justice a second time.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“It brought me back to being that third-grader and not being believed,” she said, adding that testifying as an adult felt different. “I felt like I had a voice this time.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The woman was among seven former students from two school districts, ranging in ages from teens to adults in their late 20s, who took the stand over three weeks to testify against Shelton. They alleged that between 2007 and late 2022, he touched their butts, their crotch area, or that he made them touch his penis. Most of the abuse occurred in his classroom, including while other students were present. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-16-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12101867\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-16-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-16-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-16-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Matthew Shelton holds hands with his wife Brandy Shelton as he walks into the Solano County Law and Justice Center for his court hearing in Fairfield on Sept. 28, 2026. (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Shelton was acquitted in 2008, the Commission on Teacher Credentialing — the state agency charged with determining who is fit to teach in California public schools — considered whether to discipline him, ultimately issuing a private admonishment. Such punishments, which are rare, are hidden from the public and must be expunged by the state and employers within three years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While making the case to the state for why he should be allowed to continue teaching, Shelton said he was willing to “put this event behind him” for future students who could benefit from his educational experience. He told the state panel of volunteers who reviewed his case that he changed his teaching practices, putting neon orange tape on the floor by his desk to create a physical barrier students were not allowed to cross, according to audio from the review played for the jury. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The state allowed him to keep his license, and Shelton worked hard to ingratiate himself with Benicia parents and school administrators so future victims would not be believed, Shapiro said. Shapiro said when girls first reported inappropriate touching by Shelton to the Robert Semple Elementary principal, Christina Moore, in December 2022, they did not think their principal believed them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During the trial, prosecutors played footage showing she told an officer the girls in Shelton’s class were 10 years old and hormonal, and that there was “a lot of emotion” in the classroom. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moore was put on leave the day after the verdict. Reached by phone, she declined to comment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“[Shelton] thought that if he were valued by the school district, even if those students and victims did come forward, they likely would not make their way to the police department and certainly would not have the strength to make it into court,” Shapiro said. “The defendant was wrong.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shelton’s defense attorney, Amanda Bevins, declined to comment on the verdict on Thursday. She had argued in her closing statement on Tuesday that multiple girls making allegations did not mean the claims were true.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“Repetition is not corroboration,” Bevins said. “The argument assumes the accounts developed independently. The evidence shows the opposite.”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>She told the jury that the Benicia victims’ allegations became more detailed and egregious over time, beginning with claims of hugs and pinches on the arm that eventually morphed into accusations of sexual abuse. The girls’ memories, she said, had become “contaminated” by outside influences, from classmates and parents to attorneys posting ads online seeking victims of Shelton to represent in civil lawsuits. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shelton acknowledged that he hugged students at Robert Semple Elementary School, and Bevins noted the school had no policy against touching students. She said no other students in Shelton’s classroom independently corroborated the girls’ claims that he touched their butts.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“If the prosecution’s theory is true, and Shelton was touching girls’ bottoms every day, multiple times a day, in front of the classroom, where is the corroboration? Where is the immediate outcry?” Bevins said. “It’s not there.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She said another one of the girls’ claims that Shelton reached in the back seat of the car he was driving — then touched her crotch while he smiled — was either impossible or nearly impossible. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-21-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12101868\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-21-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-21-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-21-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Solano County Law and Justice Center in Fairfield on Sept. 28, 2026. (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two of the girls who accused Shelton of sexually abusing them at Phillips Edison Elementary School in Napa testified again at this trial. Bevins described the students as obstructive during their testimonies. One answered several of the defense attorney’s questions by saying she could not remember. Bevins said the other student appeared “angry” and “out for vengeance.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The former Napa student alleged during the trial that Shelton touched her crotch and made her touch his penis when she was in the third grade. Shapiro asked her to describe his demeanor.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She said Shelton would smile. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Like he’s doing now,” she said from the witness stand. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In an interview with KQED after the verdict, the former student said she could feel him looking at her “deep within her soul” and his expression brought her back to being a third-grader in his classroom all over again.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She is still dealing with the trauma, she said, and struggles to trust male teachers around her own daughter. Sending her daughter to third-grade was the hardest, she said. But she said the guilty verdict closes a painful chapter for her. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She now works for an organization that advocates for victims of domestic violence and assault. “Being the voice for others is the whole purpose I’m put on this earth for.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the criminal trial is over, Benicia Unified still faces three lawsuits alleging the district failed to protect its students when administrators hired Shelton in 2008. During the trial, the prosecutor presented evidence that appeared to show the state had notified the school district that it privately admonished Shelton. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“They really dropped the ball,” said the mother of one of the girls suing Benicia Unified, who also testified at the trial. KQED is not naming her to protect her daughter’s identity. “They allowed someone like this inside of our school system. Somebody who was supposed to be a trusted figure.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a written statement, the Benicia Unified superintendent, Chris Calabrese, said the district’s focus is on the well-being and safety of its students.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We are committed to maintaining strong hiring and screening practices, clear reporting procedures, staff training, and a school culture where students feel safe and heard,” Calabrese said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the mom said the issue extends beyond the district. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Shelton agreed to resign from Benicia Unified in 2023 following complaints he touched students inappropriately, he was hired as an assistant principal at Helms Middle School in West Contra Costa Unified. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the job application, Shelton listed as his supervisor a former teaching colleague and identified her as a principal, which she was not. Shelton acknowledged to the jury he lied and that he expected the teacher to provide a favorable reference. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Why didn’t they protect the children there?” the mother said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since 2025, California public school administrators have been required to ask every single previous employing school whether teaching candidates were reported to the state for credible or substantiated reports of egregious misconduct. A \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097322/california-teacher-misconduct-bill-administrator-discipline-al-muratsuchi\">new law\u003c/a>, which goes into effect next year and was prompted by a \u003ca href=\"https://www.propublica.org/article/california-fired-teacher-sexual-harassment\">KQED-ProPublica investigation\u003c/a>, clarifies administrators who fail to do so may be subject to discipline by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But some school administrators say contacting every former employing school and getting their responses leaves room for error, since prospective teachers can omit information, or lie. Two California bills proposed this year would have created a searchable database to allow hiring schools to determine whether prospective teachers had been reported to the state after they were fired or resigned over claims of misconduct. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They were \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12093249/california-teacher-misconduct-database-bill-failed-al-muratsuchi\">both killed\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shelton is scheduled for sentencing in December. He faces life in prison.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The woman was among seven former students from two school districts, ranging in ages from teens to adults in their late 20s, who took the stand over three weeks to testify against Shelton. They alleged that between 2007 and late 2022, he touched their butts, their crotch area, or that he made them touch his penis. Most of the abuse occurred in his classroom, including while other students were present. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The woman was among seven former students from two school districts, ranging in ages from teens to adults in their late 20s, who took the stand over three weeks to testify against Shelton. They alleged that between 2007 and late 2022, he touched their butts, their crotch area, or that he made them touch his penis. Most of the abuse occurred in his classroom, including while other students were present. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-16-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12101867\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-16-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-16-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-16-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Matthew Shelton holds hands with his wife Brandy Shelton as he walks into the Solano County Law and Justice Center for his court hearing in Fairfield on Sept. 28, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-16-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12101867\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Matthew Shelton holds hands with his wife Brandy Shelton as he walks into the Solano County Law and Justice Center for his court hearing in Fairfield on Sept. 28, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After Shelton was acquitted in 2008, the Commission on Teacher Credentialing — the state agency charged with determining who is fit to teach in California public schools — considered whether to discipline him, ultimately issuing a private admonishment. Such punishments, which are rare, are hidden from the public and must be expunged by the state and employers within three years. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>After Shelton was acquitted in 2008, the Commission on Teacher Credentialing — the state agency charged with determining who is fit to teach in California public schools — considered whether to discipline him, ultimately issuing a private admonishment. Such punishments, which are rare, are hidden from the public and must be expunged by the state and employers within three years. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While making the case to the state for why he should be allowed to continue teaching, Shelton said he was willing to “put this event behind him” for future students who could benefit from his educational experience. He told the state panel of volunteers who reviewed his case that he changed his teaching practices, putting neon orange tape on the floor by his desk to create a physical barrier students were not allowed to cross, according to audio from the review played for the jury. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>While making the case to the state for why he should be allowed to continue teaching, Shelton said he was willing to “put this event behind him” for future students who could benefit from his educational experience. He told the state panel of volunteers who reviewed his case that he changed his teaching practices, putting neon orange tape on the floor by his desk to create a physical barrier students were not allowed to cross, according to audio from the review played for the jury. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The state allowed him to keep his license, and Shelton worked hard to ingratiate himself with Benicia parents and school administrators so future victims would not be believed, Shapiro said. Shapiro said when girls first reported inappropriate touching by Shelton to the Robert Semple Elementary principal, Christina Moore, in December 2022, they did not think their principal believed them.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The state allowed him to keep his license, and Shelton worked hard to ingratiate himself with Benicia parents and school administrators so future victims would not be believed, Shapiro said. Shapiro said when girls first reported inappropriate touching by Shelton to the Robert Semple Elementary principal, Christina Moore, in December 2022, they did not think their principal believed them.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During the trial, prosecutors played footage showing she told an officer the girls in Shelton’s class were 10 years old and hormonal, and that there was “a lot of emotion” in the classroom. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Moore was put on leave the day after the verdict. Reached by phone, she declined to comment. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“[Shelton] thought that if he were valued by the school district, even if those students and victims did come forward, they likely would not make their way to the police department and certainly would not have the strength to make it into court,” Shapiro said. “The defendant was wrong.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Shelton’s defense attorney, Amanda Bevins, declined to comment on the verdict on Thursday. She had argued in her closing statement on Tuesday that multiple girls making allegations did not mean the claims were true.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“Repetition is not corroboration,” Bevins said. “The argument assumes the accounts developed independently. The evidence shows the opposite.”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>She told the jury that the Benicia victims’ allegations became more detailed and egregious over time, beginning with claims of hugs and pinches on the arm that eventually morphed into accusations of sexual abuse. The girls’ memories, she said, had become “contaminated” by outside influences, from classmates and parents to attorneys posting ads online seeking victims of Shelton to represent in civil lawsuits. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Shelton’s defense attorney, Amanda Bevins, declined to comment on the verdict on Thursday. She had argued in her closing statement on Tuesday that multiple girls making allegations did not mean the claims were true.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“Repetition is not corroboration,” Bevins said. “The argument assumes the accounts developed independently. The evidence shows the opposite.”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>She told the jury that the Benicia victims’ allegations became more detailed and egregious over time, beginning with claims of hugs and pinches on the arm that eventually morphed into accusations of sexual abuse. The girls’ memories, she said, had become “contaminated” by outside influences, from classmates and parents to attorneys posting ads online seeking victims of Shelton to represent in civil lawsuits. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Shelton acknowledged that he hugged students at Robert Semple Elementary School, and Bevins noted the school had no policy against touching students. She said no other students in Shelton’s classroom independently corroborated the girls’ claims that he touched their butts.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“If the prosecution’s theory is true, and Shelton was touching girls’ bottoms every day, multiple times a day, in front of the classroom, where is the corroboration? Where is the immediate outcry?” Bevins said. “It’s not there.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Shelton acknowledged that he hugged students at Robert Semple Elementary School, and Bevins noted the school had no policy against touching students. She said no other students in Shelton’s classroom independently corroborated the girls’ claims that he touched their butts.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“If the prosecution’s theory is true, and Shelton was touching girls’ bottoms every day, multiple times a day, in front of the classroom, where is the corroboration? Where is the immediate outcry?” Bevins said. “It’s not there.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She said another one of the girls’ claims that Shelton reached in the back seat of the car he was driving — then touched her crotch while he smiled — was either impossible or nearly impossible. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>She said another one of the girls’ claims that Shelton reached in the back seat of the car he was driving — then touched her crotch while he smiled — was either impossible or nearly impossible. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-21-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12101868\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-21-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-21-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-21-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Solano County Law and Justice Center in Fairfield on Sept. 28, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Two of the girls who accused Shelton of sexually abusing them at Phillips Edison Elementary School in Napa testified again at this trial. Bevins described the students as obstructive during their testimonies. One answered several of the defense attorney’s questions by saying she could not remember. Bevins said the other student appeared “angry” and “out for vengeance.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Two of the girls who accused Shelton of sexually abusing them at Phillips Edison Elementary School in Napa testified again at this trial. Bevins described the students as obstructive during their testimonies. One answered several of the defense attorney’s questions by saying she could not remember. Bevins said the other student appeared “angry” and “out for vengeance.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The former Napa student alleged during the trial that Shelton touched her crotch and made her touch his penis when she was in the third grade. Shapiro asked her to describe his demeanor.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The former Napa student alleged during the trial that Shelton touched her crotch and made her touch his penis when she was in the third grade. Shapiro asked her to describe his demeanor.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Like he’s doing now,” she said from the witness stand. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Like he’s doing now,” she said from the witness stand. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In an interview with KQED after the verdict, the former student said she could feel him looking at her “deep within her soul” and his expression brought her back to being a third-grader in his classroom all over again.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In an interview with KQED after the verdict, the former student said she could feel him looking at her “deep within her soul” and his expression brought her back to being a third-grader in his classroom all over again.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She is still dealing with the trauma, she said, and struggles to trust male teachers around her own daughter. Sending her daughter to third-grade was the hardest, she said. But she said the guilty verdict closes a painful chapter for her. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>She is still dealing with the trauma, she said, and struggles to trust male teachers around her own daughter. Sending her daughter to third-grade was the hardest, she said. But she said the guilty verdict closes a painful chapter for her. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She now works for an organization that advocates for victims of domestic violence and assault. “Being the voice for others is the whole purpose I’m put on this earth for.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>She now works for an organization that advocates for victims of domestic violence and assault. “Being the voice for others is the whole purpose I’m put on this earth for.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While the criminal trial is over, Benicia Unified still faces three lawsuits alleging the district failed to protect its students when administrators hired Shelton in 2008. During the trial, the prosecutor presented evidence that appeared to show the state had notified the school district that it privately admonished Shelton. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>While the criminal trial is over, Benicia Unified still faces three lawsuits alleging the district failed to protect its students when administrators hired Shelton in 2008. During the trial, the prosecutor presented evidence that appeared to show the state had notified the school district that it privately admonished Shelton. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“They really dropped the ball,” said the mother of one of the girls suing Benicia Unified, who also testified at the trial. KQED is not naming her to protect her daughter’s identity. “They allowed someone like this inside of our school system. Somebody who was supposed to be a trusted figure.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“They really dropped the ball,” said the mother of one of the girls suing Benicia Unified, who also testified at the trial. KQED is not naming her to protect her daughter’s identity. “They allowed someone like this inside of our school system. Somebody who was supposed to be a trusted figure.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a written statement, the Benicia Unified superintendent, Chris Calabrese, said the district’s focus is on the well-being and safety of its students.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In a written statement, the Benicia Unified superintendent, Chris Calabrese, said the district’s focus is on the well-being and safety of its students.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We are committed to maintaining strong hiring and screening practices, clear reporting procedures, staff training, and a school culture where students feel safe and heard,” Calabrese said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We are committed to maintaining strong hiring and screening practices, clear reporting procedures, staff training, and a school culture where students feel safe and heard,” Calabrese said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But the mom said the issue extends beyond the district. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But the mom said the issue extends beyond the district. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After Shelton agreed to resign from Benicia Unified in 2023 following complaints he touched students inappropriately, he was hired as an assistant principal at Helms Middle School in West Contra Costa Unified. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>After Shelton agreed to resign from Benicia Unified in 2023 following complaints he touched students inappropriately, he was hired as an assistant principal at Helms Middle School in West Contra Costa Unified. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On the job application, Shelton listed as his supervisor a former teaching colleague and identified her as a principal, which she was not. Shelton acknowledged to the jury he lied and that he expected the teacher to provide a favorable reference. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On the job application, Shelton listed as his supervisor a former teaching colleague and identified her as a principal, which she was not. Shelton acknowledged to the jury he lied and that he expected the teacher to provide a favorable reference. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Why didn’t they protect the children there?” the mother said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Why didn’t they protect the children there?” the mother said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Since 2025, California public school administrators have been required to ask every single previous employing school whether teaching candidates were reported to the state for credible or substantiated reports of egregious misconduct. A \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097322/california-teacher-misconduct-bill-administrator-discipline-al-muratsuchi\">new law\u003c/a>, which goes into effect next year and was prompted by a \u003ca href=\"https://www.propublica.org/article/california-fired-teacher-sexual-harassment\">KQED-ProPublica investigation\u003c/a>, clarifies administrators who fail to do so may be subject to discipline by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Since 2025, California public school administrators have been required to ask every single previous employing school whether teaching candidates were reported to the state for credible or substantiated reports of egregious misconduct. A \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097322/california-teacher-misconduct-bill-administrator-discipline-al-muratsuchi\">new law\u003c/a>, which goes into effect next year and was prompted by a \u003ca href=\"https://www.propublica.org/article/california-fired-teacher-sexual-harassment\">KQED-ProPublica investigation\u003c/a>, clarifies administrators who fail to do so may be subject to discipline by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But some school administrators say contacting every former employing school and getting their responses leaves room for error, since prospective teachers can omit information, or lie. Two California bills proposed this year would have created a searchable database to allow hiring schools to determine whether prospective teachers had been reported to the state after they were fired or resigned over claims of misconduct. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But some school administrators say contacting every former employing school and getting their responses leaves room for error, since prospective teachers can omit information, or lie. Two California bills proposed this year would have created a searchable database to allow hiring schools to determine whether prospective teachers had been reported to the state after they were fired or resigned over claims of misconduct. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>They were \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12093249/california-teacher-misconduct-database-bill-failed-al-muratsuchi\">both killed\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>They were \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12093249/california-teacher-misconduct-database-bill-failed-al-muratsuchi\">both killed\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "A Solano County jury found Matthew Shelton guilty of sexually abusing Benicia students. He was acquitted of similar allegations in Napa.\n",
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"title": "‘Justice Was Served’: Former Benicia Elementary Teacher Found Guilty of Sexually Abusing His Students | KQED",
"description": "A Solano County jury found Matthew Shelton guilty of sexually abusing Benicia students. He was acquitted of similar allegations in Napa.\n",
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"headline": "‘Justice Was Served’: Former Benicia Elementary Teacher Found Guilty of Sexually Abusing His Students",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>Editor’s Note: This story includes details of alleged sexual misconduct against minors.\u003c/em> \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A jury on Thursday found a former \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/benicia\">Benicia\u003c/a> teacher guilty of sexually abusing four students at Robert Semple Elementary School, bringing to a close a criminal case that rocked the waterfront community and highlighted statewide gaps in educator vetting. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Matthew Shelton, 44, faced 12 felony counts of lewd acts with a child. He was convicted of 11 of those counts. The jury declared a mistrial for the remaining count. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This was not the first time Shelton had been on trial for sexually abusing elementary students. Nearly two decades ago, Shelton stood trial over similar allegations that he sexually abused students at Phillips Edison Elementary School, a charter school in Napa. The jury acquitted him in 2008 after deliberating for just 20 minutes. The Benicia Unified School District hired him months later. Shelton then taught at the West Contra Costa Unified School District before returning to Benicia in 2015. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of the victims of the alleged abuse in Napa, who testified in Shelton’s trial this month, said the verdict felt like a long time coming. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Justice was served. We’re finally here. Almost 20 years later,” she told KQED. This news organization does not name victims of alleged abuse without their consent.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The woman, now in her 20s, said she testified on behalf of the girls in Benicia — and to make sure Shelton did not escape justice a second time.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“It brought me back to being that third-grader and not being believed,” she said, adding that testifying as an adult felt different. “I felt like I had a voice this time.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The woman was among seven former students from two school districts, ranging in ages from teens to adults in their late 20s, who took the stand over three weeks to testify against Shelton. They alleged that between 2007 and late 2022, he touched their butts, their crotch area, or that he made them touch his penis. Most of the abuse occurred in his classroom, including while other students were present. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-16-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12101867\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-16-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-16-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-16-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Matthew Shelton holds hands with his wife Brandy Shelton as he walks into the Solano County Law and Justice Center for his court hearing in Fairfield on Sept. 28, 2026. (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Shelton was acquitted in 2008, the Commission on Teacher Credentialing — the state agency charged with determining who is fit to teach in California public schools — considered whether to discipline him, ultimately issuing a private admonishment. Such punishments, which are rare, are hidden from the public and must be expunged by the state and employers within three years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While making the case to the state for why he should be allowed to continue teaching, Shelton said he was willing to “put this event behind him” for future students who could benefit from his educational experience. He told the state panel of volunteers who reviewed his case that he changed his teaching practices, putting neon orange tape on the floor by his desk to create a physical barrier students were not allowed to cross, according to audio from the review played for the jury. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The state allowed him to keep his license, and Shelton worked hard to ingratiate himself with Benicia parents and school administrators so future victims would not be believed, Shapiro said. Shapiro said when girls first reported inappropriate touching by Shelton to the Robert Semple Elementary principal, Christina Moore, in December 2022, they did not think their principal believed them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During the trial, prosecutors played footage showing she told an officer the girls in Shelton’s class were 10 years old and hormonal, and that there was “a lot of emotion” in the classroom. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moore was put on leave the day after the verdict. Reached by phone, she declined to comment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“[Shelton] thought that if he were valued by the school district, even if those students and victims did come forward, they likely would not make their way to the police department and certainly would not have the strength to make it into court,” Shapiro said. “The defendant was wrong.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shelton’s defense attorney, Amanda Bevins, declined to comment on the verdict on Thursday. She had argued in her closing statement on Tuesday that multiple girls making allegations did not mean the claims were true.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“Repetition is not corroboration,” Bevins said. “The argument assumes the accounts developed independently. The evidence shows the opposite.”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>She told the jury that the Benicia victims’ allegations became more detailed and egregious over time, beginning with claims of hugs and pinches on the arm that eventually morphed into accusations of sexual abuse. The girls’ memories, she said, had become “contaminated” by outside influences, from classmates and parents to attorneys posting ads online seeking victims of Shelton to represent in civil lawsuits. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shelton acknowledged that he hugged students at Robert Semple Elementary School, and Bevins noted the school had no policy against touching students. She said no other students in Shelton’s classroom independently corroborated the girls’ claims that he touched their butts.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“If the prosecution’s theory is true, and Shelton was touching girls’ bottoms every day, multiple times a day, in front of the classroom, where is the corroboration? Where is the immediate outcry?” Bevins said. “It’s not there.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She said another one of the girls’ claims that Shelton reached in the back seat of the car he was driving — then touched her crotch while he smiled — was either impossible or nearly impossible. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-21-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12101868\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-21-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-21-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-21-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Solano County Law and Justice Center in Fairfield on Sept. 28, 2026. (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two of the girls who accused Shelton of sexually abusing them at Phillips Edison Elementary School in Napa testified again at this trial. Bevins described the students as obstructive during their testimonies. One answered several of the defense attorney’s questions by saying she could not remember. Bevins said the other student appeared “angry” and “out for vengeance.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The former Napa student alleged during the trial that Shelton touched her crotch and made her touch his penis when she was in the third grade. Shapiro asked her to describe his demeanor.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She said Shelton would smile. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Like he’s doing now,” she said from the witness stand. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In an interview with KQED after the verdict, the former student said she could feel him looking at her “deep within her soul” and his expression brought her back to being a third-grader in his classroom all over again.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She is still dealing with the trauma, she said, and struggles to trust male teachers around her own daughter. Sending her daughter to third-grade was the hardest, she said. But she said the guilty verdict closes a painful chapter for her. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She now works for an organization that advocates for victims of domestic violence and assault. “Being the voice for others is the whole purpose I’m put on this earth for.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the criminal trial is over, Benicia Unified still faces three lawsuits alleging the district failed to protect its students when administrators hired Shelton in 2008. During the trial, the prosecutor presented evidence that appeared to show the state had notified the school district that it privately admonished Shelton. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“They really dropped the ball,” said the mother of one of the girls suing Benicia Unified, who also testified at the trial. KQED is not naming her to protect her daughter’s identity. “They allowed someone like this inside of our school system. Somebody who was supposed to be a trusted figure.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a written statement, the Benicia Unified superintendent, Chris Calabrese, said the district’s focus is on the well-being and safety of its students.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We are committed to maintaining strong hiring and screening practices, clear reporting procedures, staff training, and a school culture where students feel safe and heard,” Calabrese said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the mom said the issue extends beyond the district. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Shelton agreed to resign from Benicia Unified in 2023 following complaints he touched students inappropriately, he was hired as an assistant principal at Helms Middle School in West Contra Costa Unified. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the job application, Shelton listed as his supervisor a former teaching colleague and identified her as a principal, which she was not. Shelton acknowledged to the jury he lied and that he expected the teacher to provide a favorable reference. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Why didn’t they protect the children there?” the mother said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since 2025, California public school administrators have been required to ask every single previous employing school whether teaching candidates were reported to the state for credible or substantiated reports of egregious misconduct. A \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097322/california-teacher-misconduct-bill-administrator-discipline-al-muratsuchi\">new law\u003c/a>, which goes into effect next year and was prompted by a \u003ca href=\"https://www.propublica.org/article/california-fired-teacher-sexual-harassment\">KQED-ProPublica investigation\u003c/a>, clarifies administrators who fail to do so may be subject to discipline by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But some school administrators say contacting every former employing school and getting their responses leaves room for error, since prospective teachers can omit information, or lie. Two California bills proposed this year would have created a searchable database to allow hiring schools to determine whether prospective teachers had been reported to the state after they were fired or resigned over claims of misconduct. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They were \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12093249/california-teacher-misconduct-database-bill-failed-al-muratsuchi\">both killed\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shelton is scheduled for sentencing in December. He faces life in prison.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "a-bay-area-teacher-was-acquitted-of-sexual-abuse-hes-on-trial-again-for-new-allegations",
"title": "A Bay Area Teacher Was Acquitted of Sexual Abuse. He’s on Trial Again for New Allegations",
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"headTitle": "A Bay Area Teacher Was Acquitted of Sexual Abuse. He’s on Trial Again for New Allegations | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Editor’s Note: This story includes details of alleged sexual misconduct against minors. \u003c/em>\u003cstrong>\u003cbr>\u003cbr>\u003c/strong>For the second time in his teaching career, a former \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/bay-area\">Bay Area\u003c/a> elementary teacher is on trial over allegations that he sexually abused his students.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Matthew Shelton, 44, faces 12 felony counts of lewd acts on four children during his tenure at the Benicia Unified School District. Prosecutors say the alleged abuse took place between 2018 and 2022 at Robert Semple Elementary School, where he was a fifth-grade teacher, and during a field trip with students in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the trial is also putting a spotlight on Shelton’s tumultuous first year teaching in 2007, when students at Phillips Edison Elementary School in Napa accused him of similar allegations. And it comes as Benicia Unified faces three lawsuits from students who allege the district failed to protect them by hiring Shelton, despite the abuse allegations in Napa.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Shelton, then 25 years old, was a popular third-grade teacher at the Napa school when he was accused of inappropriately touching four students. He was criminally charged, and three students testified against him during a six-day trial in 2008. Jurors deliberated for just 20 minutes before finding him not guilty. Benicia Unified hired him six months later.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During opening statements at a Fairfield courthouse on Monday, prosecutor Barry Shapiro argued that Shelton’s pattern of abuse continued at his new school. He told the jury that Shelton went on to touch Benicia elementary students on the buttocks or vaginal area, and that he had a student touch his penis, just as the students in Napa alleged nearly two decades ago.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12101865\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Robert Semple Elementary School in Benicia on Sept. 28, 2026. (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Shapiro said adults trust teachers to keep their children safe. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This case is about a teacher who violated that trust consistently over the span of 15 years at two schools in multiple grades,” Shapiro said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Shapiro painted Shelton as a sophisticated actor who had both the “knowledge and opportunity” to isolate girls and get away with the abuse, even in a classroom with other students present. Shelton instructed his Benicia students to applaud when adults entered his classroom, Shapiro said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But one day in December 2022, Shapiro said the students were distracted and failed to clap. A teacher walked in and saw Shelton by his desk, holding hands with another student and “swaying back and forth.” The next day, several students complained to Principal Christina Moore that he made them uncomfortable by placing his hands on a classmate’s thigh, pinching a student’s arm, and moving his hand down to the pockets of a student’s pants.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Moore contacted the school’s resource officer and Benicia Unified put Shelton on leave. Months later students disclosed more serious allegations to Benicia police.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Defense attorney Amanda Bevins denies any sexual motivation on Shelton’s part. She described him as a husband, father and dedicated educator who devoted his entire career to teaching, even after being wrongfully accused nearly two decades prior. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bevins said that in the 2007 case, a group of disgruntled friends made allegations against Shelton to their principal. Flash forward to 2022, she said another friend group at Robert Semple Elementary School — upset that Shelton singled out one of the girls and made her cry — complained to their principal about Shelton. Nearly two decades apart, the two friend groups both concocted claims against him, she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bevins asked the jury to pay attention to how the allegations changed over time and were influenced by schoolyard gossip, employee break room chatter, media coverage, repeated interviews by police and lawyers and civil lawsuits.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The seriousness of the accusations does not tell us whether they are true,” Bevins said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said Shelton was acquitted in Napa and he did not abuse his students in Benicia. “Nothing plus nothing is nothing,” Bevins said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘I didn’t deserve that’ \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But details of Shelton’s short tenure teaching in Napa continue to reverberate in this trial. Former students who testified against Shelton in 2008, his former Napa teaching colleagues, and the detective who investigated the case were on a recent list of potential witnesses. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After opening statements, one of the students who testified against Shelton during the Napa trial, now in her late 20s, took the stand again to face her former social studies teacher. She told the jury that in 2007, she saw Shelton touch one of her classmates on the crotch and another on the butt during class. KQED does not generally name victims of alleged abuse without their consent. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>With her voice occasionally breaking, she testified that Shelton had also touched her butt after she went to his desk to ask a question. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-21-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12101868\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-21-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-21-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-21-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Solano County Law and Justice Center in Fairfield on Sept. 28, 2026. (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I was extremely shocked. I was confused. I wasn’t sure whether or not it was OK,” the former student said. “I had never been touched like that before.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Another alleged victim in the Napa case told KQED in a recent interview that Shelton was well-liked and touched students by playing games with them, picking girls up and pretending to be Superman.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When she was interviewed by police in 2007, the student alleged that Shelton moved her hands across her “private spot” or made her touch his groin.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But she said the same educators who comforted her, hugged her and told her she was safe later defended Shelton during the trial, testifying that the girls who accused him were lying. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When it was her turn to testify, she recalled sweating and shaking “not realizing the trauma that was coming up then.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said she was just a kid holding a teddy bear in a courtroom filled with adults, including Shelton. She became confused by the attorney’s deluge of questions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It was all basically to prove that I was wrong,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said she can still remember the expression on Shelton’s face. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The smirk,” the former student said. “He was getting satisfaction from us getting confused.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After Shelton was acquitted in 2008, the state’s teacher licensing agency reviewed the allegations against him in Napa to determine whether he should be allowed to continue working in California public schools, according to records from Napa Valley Unified. In addition to the criminal case, the agency also reviewed allegations from other students who said Shelton touched them on the stomach, rubbed their fingers and patted girls’ heads “like a dog.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nine people provided “very favorable” letters on Shelton’s behalf, including his defense attorney, former assistant principal and other third grade teachers, according to the agency’s investigative report. A teacher said one of the alleged victims “does a lot of lying” and that Shelton is “very kind-hearted.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At the time, Shelton cited as evidence an evaluation from a psychologist who said: “This young man very clearly does not exhibit those personality traits or demographic factors that empirical research has shown to be present in most child molesters.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Shelton told the teacher licensing agency he was looking forward to continuing his career as an educator. His credential was reinstated in 2008, and months later Benicia Unified hired him. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A parent of one of the alleged victims in Benicia told KQED that it was “disgusting” that the state gave Shelton back his teaching credential. KQED is not naming the parent to protect the identity of her daughter.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Why are we hiring people that have those types of allegations?” the mother said. “He needs to be away from kids.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said her daughter, now a teenager, is still afraid of being taught by male teachers because of what happened to her. “There were plenty of times over the last three years where she has broken down, cried and said, ‘I didn’t deserve that.’”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-13_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12101989\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-13_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-13_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-13_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Robert Semple Elementary School in Benicia on Sept. 28, 2026. (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Benicia Unified Superintendent Chris Calabrese declined to comment on Shelton’s hiring. Shelton resigned from Benicia Unified in 2023 after allegations surfaced that he touched students inappropriately. He was subsequently hired by the West Contra Costa Unified School District as an assistant principal. The district put him on leave when a parent of one of the victims informed the district he was under investigation by police.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>A spokesperson for West Contra Costa Unified said in a written statement that his credentials were valid when they hired him. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Shelton sued Napa Valley Unified and Benicia Unified in 2024 to stop the districts from releasing records of complaints against him, arguing doing so would impede his right to an impartial jury. The First Amendment Coalition \u003ca href=\"https://firstamendmentcoalition.org/case/shelton-v-napa-valley-unified-school-district/\">intervened\u003c/a> on behalf of this reporter and both districts released the records.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Since 2025, California law has required all public schools to check with every previous employing school to see if prospective teaching candidates had ever been reported to the state for credible or substantiated complaints of egregious misconduct.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097322/california-teacher-misconduct-bill-administrator-discipline-al-muratsuchi\">this month,\u003c/a> prompted by reporting by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082980/california-fired-teacher-sexual-harassment\">KQED and \u003cem>ProPublica\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, clarifying that the teacher licensing agency may discipline educators who do not share their full employment histories and administrators who do not thoroughly vet applicants. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Editor’s Note: This story includes details of alleged sexual misconduct against minors. \u003c/em>\u003cstrong>\u003cbr>\u003cbr>\u003c/strong>For the second time in his teaching career, a former \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/bay-area\">Bay Area\u003c/a> elementary teacher is on trial over allegations that he sexually abused his students.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Editor’s Note: This story includes details of alleged sexual misconduct against minors. \u003c/em>\u003cstrong>\u003cbr>\u003cbr>\u003c/strong>For the second time in his teaching career, a former \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/bay-area\">Bay Area\u003c/a> elementary teacher is on trial over allegations that he sexually abused his students.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Matthew Shelton, 44, faces 12 felony counts of lewd acts on four children during his tenure at the Benicia Unified School District. Prosecutors say the alleged abuse took place between 2018 and 2022 at Robert Semple Elementary School, where he was a fifth-grade teacher, and during a field trip with students in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Matthew Shelton, 44, faces 12 felony counts of lewd acts on four children during his tenure at the Benicia Unified School District. Prosecutors say the alleged abuse took place between 2018 and 2022 at Robert Semple Elementary School, where he was a fifth-grade teacher, and during a field trip with students in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But the trial is also putting a spotlight on Shelton’s tumultuous first year teaching in 2007, when students at Phillips Edison Elementary School in Napa accused him of similar allegations. And it comes as Benicia Unified faces three lawsuits from students who allege the district failed to protect them by hiring Shelton, despite the abuse allegations in Napa.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But the trial is also putting a spotlight on Shelton’s tumultuous first year teaching in 2007, when students at Phillips Edison Elementary School in Napa accused him of similar allegations. And it comes as Benicia Unified faces three lawsuits from students who allege the district failed to protect them by hiring Shelton, despite the abuse allegations in Napa.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Shelton, then 25 years old, was a popular third-grade teacher at the Napa school when he was accused of inappropriately touching four students. He was criminally charged, and three students testified against him during a six-day trial in 2008. Jurors deliberated for just 20 minutes before finding him not guilty. Benicia Unified hired him six months later.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Shelton, then 25 years old, was a popular third-grade teacher at the Napa school when he was accused of inappropriately touching four students. He was criminally charged, and three students testified against him during a six-day trial in 2008. Jurors deliberated for just 20 minutes before finding him not guilty. Benicia Unified hired him six months later.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During opening statements at a Fairfield courthouse on Monday, prosecutor Barry Shapiro argued that Shelton’s pattern of abuse continued at his new school. He told the jury that Shelton went on to touch Benicia elementary students on the buttocks or vaginal area, and that he had a student touch his penis, just as the students in Napa alleged nearly two decades ago.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>During opening statements at a Fairfield courthouse on Monday, prosecutor Barry Shapiro argued that Shelton’s pattern of abuse continued at his new school. He told the jury that Shelton went on to touch Benicia elementary students on the buttocks or vaginal area, and that he had a student touch his penis, just as the students in Napa alleged nearly two decades ago.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12101865\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Robert Semple Elementary School in Benicia on Sept. 28, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12101865\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Robert Semple Elementary School in Benicia on Sept. 28, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Shapiro said adults trust teachers to keep their children safe. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This case is about a teacher who violated that trust consistently over the span of 15 years at two schools in multiple grades,” Shapiro said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Shapiro painted Shelton as a sophisticated actor who had both the “knowledge and opportunity” to isolate girls and get away with the abuse, even in a classroom with other students present. Shelton instructed his Benicia students to applaud when adults entered his classroom, Shapiro said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Shapiro painted Shelton as a sophisticated actor who had both the “knowledge and opportunity” to isolate girls and get away with the abuse, even in a classroom with other students present. Shelton instructed his Benicia students to applaud when adults entered his classroom, Shapiro said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But one day in December 2022, Shapiro said the students were distracted and failed to clap. A teacher walked in and saw Shelton by his desk, holding hands with another student and “swaying back and forth.” The next day, several students complained to Principal Christina Moore that he made them uncomfortable by placing his hands on a classmate’s thigh, pinching a student’s arm, and moving his hand down to the pockets of a student’s pants.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But one day in December 2022, Shapiro said the students were distracted and failed to clap. A teacher walked in and saw Shelton by his desk, holding hands with another student and “swaying back and forth.” The next day, several students complained to Principal Christina Moore that he made them uncomfortable by placing his hands on a classmate’s thigh, pinching a student’s arm, and moving his hand down to the pockets of a student’s pants.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Moore contacted the school’s resource officer and Benicia Unified put Shelton on leave. Months later students disclosed more serious allegations to Benicia police.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Moore contacted the school’s resource officer and Benicia Unified put Shelton on leave. Months later students disclosed more serious allegations to Benicia police.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Defense attorney Amanda Bevins denies any sexual motivation on Shelton’s part. She described him as a husband, father and dedicated educator who devoted his entire career to teaching, even after being wrongfully accused nearly two decades prior. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Defense attorney Amanda Bevins denies any sexual motivation on Shelton’s part. She described him as a husband, father and dedicated educator who devoted his entire career to teaching, even after being wrongfully accused nearly two decades prior. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Bevins said that in the 2007 case, a group of disgruntled friends made allegations against Shelton to their principal. Flash forward to 2022, she said another friend group at Robert Semple Elementary School — upset that Shelton singled out one of the girls and made her cry — complained to their principal about Shelton. Nearly two decades apart, the two friend groups both concocted claims against him, she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Bevins said that in the 2007 case, a group of disgruntled friends made allegations against Shelton to their principal. Flash forward to 2022, she said another friend group at Robert Semple Elementary School — upset that Shelton singled out one of the girls and made her cry — complained to their principal about Shelton. Nearly two decades apart, the two friend groups both concocted claims against him, she said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Bevins asked the jury to pay attention to how the allegations changed over time and were influenced by schoolyard gossip, employee break room chatter, media coverage, repeated interviews by police and lawyers and civil lawsuits.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Bevins asked the jury to pay attention to how the allegations changed over time and were influenced by schoolyard gossip, employee break room chatter, media coverage, repeated interviews by police and lawyers and civil lawsuits.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The seriousness of the accusations does not tell us whether they are true,” Bevins said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She said Shelton was acquitted in Napa and he did not abuse his students in Benicia. “Nothing plus nothing is nothing,” Bevins said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>She said Shelton was acquitted in Napa and he did not abuse his students in Benicia. “Nothing plus nothing is nothing,” Bevins said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But details of Shelton’s short tenure teaching in Napa continue to reverberate in this trial. Former students who testified against Shelton in 2008, his former Napa teaching colleagues, and the detective who investigated the case were on a recent list of potential witnesses. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But details of Shelton’s short tenure teaching in Napa continue to reverberate in this trial. Former students who testified against Shelton in 2008, his former Napa teaching colleagues, and the detective who investigated the case were on a recent list of potential witnesses. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After opening statements, one of the students who testified against Shelton during the Napa trial, now in her late 20s, took the stand again to face her former social studies teacher. She told the jury that in 2007, she saw Shelton touch one of her classmates on the crotch and another on the butt during class. KQED does not generally name victims of alleged abuse without their consent. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>After opening statements, one of the students who testified against Shelton during the Napa trial, now in her late 20s, took the stand again to face her former social studies teacher. She told the jury that in 2007, she saw Shelton touch one of her classmates on the crotch and another on the butt during class. KQED does not generally name victims of alleged abuse without their consent. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>With her voice occasionally breaking, she testified that Shelton had also touched her butt after she went to his desk to ask a question. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>With her voice occasionally breaking, she testified that Shelton had also touched her butt after she went to his desk to ask a question. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-21-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12101868\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-21-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-21-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-21-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Solano County Law and Justice Center in Fairfield on Sept. 28, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I was extremely shocked. I was confused. I wasn’t sure whether or not it was OK,” the former student said. “I had never been touched like that before.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Another alleged victim in the Napa case told KQED in a recent interview that Shelton was well-liked and touched students by playing games with them, picking girls up and pretending to be Superman.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When she was interviewed by police in 2007, the student alleged that Shelton moved her hands across her “private spot” or made her touch his groin.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But she said the same educators who comforted her, hugged her and told her she was safe later defended Shelton during the trial, testifying that the girls who accused him were lying. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She said she was just a kid holding a teddy bear in a courtroom filled with adults, including Shelton. She became confused by the attorney’s deluge of questions.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The smirk,” the former student said. “He was getting satisfaction from us getting confused.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After Shelton was acquitted in 2008, the state’s teacher licensing agency reviewed the allegations against him in Napa to determine whether he should be allowed to continue working in California public schools, according to records from Napa Valley Unified. In addition to the criminal case, the agency also reviewed allegations from other students who said Shelton touched them on the stomach, rubbed their fingers and patted girls’ heads “like a dog.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>After Shelton was acquitted in 2008, the state’s teacher licensing agency reviewed the allegations against him in Napa to determine whether he should be allowed to continue working in California public schools, according to records from Napa Valley Unified. In addition to the criminal case, the agency also reviewed allegations from other students who said Shelton touched them on the stomach, rubbed their fingers and patted girls’ heads “like a dog.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Nine people provided “very favorable” letters on Shelton’s behalf, including his defense attorney, former assistant principal and other third grade teachers, according to the agency’s investigative report. A teacher said one of the alleged victims “does a lot of lying” and that Shelton is “very kind-hearted.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Nine people provided “very favorable” letters on Shelton’s behalf, including his defense attorney, former assistant principal and other third grade teachers, according to the agency’s investigative report. A teacher said one of the alleged victims “does a lot of lying” and that Shelton is “very kind-hearted.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At the time, Shelton cited as evidence an evaluation from a psychologist who said: “This young man very clearly does not exhibit those personality traits or demographic factors that empirical research has shown to be present in most child molesters.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Shelton told the teacher licensing agency he was looking forward to continuing his career as an educator. His credential was reinstated in 2008, and months later Benicia Unified hired him. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Shelton told the teacher licensing agency he was looking forward to continuing his career as an educator. His credential was reinstated in 2008, and months later Benicia Unified hired him. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A parent of one of the alleged victims in Benicia told KQED that it was “disgusting” that the state gave Shelton back his teaching credential. KQED is not naming the parent to protect the identity of her daughter.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A parent of one of the alleged victims in Benicia told KQED that it was “disgusting” that the state gave Shelton back his teaching credential. KQED is not naming the parent to protect the identity of her daughter.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Why are we hiring people that have those types of allegations?” the mother said. “He needs to be away from kids.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She said her daughter, now a teenager, is still afraid of being taught by male teachers because of what happened to her. “There were plenty of times over the last three years where she has broken down, cried and said, ‘I didn’t deserve that.’”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>She said her daughter, now a teenager, is still afraid of being taught by male teachers because of what happened to her. “There were plenty of times over the last three years where she has broken down, cried and said, ‘I didn’t deserve that.’”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Benicia Unified Superintendent Chris Calabrese declined to comment on Shelton’s hiring. Shelton resigned from Benicia Unified in 2023 after allegations surfaced that he touched students inappropriately. He was subsequently hired by the West Contra Costa Unified School District as an assistant principal. The district put him on leave when a parent of one of the victims informed the district he was under investigation by police.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>A spokesperson for West Contra Costa Unified said in a written statement that his credentials were valid when they hired him. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Benicia Unified Superintendent Chris Calabrese declined to comment on Shelton’s hiring. Shelton resigned from Benicia Unified in 2023 after allegations surfaced that he touched students inappropriately. He was subsequently hired by the West Contra Costa Unified School District as an assistant principal. The district put him on leave when a parent of one of the victims informed the district he was under investigation by police.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>A spokesperson for West Contra Costa Unified said in a written statement that his credentials were valid when they hired him. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Shelton sued Napa Valley Unified and Benicia Unified in 2024 to stop the districts from releasing records of complaints against him, arguing doing so would impede his right to an impartial jury. The First Amendment Coalition \u003ca href=\"https://firstamendmentcoalition.org/case/shelton-v-napa-valley-unified-school-district/\">intervened\u003c/a> on behalf of this reporter and both districts released the records.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Since 2025, California law has required all public schools to check with every previous employing school to see if prospective teaching candidates had ever been reported to the state for credible or substantiated complaints of egregious misconduct.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097322/california-teacher-misconduct-bill-administrator-discipline-al-muratsuchi\">this month,\u003c/a> prompted by reporting by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082980/california-fired-teacher-sexual-harassment\">KQED and \u003cem>ProPublica\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, clarifying that the teacher licensing agency may discipline educators who do not share their full employment histories and administrators who do not thoroughly vet applicants. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Shelton sued Napa Valley Unified and Benicia Unified in 2024 to stop the districts from releasing records of complaints against him, arguing doing so would impede his right to an impartial jury. The First Amendment Coalition \u003ca href=\"https://firstamendmentcoalition.org/case/shelton-v-napa-valley-unified-school-district/\">intervened\u003c/a> on behalf of this reporter and both districts released the records.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Since 2025, California law has required all public schools to check with every previous employing school to see if prospective teaching candidates had ever been reported to the state for credible or substantiated complaints of egregious misconduct.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097322/california-teacher-misconduct-bill-administrator-discipline-al-muratsuchi\">this month,\u003c/a> prompted by reporting by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082980/california-fired-teacher-sexual-harassment\">KQED and \u003cem>ProPublica\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, clarifying that the teacher licensing agency may discipline educators who do not share their full employment histories and administrators who do not thoroughly vet applicants. \u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Former Benicia elementary teacher Matthew Shelton has pleaded not guilty, for the second time in his teaching career, to allegations that he sexually abused his students. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Editor’s Note: This story includes details of alleged sexual misconduct against minors. \u003c/em>\u003cstrong>\u003cbr>\u003cbr>\u003c/strong>For the second time in his teaching career, a former \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/bay-area\">Bay Area\u003c/a> elementary teacher is on trial over allegations that he sexually abused his students.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Matthew Shelton, 44, faces 12 felony counts of lewd acts on four children during his tenure at the Benicia Unified School District. Prosecutors say the alleged abuse took place between 2018 and 2022 at Robert Semple Elementary School, where he was a fifth-grade teacher, and during a field trip with students in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the trial is also putting a spotlight on Shelton’s tumultuous first year teaching in 2007, when students at Phillips Edison Elementary School in Napa accused him of similar allegations. And it comes as Benicia Unified faces three lawsuits from students who allege the district failed to protect them by hiring Shelton, despite the abuse allegations in Napa.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Shelton, then 25 years old, was a popular third-grade teacher at the Napa school when he was accused of inappropriately touching four students. He was criminally charged, and three students testified against him during a six-day trial in 2008. Jurors deliberated for just 20 minutes before finding him not guilty. Benicia Unified hired him six months later.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During opening statements at a Fairfield courthouse on Monday, prosecutor Barry Shapiro argued that Shelton’s pattern of abuse continued at his new school. He told the jury that Shelton went on to touch Benicia elementary students on the buttocks or vaginal area, and that he had a student touch his penis, just as the students in Napa alleged nearly two decades ago.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12101865\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Robert Semple Elementary School in Benicia on Sept. 28, 2026. (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Shapiro said adults trust teachers to keep their children safe. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This case is about a teacher who violated that trust consistently over the span of 15 years at two schools in multiple grades,” Shapiro said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Shapiro painted Shelton as a sophisticated actor who had both the “knowledge and opportunity” to isolate girls and get away with the abuse, even in a classroom with other students present. Shelton instructed his Benicia students to applaud when adults entered his classroom, Shapiro said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But one day in December 2022, Shapiro said the students were distracted and failed to clap. A teacher walked in and saw Shelton by his desk, holding hands with another student and “swaying back and forth.” The next day, several students complained to Principal Christina Moore that he made them uncomfortable by placing his hands on a classmate’s thigh, pinching a student’s arm, and moving his hand down to the pockets of a student’s pants.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Moore contacted the school’s resource officer and Benicia Unified put Shelton on leave. Months later students disclosed more serious allegations to Benicia police.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Defense attorney Amanda Bevins denies any sexual motivation on Shelton’s part. She described him as a husband, father and dedicated educator who devoted his entire career to teaching, even after being wrongfully accused nearly two decades prior. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bevins said that in the 2007 case, a group of disgruntled friends made allegations against Shelton to their principal. Flash forward to 2022, she said another friend group at Robert Semple Elementary School — upset that Shelton singled out one of the girls and made her cry — complained to their principal about Shelton. Nearly two decades apart, the two friend groups both concocted claims against him, she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bevins asked the jury to pay attention to how the allegations changed over time and were influenced by schoolyard gossip, employee break room chatter, media coverage, repeated interviews by police and lawyers and civil lawsuits.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The seriousness of the accusations does not tell us whether they are true,” Bevins said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said Shelton was acquitted in Napa and he did not abuse his students in Benicia. “Nothing plus nothing is nothing,” Bevins said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘I didn’t deserve that’ \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But details of Shelton’s short tenure teaching in Napa continue to reverberate in this trial. Former students who testified against Shelton in 2008, his former Napa teaching colleagues, and the detective who investigated the case were on a recent list of potential witnesses. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After opening statements, one of the students who testified against Shelton during the Napa trial, now in her late 20s, took the stand again to face her former social studies teacher. She told the jury that in 2007, she saw Shelton touch one of her classmates on the crotch and another on the butt during class. KQED does not generally name victims of alleged abuse without their consent. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>With her voice occasionally breaking, she testified that Shelton had also touched her butt after she went to his desk to ask a question. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-21-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12101868\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-21-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-21-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-21-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Solano County Law and Justice Center in Fairfield on Sept. 28, 2026. (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I was extremely shocked. I was confused. I wasn’t sure whether or not it was OK,” the former student said. “I had never been touched like that before.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Another alleged victim in the Napa case told KQED in a recent interview that Shelton was well-liked and touched students by playing games with them, picking girls up and pretending to be Superman.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When she was interviewed by police in 2007, the student alleged that Shelton moved her hands across her “private spot” or made her touch his groin.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But she said the same educators who comforted her, hugged her and told her she was safe later defended Shelton during the trial, testifying that the girls who accused him were lying. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When it was her turn to testify, she recalled sweating and shaking “not realizing the trauma that was coming up then.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said she was just a kid holding a teddy bear in a courtroom filled with adults, including Shelton. She became confused by the attorney’s deluge of questions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It was all basically to prove that I was wrong,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said she can still remember the expression on Shelton’s face. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The smirk,” the former student said. “He was getting satisfaction from us getting confused.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After Shelton was acquitted in 2008, the state’s teacher licensing agency reviewed the allegations against him in Napa to determine whether he should be allowed to continue working in California public schools, according to records from Napa Valley Unified. In addition to the criminal case, the agency also reviewed allegations from other students who said Shelton touched them on the stomach, rubbed their fingers and patted girls’ heads “like a dog.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nine people provided “very favorable” letters on Shelton’s behalf, including his defense attorney, former assistant principal and other third grade teachers, according to the agency’s investigative report. A teacher said one of the alleged victims “does a lot of lying” and that Shelton is “very kind-hearted.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At the time, Shelton cited as evidence an evaluation from a psychologist who said: “This young man very clearly does not exhibit those personality traits or demographic factors that empirical research has shown to be present in most child molesters.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Shelton told the teacher licensing agency he was looking forward to continuing his career as an educator. His credential was reinstated in 2008, and months later Benicia Unified hired him. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A parent of one of the alleged victims in Benicia told KQED that it was “disgusting” that the state gave Shelton back his teaching credential. KQED is not naming the parent to protect the identity of her daughter.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Why are we hiring people that have those types of allegations?” the mother said. “He needs to be away from kids.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said her daughter, now a teenager, is still afraid of being taught by male teachers because of what happened to her. “There were plenty of times over the last three years where she has broken down, cried and said, ‘I didn’t deserve that.’”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-13_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12101989\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-13_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-13_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-13_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Robert Semple Elementary School in Benicia on Sept. 28, 2026. (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Benicia Unified Superintendent Chris Calabrese declined to comment on Shelton’s hiring. Shelton resigned from Benicia Unified in 2023 after allegations surfaced that he touched students inappropriately. He was subsequently hired by the West Contra Costa Unified School District as an assistant principal. The district put him on leave when a parent of one of the victims informed the district he was under investigation by police.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>A spokesperson for West Contra Costa Unified said in a written statement that his credentials were valid when they hired him. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Shelton sued Napa Valley Unified and Benicia Unified in 2024 to stop the districts from releasing records of complaints against him, arguing doing so would impede his right to an impartial jury. The First Amendment Coalition \u003ca href=\"https://firstamendmentcoalition.org/case/shelton-v-napa-valley-unified-school-district/\">intervened\u003c/a> on behalf of this reporter and both districts released the records.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Since 2025, California law has required all public schools to check with every previous employing school to see if prospective teaching candidates had ever been reported to the state for credible or substantiated complaints of egregious misconduct.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097322/california-teacher-misconduct-bill-administrator-discipline-al-muratsuchi\">this month,\u003c/a> prompted by reporting by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082980/california-fired-teacher-sexual-harassment\">KQED and \u003cem>ProPublica\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, clarifying that the teacher licensing agency may discipline educators who do not share their full employment histories and administrators who do not thoroughly vet applicants. \u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "benicia-eyes-40-million-grant-from-valero-refinery-settlement-for-green-transition",
"title": "Benicia Eyes $40 Million From Valero Refinery Settlement for Green Transition",
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"headTitle": "Benicia Eyes $40 Million From Valero Refinery Settlement for Green Transition | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>Smokestacks sit idly in Benicia as the city awaits nearly $40 million in grant funding, following a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12011785/bay-area-air-district-hits-valeros-benicia-refinery-with-historic-82-million-fine\">2024 settlement\u003c/a> between the Bay Area Air District, the California Air Resources Board and Valero. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After nearly 26 years in Benicia, a Solano County town of roughly 26,000, Valero \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12036242/oil-giant-valero-announces-plans-to-shutter-troubled-benicia-refinery\">shuttered\u003c/a> operations there in April. The decision to close shop came after Texas-based Valero was slapped with $82 million in fines, on the grounds that it exceeded toxic emissions standards for over a decade before regulators intervened.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As city officials have noted, meanwhile, the closure left a hole in Benicia’s budget and removed hundreds of high-paying jobs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The penalty against Valero is the largest that the Bay Area Air District ever levied, said Emi Wang, a community investments officer with the air district, and it is the first time it is sending settlement money directly to communities that have been polluted.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-32-BL_qed-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12055464\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-32-BL_qed-1.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-32-BL_qed-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-32-BL_qed-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Valero Benicia Refinery in Benicia, California, on May 8, 2025. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The $40 million would go toward updating school buildings and investing in clean energy infrastructure.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>City Councilmember Kari Birdseye said that the next five years — the time period they have allotted for implementing the grants — will be pivotal for Benicia, which Birdseye said “can be a model for future towns that have lost their refineries.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As of May there are still \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/resources/documents/california-refineries\">eight refineries\u003c/a> operating in California, according to CARB. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wang said 80% of the Valero settlement would go directly to the local communities most affected by the air quality violations, with 20% to a regional fund through the new Local Community Benefits Fund. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Obviously we didn’t appreciate the 15 years of secret, toxic emissions,” Birdseye said. “But these funds will help us recover from that and transition away from depending on Valero and their tax money.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In May, KQED reported that about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084374/can-benicia-be-the-poster-child-of-a-just-transition-away-from-fossil-fuels\">10%\u003c/a> of Benicia’s tax money came from Valero. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Benicia Mayor Steve Young said that, while the grants cannot support general fund services like police and parks, they could help the overall budget by giving room to purchase new electric vehicles and repair solar infrastructure. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If the board approves the projects, $30 million could go to the city of Benicia to invest in clean-energy upgrades for government facilities, in electric-vehicle infrastructure, in bike and pedestrian safety, in community health, and in a just-transition roadmap. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The other $10 million would go to the school district. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Benicia Unified School District Superintendent Chris Calabrese said the funds would be used to update school facilities by installing heat pumps equipped with air filters, replacing windows for better insulation and planting trees. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have several schools that have the highway going right by them,” Calabrese said, explaining that the city will plant trees between the highways and the schools to absorb carbon and act as buffers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251027-CHILD-CARE-PRICES-MD-05-1-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12061772\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251027-CHILD-CARE-PRICES-MD-05-1-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251027-CHILD-CARE-PRICES-MD-05-1-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251027-CHILD-CARE-PRICES-MD-05-1-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A mother and her daughter play at City Park in Benicia on Oct. 27, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Calabrese noted that 10% of preschoolers in the district have been diagnosed with asthma — that’s more than three times the national average of \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/asthma-data/about/most-recent-asthma-data.html\">3%\u003c/a> of children under 4. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Although Valero exited Benicia in April, it still owns the refinery land, Young noted. Birdseye said the company selected the Signature Development Group to redevelop the site over the next few years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“As far as I understand it, the city has to engage in pretty complex partnerships and negotiations with entities like Signature,” Wang said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wang explained that part of the proposal will provide capacity for the city to partake in these interagency negotiations, and “to come to the table fully staffed” — especially considering the amount of tax revenue the city lost with the Valero closure. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Birdseye said she sees good things in the city’s future. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s 900 acres of prime real estate that can be part of our clean-energy future, can be a part of how we grow the community of Benicia, can be part of our future diversified tax base,” Birdseye said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Bay Area Air District will hold a final vote on authorizing the grants at its board meeting today.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After nearly 26 years in Benicia, a Solano County town of roughly 26,000, Valero \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12036242/oil-giant-valero-announces-plans-to-shutter-troubled-benicia-refinery\">shuttered\u003c/a> operations there in April. The decision to close shop came after Texas-based Valero was slapped with $82 million in fines, on the grounds that it exceeded toxic emissions standards for over a decade before regulators intervened.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As city officials have noted, meanwhile, the closure left a hole in Benicia’s budget and removed hundreds of high-paying jobs. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The penalty against Valero is the largest that the Bay Area Air District ever levied, said Emi Wang, a community investments officer with the air district, and it is the first time it is sending settlement money directly to communities that have been polluted.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-32-BL_qed-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12055464\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-32-BL_qed-1.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-32-BL_qed-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-32-BL_qed-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Valero Benicia Refinery in Benicia, California, on May 8, 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The $40 million would go toward updating school buildings and investing in clean energy infrastructure.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>City Councilmember Kari Birdseye said that the next five years — the time period they have allotted for implementing the grants — will be pivotal for Benicia, which Birdseye said “can be a model for future towns that have lost their refineries.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As of May there are still \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/resources/documents/california-refineries\">eight refineries\u003c/a> operating in California, according to CARB. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Wang said 80% of the Valero settlement would go directly to the local communities most affected by the air quality violations, with 20% to a regional fund through the new Local Community Benefits Fund. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Obviously we didn’t appreciate the 15 years of secret, toxic emissions,” Birdseye said. “But these funds will help us recover from that and transition away from depending on Valero and their tax money.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In May, KQED reported that about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084374/can-benicia-be-the-poster-child-of-a-just-transition-away-from-fossil-fuels\">10%\u003c/a> of Benicia’s tax money came from Valero. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Benicia Mayor Steve Young said that, while the grants cannot support general fund services like police and parks, they could help the overall budget by giving room to purchase new electric vehicles and repair solar infrastructure. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Benicia Mayor Steve Young said that, while the grants cannot support general fund services like police and parks, they could help the overall budget by giving room to purchase new electric vehicles and repair solar infrastructure. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If the board approves the projects, $30 million could go to the city of Benicia to invest in clean-energy upgrades for government facilities, in electric-vehicle infrastructure, in bike and pedestrian safety, in community health, and in a just-transition roadmap. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If the board approves the projects, $30 million could go to the city of Benicia to invest in clean-energy upgrades for government facilities, in electric-vehicle infrastructure, in bike and pedestrian safety, in community health, and in a just-transition roadmap. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The other $10 million would go to the school district. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The other $10 million would go to the school district. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Benicia Unified School District Superintendent Chris Calabrese said the funds would be used to update school facilities by installing heat pumps equipped with air filters, replacing windows for better insulation and planting trees. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Benicia Unified School District Superintendent Chris Calabrese said the funds would be used to update school facilities by installing heat pumps equipped with air filters, replacing windows for better insulation and planting trees. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We have several schools that have the highway going right by them,” Calabrese said, explaining that the city will plant trees between the highways and the schools to absorb carbon and act as buffers. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We have several schools that have the highway going right by them,” Calabrese said, explaining that the city will plant trees between the highways and the schools to absorb carbon and act as buffers. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Calabrese noted that 10% of preschoolers in the district have been diagnosed with asthma — that’s more than three times the national average of \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/asthma-data/about/most-recent-asthma-data.html\">3%\u003c/a> of children under 4. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Although Valero exited Benicia in April, it still owns the refinery land, Young noted. Birdseye said the company selected the Signature Development Group to redevelop the site over the next few years. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“As far as I understand it, the city has to engage in pretty complex partnerships and negotiations with entities like Signature,” Wang said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Wang explained that part of the proposal will provide capacity for the city to partake in these interagency negotiations, and “to come to the table fully staffed” — especially considering the amount of tax revenue the city lost with the Valero closure. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Birdseye said she sees good things in the city’s future. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There’s 900 acres of prime real estate that can be part of our clean-energy future, can be a part of how we grow the community of Benicia, can be part of our future diversified tax base,” Birdseye said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“There’s 900 acres of prime real estate that can be part of our clean-energy future, can be a part of how we grow the community of Benicia, can be part of our future diversified tax base,” Birdseye said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Bay Area Air District will hold a final vote on authorizing the grants at its board meeting today.\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The city and the school district could both receive millions after decades of pollution.",
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"title": "Benicia Eyes $40 Million From Valero Refinery Settlement for Green Transition | KQED",
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"headline": "Benicia Eyes $40 Million From Valero Refinery Settlement for Green Transition",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Smokestacks sit idly in Benicia as the city awaits nearly $40 million in grant funding, following a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12011785/bay-area-air-district-hits-valeros-benicia-refinery-with-historic-82-million-fine\">2024 settlement\u003c/a> between the Bay Area Air District, the California Air Resources Board and Valero. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After nearly 26 years in Benicia, a Solano County town of roughly 26,000, Valero \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12036242/oil-giant-valero-announces-plans-to-shutter-troubled-benicia-refinery\">shuttered\u003c/a> operations there in April. The decision to close shop came after Texas-based Valero was slapped with $82 million in fines, on the grounds that it exceeded toxic emissions standards for over a decade before regulators intervened.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As city officials have noted, meanwhile, the closure left a hole in Benicia’s budget and removed hundreds of high-paying jobs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The penalty against Valero is the largest that the Bay Area Air District ever levied, said Emi Wang, a community investments officer with the air district, and it is the first time it is sending settlement money directly to communities that have been polluted.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-32-BL_qed-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12055464\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-32-BL_qed-1.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-32-BL_qed-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-32-BL_qed-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Valero Benicia Refinery in Benicia, California, on May 8, 2025. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The $40 million would go toward updating school buildings and investing in clean energy infrastructure.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>City Councilmember Kari Birdseye said that the next five years — the time period they have allotted for implementing the grants — will be pivotal for Benicia, which Birdseye said “can be a model for future towns that have lost their refineries.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As of May there are still \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/resources/documents/california-refineries\">eight refineries\u003c/a> operating in California, according to CARB. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wang said 80% of the Valero settlement would go directly to the local communities most affected by the air quality violations, with 20% to a regional fund through the new Local Community Benefits Fund. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Obviously we didn’t appreciate the 15 years of secret, toxic emissions,” Birdseye said. “But these funds will help us recover from that and transition away from depending on Valero and their tax money.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In May, KQED reported that about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084374/can-benicia-be-the-poster-child-of-a-just-transition-away-from-fossil-fuels\">10%\u003c/a> of Benicia’s tax money came from Valero. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Benicia Mayor Steve Young said that, while the grants cannot support general fund services like police and parks, they could help the overall budget by giving room to purchase new electric vehicles and repair solar infrastructure. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If the board approves the projects, $30 million could go to the city of Benicia to invest in clean-energy upgrades for government facilities, in electric-vehicle infrastructure, in bike and pedestrian safety, in community health, and in a just-transition roadmap. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The other $10 million would go to the school district. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Benicia Unified School District Superintendent Chris Calabrese said the funds would be used to update school facilities by installing heat pumps equipped with air filters, replacing windows for better insulation and planting trees. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have several schools that have the highway going right by them,” Calabrese said, explaining that the city will plant trees between the highways and the schools to absorb carbon and act as buffers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251027-CHILD-CARE-PRICES-MD-05-1-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12061772\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251027-CHILD-CARE-PRICES-MD-05-1-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251027-CHILD-CARE-PRICES-MD-05-1-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251027-CHILD-CARE-PRICES-MD-05-1-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A mother and her daughter play at City Park in Benicia on Oct. 27, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Calabrese noted that 10% of preschoolers in the district have been diagnosed with asthma — that’s more than three times the national average of \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/asthma-data/about/most-recent-asthma-data.html\">3%\u003c/a> of children under 4. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Although Valero exited Benicia in April, it still owns the refinery land, Young noted. Birdseye said the company selected the Signature Development Group to redevelop the site over the next few years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“As far as I understand it, the city has to engage in pretty complex partnerships and negotiations with entities like Signature,” Wang said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wang explained that part of the proposal will provide capacity for the city to partake in these interagency negotiations, and “to come to the table fully staffed” — especially considering the amount of tax revenue the city lost with the Valero closure. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Birdseye said she sees good things in the city’s future. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s 900 acres of prime real estate that can be part of our clean-energy future, can be a part of how we grow the community of Benicia, can be part of our future diversified tax base,” Birdseye said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Bay Area Air District will hold a final vote on authorizing the grants at its board meeting today.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "can-benicia-be-the-poster-child-of-a-just-transition-away-from-fossil-fuels",
"title": "Benicia Wants to Be a Model for Life After a Refinery. Can It?",
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"headTitle": "Benicia Wants to Be a Model for Life After a Refinery. Can It? | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Valero’s Benicia oil refinery employed hundreds of people and contributed millions in taxes to the local government for decades. Now, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12059271/urgent-need-benicia-braces-for-economic-future\">with the refinery on its way out\u003c/a>, local leaders hope Benicia can be a leading example for how cities transition away from the fossil fuel industry. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But with tight city budgets and a global fuel crisis, that’s much easier said than done.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=KQINC6761828258&light=true\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Links:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000877/californias-fuel-fears-threaten-benicias-just-transition-to-green-economy\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">California’s Fuel Fears Threaten Benicia’s ‘Just Transition’ to Green Economy\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>Episode Transcript\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:00] \u003c/em>I’m Ericka Cruz Guevara and welcome to The Bay, local news to keep you rooted. The city of Benicia has been thinking a lot about its future lately. With fewer than 30,000 residents, this 15.7-square-mile town along the Carquinez Strait has been shaped for decades by the Valero oil refinery, which propped up the local economy, employed hundreds of workers and contributed taxes that paid roughly 10% of the city’s budget. But last month, Valero officially stopped refining crude oil in Benicia. Now, city leaders hope Benicia can be the shining example of a so-called just transition, away from fossil fuels to renewable energy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Mario Giuliani: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:59] \u003c/em>There are eight other communities in California that are home to a refinery, and it’s only a matter of when those communities are gonna have to go through what Benicia’s going through.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:02:12] \u003c/em>Today, how Benicia is planning for a future without a refinery and why it’s easier said than done.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:02:26] \u003c/em>So Julie, as I understand it, some people have referred to Benicia as a potential poster child for what a quote unquote just transition could look like. First, what is a just transition for those who don’t know what that is? And when did you first hear that in reference to Benicia?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Julie Small: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:02:49] \u003c/em>There’s a lot of definitions for just transition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:02:52] \u003c/em>Julie Small is a reporter for KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Julie Small: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:02:55] \u003c/em>In this case, a just transition is a city moving off its reliance on a fossil fuel industry in such a way that increases the healthiness of the community and the overall standard of living for the community. And it does so in such way that the economy is sustained and diversified and reinvested into clean renewable energies and industries. The first time I heard that term being applied to Benicia was at this February town hall meeting. A hundred people packed into the city library to hear from the city manager, Mario Giuliani.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Mario Giuliani: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:43] \u003c/em>We have a great responsibility and honor to be the model community on how we transition\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Julie Small: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:52] \u003c/em>He told them, you know, this is the plan for how we’re gonna make up for Valero’s departure. We are going to become that poster child for a just transition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Mario Giuliani: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:02] \u003c/em>How do you protect a community that is home to a refinery? And so you don’t decimate that community, but you allow them to springboard to something else. And I think that we’re well positioned to kind of write that playbook\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:19] \u003c/em>Big words there from the city manager. And also I feel like a really big task, right? Because for context, Benicia’s, as I understand it, entire local economy and city budget relies very heavily on Valero, right?\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Julie Small: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:37] \u003c/em>I mean, we’re talking about 10% of the tax revenue that the city collects comes from the Valero refinery. And then there’s all the other industries in the area that build parts or provide services to the refineries. It’s also all the people in town, the restaurants, services leaning heavily on that income.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:05:02] \u003c/em>Can you actually remind us, Julie, why Valero is leaving Benicia in the first place?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Julie Small: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:05:08] \u003c/em>The company says it’s leaving because demand for fossil fuel in California is declining, you know, with the rise of renewables and we’re, you know phasing out fossil fuel cars. We’re switching to electrical vehicles. At the same time, regulations on the oil industry are increasing in California as we’re trying to get a handle on controlling emissions and also controlling gas prices. Valero’s CEO has publicly complained about some recent bills that were passed in response to gas price spikes that would have penalized oil companies if they make excessive profits. You know, it’s important to emphasize that although Valero says that’s why they’re leaving, it is part of a trend we’re seeing across the country. Refineries are closing everywhere, so it’s not just unique to California, it not just because we have all these regulations. It’s that these are huge multinational global conglomerates that are maximizing their profit. If they can move their operations overseas where the labor’s cheaper and they have more demand, they’re gonna do it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:06:22] \u003c/em>As I guess Benicia’s preparing for Valero to leave, I imagine there’s been a lot of thinking and talking about what the city would look like without it. So what could a just transition look like in a town like Benicia?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Julie Small: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:06:39] \u003c/em>Well, they definitely want Venetia to be a cleaner town. They don’t want to have new industries come in that are polluting. So they’re looking to get away from this cycle of having to deal with emissions over decades and high asthma rates and high breast cancer rates. So looking for industries that, one, will diversify the economy, so they’re not so dependent on one big company, but also We’ll change the focus. We’ll be actually contributing to California’s goals to become carbon neutral.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kari Bridseye: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:07:12] \u003c/em>We’re in a very precarious moment right now, but I’m filled with hope because of what we have here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Julie Small: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:07:20] \u003c/em>I talked to Kari Birdseye, city council member at Benicia, and she’s actually by trade an environmental scientist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kari Bridseye: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:07:28] \u003c/em>Anybody that knows me knows that I always talk about the opportunity for the Port of Benicia being involved in standing up the offshore wind industry in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Julie Small: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:07:41] \u003c/em>So she’s really excited about the fact that the port in Benicia that is currently used by Valero to export pet coke, which is a byproduct of refining and polluting substance, using that instead as a place where you could manufacture and export parts for the nascent offshore wind industry in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kari Bridseye: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:08:05] \u003c/em>And to me, that’s the perfect scenario for a just transition away from fossil fuels. Let’s be part of the solution instead of the problem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:08:16] \u003c/em>There’s also this question in the city about what to do with the land that the refinery is on as well, right? I mean, it covers like a huge swath of the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Julie Small: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:08:27] \u003c/em>Yeah, 900 acres of prime land right there overlooking the Carquinez Strait. It’s beautiful area. It is going to take a while before that land is usable. There’s a buffer zone around the refinery, it’s about 500 acres, that they’re hoping could be redeveloped sooner because it’s not as contaminated as the refineries site itself. They’d like to see that become, you know, housing or businesses that are catering to the local economy. Valero has actually hired a company to repurpose the land, redevelop the land for them. Those proposals are coming in the fall, so we don’t know exactly what that’s gonna be, but there’s a lot you could do with that land. And council member Kari Birdseye talks about this.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kari Bridseye: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:09:23] \u003c/em>Centrally located, we have two interstates, a rail line, a port. We have so much potential here and it’s my vision to have a very diverse set of businesses and developers come in and be part of our community on the 900 acres that Valero owns right now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:09:53] \u003c/em>Coming up, why Valero’s departure from Benicia is more complicated than it sounds. Stay with us.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:11:07] \u003c/em>It does seem like there is a lot of planning and daydreaming about what that future could look like in Benicia. So when exactly is the Valero refinery closing?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Julie Small: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:11:20] \u003c/em>That’s unclear at this moment. They’ve stopped refining. There’s nothing coming out of those stacks. But because of the global fuel crisis and California’s own problem of tightening supply between Valero and the Phillips 66 refinery in Southern California that closed last year, California lost 20% of the fuel that’s refined in the state. So California is looking to make that up. As soon as Valero said they were gonna leave, Governor Newsom, the California Energy Commission did everything they could to get Valero to stay. They couldn’t convince them to keep refining, but they did get them to agree to use their facilities to import refined fuels, store it, and then disperse it, using their pipes to get it to other parts of the state. In a community meeting, the Valero refinery manager said they thinks they probably won’t be there longer than two years, but that was like the only indication of a timeframe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:12:33] \u003c/em>It sounds like parts of the refinery are still being used because of the fact that we still, as a state and a country and I guess a world, still rely very heavily on oil and gas and that this is sort of being also pushed by this global fuel crisis that you’re just talking about. But what does that mean for Benicia? What does that means for the city’s ability to really plan for its future?\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Julie Small: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:03] \u003c/em>It makes it very difficult for them to plan. I mean, that’s all they can do at this point is say, well, let’s start planning. Let’s get investors in here. Let’s clean it up. There’s things they can now, like trying to figure out how much it’s gonna cost to clean it. But it really delays their ability to move forward with redevelopment, which is a big part of their financial plan. Having Valero stay in this capacity where they’re not refining. They’re not going to be paying the kind of taxes they were. They’re going to pay some small. So they’re not gonna be offering the benefit they used to, but they’re also gonna be kind of preventing the city from moving forward. And people there are understandably very concerned about that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Christina Gilpin Hayes: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:50] \u003c/em>You know, it’s a catch-22. We might be better off, you know, environmentally, but not so much better off fiscally.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Julie Small: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:57] \u003c/em>And I talked to Christina Gilpin Hayes, she’s a resident, but she also serves on the city’s planning commission. She wasn’t like effusive, some people were really excited that Valera was leaving. She wasn’t one of those people. She’s like, look, we knew this was coming. And unfortunately, by them staying on like this, it really hamstrings the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Christina Gilpin Hayes: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:14:17] \u003c/em>It just prolongs what we need to happen, you know, either go or don’t, but if you continue to use it as a storage facility, it eliminates the ability for the city to move forward.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:14:34] \u003c/em>That’s not even to mention that all of this redevelopment will require a lot of money, I imagine. And we talked at the top about how California more broadly is sort of leading the way and transitioning away from oil and gas and that Benicia isn’t the first city to even try and do it, but it still seems like it’s easier said than done. So what help does exist for cities that are making this transition, Julie?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Julie Small: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:15:07] \u003c/em>Well, one thing that the state has done, we’ll start with the positives, is that they have created this displaced oil and gas worker fund, which basically helps these workers that are being laid off at Valero transition into jobs that match their skill, their expertise, and also offer comparable wages in other industries. They’re also offering $25,000 grants to small businesses affected by the closure of Valero. That’s kind of what’s at the state level. Locally, there’s a lot more. One of the big things that Benicia is hoping to lean on is the Bay Area Air District. Our air regulator has started a new program. It’s taking fines against polluters like Valero and reinvesting those fines back into communities that were affected by emissions. They find Valero 82 million in 2024 for over a decade of excess emissions. And they’re making… 60 million of that available to Benicia and surrounding communities. Benicia’s not sure how much of that money they’re going to get awarded and they won’t know until the fall but they’re hoping to use that money to keep the city government afloat and keep services for the community consistent so that they can handle this transition and they’re pretty confident they’re gonna get a lot of support from the Air District.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>\u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:16:29] \u003c/em>Is it enough for cities and towns like Benicia? Like, how do Benicia residents and officials feel about the support that’s coming from the state and air regulators?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Julie Small: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:16:40] \u003c/em>I think they feel pretty positive about what’s coming from the air regulators. At the state level, you know, they could use a lot more support.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Josh Sonnenfeld: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:16:49] \u003c/em>There’s a lot more that we can and should be doing at the same time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Julie Small: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:16:52] \u003c/em>I talked to Josh Sonnenfeld with the UC Berkeley Labor Center, and he says most of the emphasis has been on how to show up the fuel supply and not nearly enough on how do we help these refinery towns actually transition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Josh Sonnenfeld: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:17:09] \u003c/em>For example, California is one of the biggest markets for clean energy products, right? Whether that’s solar panels, EVs, heat pumps. And we have an opportunity to actually build these products in California as well. And so how can we make sure that the inequities of the past century of putting low-income housing and people of color and immigrants next to refineries. That we’re actually undoing some of that damage with the new economy that we are trying to build.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Julie Small: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:17:41] \u003c/em>He says, you know, the state should be doing both. They should be making sure that the fuel supply stays stable, but they could also be helping refinery towns by establishing a state office to facilitate and guide economic transitions, like which other states have done. And also he cited New York State, for example, created something called a tax revenue stabilization fund. It’s basically cash that the state provides to a refinery town to cope with the sudden drop and tax revenues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Josh Sonnenfeld: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:18:11] \u003c/em>There is opportunity for us to develop something similar in California. But the key is, do it in a way where we’re really, we really need the feedback of local communities about how they wanna transition their economy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Julie Small: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:18:24] \u003c/em>From my vantage point, I tried to find out what concretely they’re doing and I got just a lot of word salad. But, you know, other people in Benicia feel like they’re more involved in sort of the backroom discussions, feel that the state is with the town and will be helping more going forward.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:18:46] \u003c/em>Well, what do you think, Julie, it will take for Benicia to, in fact, become the poster child of a just transition?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Julie Small: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:18:55] \u003c/em>It will take Valero’s departure, the final departure of Valero so that that land can be redeveloped. I really think that that’s the key to their future. I think it’s going to take more support from the state for displaced workers. And also just like Benicia on its own cannot create a new green economy. There’s a lot of effort regionally to create like these green economic zones, manufacturing zones for the green industry. It’s going take programs like that to provide a new identity for Benicia, a new economy. It takes ten years to decontaminate. Refinery site, according to state officials, you know, whose job is it is to do that. And that’s like probably a conservative number.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:19:44] \u003c/em>What’s your sense of how city leaders are feeling in Benicia? You think they’re hopeful about their future?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Julie Small: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:19:51] \u003c/em>They are hopeful. I mean, it’s a really great community and it’s really politically active community. I mean in 2016, Valero wanted to bring in oil by rail and that really galvanized people. You know, I left that town hall feeling like a lot of other people probably did, which was like, yes, they can do it. I’ve since become a little more like, wait a minute, you know, they’re relying on a lot of aspects here that are tenuous. But they’re very driven and they have a lot of know-how and a lot chutzpah. Well, you have eight other refinery towns that are gonna be facing this, and having a blueprint that works is gonna make a big difference for them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:20:41] \u003c/em>Well, Julie Small, thank you so much for joining me. I appreciate it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Julie Small: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:20:45] \u003c/em>Thank you, Ericka.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, San Francisco-Northern California Local.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Valero’s Benicia oil refinery employed hundreds of people and contributed millions in taxes to the local government for decades. Now, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12059271/urgent-need-benicia-braces-for-economic-future\">with the refinery on its way out\u003c/a>, local leaders hope Benicia can be a leading example for how cities transition away from the fossil fuel industry. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But with tight city budgets and a global fuel crisis, that’s much easier said than done.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=KQINC6761828258&light=true\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Links:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000877/californias-fuel-fears-threaten-benicias-just-transition-to-green-economy\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">California’s Fuel Fears Threaten Benicia’s ‘Just Transition’ to Green Economy\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>Episode Transcript\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:00] \u003c/em>I’m Ericka Cruz Guevara and welcome to The Bay, local news to keep you rooted. The city of Benicia has been thinking a lot about its future lately. With fewer than 30,000 residents, this 15.7-square-mile town along the Carquinez Strait has been shaped for decades by the Valero oil refinery, which propped up the local economy, employed hundreds of workers and contributed taxes that paid roughly 10% of the city’s budget. But last month, Valero officially stopped refining crude oil in Benicia. Now, city leaders hope Benicia can be the shining example of a so-called just transition, away from fossil fuels to renewable energy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Mario Giuliani: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:59] \u003c/em>There are eight other communities in California that are home to a refinery, and it’s only a matter of when those communities are gonna have to go through what Benicia’s going through.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:02:12] \u003c/em>Today, how Benicia is planning for a future without a refinery and why it’s easier said than done.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:02:26] \u003c/em>So Julie, as I understand it, some people have referred to Benicia as a potential poster child for what a quote unquote just transition could look like. First, what is a just transition for those who don’t know what that is? And when did you first hear that in reference to Benicia?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Julie Small: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:02:49] \u003c/em>There’s a lot of definitions for just transition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:02:52] \u003c/em>Julie Small is a reporter for KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Julie Small: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:02:55] \u003c/em>In this case, a just transition is a city moving off its reliance on a fossil fuel industry in such a way that increases the healthiness of the community and the overall standard of living for the community. And it does so in such way that the economy is sustained and diversified and reinvested into clean renewable energies and industries. The first time I heard that term being applied to Benicia was at this February town hall meeting. A hundred people packed into the city library to hear from the city manager, Mario Giuliani.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Mario Giuliani: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:43] \u003c/em>We have a great responsibility and honor to be the model community on how we transition\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Julie Small: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:52] \u003c/em>He told them, you know, this is the plan for how we’re gonna make up for Valero’s departure. We are going to become that poster child for a just transition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Mario Giuliani: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:02] \u003c/em>How do you protect a community that is home to a refinery? And so you don’t decimate that community, but you allow them to springboard to something else. And I think that we’re well positioned to kind of write that playbook\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:19] \u003c/em>Big words there from the city manager. And also I feel like a really big task, right? Because for context, Benicia’s, as I understand it, entire local economy and city budget relies very heavily on Valero, right?\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Julie Small: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:37] \u003c/em>I mean, we’re talking about 10% of the tax revenue that the city collects comes from the Valero refinery. And then there’s all the other industries in the area that build parts or provide services to the refineries. It’s also all the people in town, the restaurants, services leaning heavily on that income.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:05:02] \u003c/em>Can you actually remind us, Julie, why Valero is leaving Benicia in the first place?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Julie Small: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:05:08] \u003c/em>The company says it’s leaving because demand for fossil fuel in California is declining, you know, with the rise of renewables and we’re, you know phasing out fossil fuel cars. We’re switching to electrical vehicles. At the same time, regulations on the oil industry are increasing in California as we’re trying to get a handle on controlling emissions and also controlling gas prices. Valero’s CEO has publicly complained about some recent bills that were passed in response to gas price spikes that would have penalized oil companies if they make excessive profits. You know, it’s important to emphasize that although Valero says that’s why they’re leaving, it is part of a trend we’re seeing across the country. Refineries are closing everywhere, so it’s not just unique to California, it not just because we have all these regulations. It’s that these are huge multinational global conglomerates that are maximizing their profit. If they can move their operations overseas where the labor’s cheaper and they have more demand, they’re gonna do it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:06:22] \u003c/em>As I guess Benicia’s preparing for Valero to leave, I imagine there’s been a lot of thinking and talking about what the city would look like without it. So what could a just transition look like in a town like Benicia?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Julie Small: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:06:39] \u003c/em>Well, they definitely want Venetia to be a cleaner town. They don’t want to have new industries come in that are polluting. So they’re looking to get away from this cycle of having to deal with emissions over decades and high asthma rates and high breast cancer rates. So looking for industries that, one, will diversify the economy, so they’re not so dependent on one big company, but also We’ll change the focus. We’ll be actually contributing to California’s goals to become carbon neutral.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kari Bridseye: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:07:12] \u003c/em>We’re in a very precarious moment right now, but I’m filled with hope because of what we have here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Julie Small: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:07:20] \u003c/em>I talked to Kari Birdseye, city council member at Benicia, and she’s actually by trade an environmental scientist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kari Bridseye: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:07:28] \u003c/em>Anybody that knows me knows that I always talk about the opportunity for the Port of Benicia being involved in standing up the offshore wind industry in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Julie Small: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:07:41] \u003c/em>So she’s really excited about the fact that the port in Benicia that is currently used by Valero to export pet coke, which is a byproduct of refining and polluting substance, using that instead as a place where you could manufacture and export parts for the nascent offshore wind industry in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kari Bridseye: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:08:05] \u003c/em>And to me, that’s the perfect scenario for a just transition away from fossil fuels. Let’s be part of the solution instead of the problem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:08:16] \u003c/em>There’s also this question in the city about what to do with the land that the refinery is on as well, right? I mean, it covers like a huge swath of the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Julie Small: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:08:27] \u003c/em>Yeah, 900 acres of prime land right there overlooking the Carquinez Strait. It’s beautiful area. It is going to take a while before that land is usable. There’s a buffer zone around the refinery, it’s about 500 acres, that they’re hoping could be redeveloped sooner because it’s not as contaminated as the refineries site itself. They’d like to see that become, you know, housing or businesses that are catering to the local economy. Valero has actually hired a company to repurpose the land, redevelop the land for them. Those proposals are coming in the fall, so we don’t know exactly what that’s gonna be, but there’s a lot you could do with that land. And council member Kari Birdseye talks about this.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kari Bridseye: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:09:23] \u003c/em>Centrally located, we have two interstates, a rail line, a port. We have so much potential here and it’s my vision to have a very diverse set of businesses and developers come in and be part of our community on the 900 acres that Valero owns right now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:09:53] \u003c/em>Coming up, why Valero’s departure from Benicia is more complicated than it sounds. Stay with us.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:11:07] \u003c/em>It does seem like there is a lot of planning and daydreaming about what that future could look like in Benicia. So when exactly is the Valero refinery closing?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Julie Small: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:11:20] \u003c/em>That’s unclear at this moment. They’ve stopped refining. There’s nothing coming out of those stacks. But because of the global fuel crisis and California’s own problem of tightening supply between Valero and the Phillips 66 refinery in Southern California that closed last year, California lost 20% of the fuel that’s refined in the state. So California is looking to make that up. As soon as Valero said they were gonna leave, Governor Newsom, the California Energy Commission did everything they could to get Valero to stay. They couldn’t convince them to keep refining, but they did get them to agree to use their facilities to import refined fuels, store it, and then disperse it, using their pipes to get it to other parts of the state. In a community meeting, the Valero refinery manager said they thinks they probably won’t be there longer than two years, but that was like the only indication of a timeframe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:12:33] \u003c/em>It sounds like parts of the refinery are still being used because of the fact that we still, as a state and a country and I guess a world, still rely very heavily on oil and gas and that this is sort of being also pushed by this global fuel crisis that you’re just talking about. But what does that mean for Benicia? What does that means for the city’s ability to really plan for its future?\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Julie Small: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:03] \u003c/em>It makes it very difficult for them to plan. I mean, that’s all they can do at this point is say, well, let’s start planning. Let’s get investors in here. Let’s clean it up. There’s things they can now, like trying to figure out how much it’s gonna cost to clean it. But it really delays their ability to move forward with redevelopment, which is a big part of their financial plan. Having Valero stay in this capacity where they’re not refining. They’re not going to be paying the kind of taxes they were. They’re going to pay some small. So they’re not gonna be offering the benefit they used to, but they’re also gonna be kind of preventing the city from moving forward. And people there are understandably very concerned about that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Christina Gilpin Hayes: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:50] \u003c/em>You know, it’s a catch-22. We might be better off, you know, environmentally, but not so much better off fiscally.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Julie Small: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:57] \u003c/em>And I talked to Christina Gilpin Hayes, she’s a resident, but she also serves on the city’s planning commission. She wasn’t like effusive, some people were really excited that Valera was leaving. She wasn’t one of those people. She’s like, look, we knew this was coming. And unfortunately, by them staying on like this, it really hamstrings the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Christina Gilpin Hayes: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:14:17] \u003c/em>It just prolongs what we need to happen, you know, either go or don’t, but if you continue to use it as a storage facility, it eliminates the ability for the city to move forward.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:14:34] \u003c/em>That’s not even to mention that all of this redevelopment will require a lot of money, I imagine. And we talked at the top about how California more broadly is sort of leading the way and transitioning away from oil and gas and that Benicia isn’t the first city to even try and do it, but it still seems like it’s easier said than done. So what help does exist for cities that are making this transition, Julie?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Julie Small: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:15:07] \u003c/em>Well, one thing that the state has done, we’ll start with the positives, is that they have created this displaced oil and gas worker fund, which basically helps these workers that are being laid off at Valero transition into jobs that match their skill, their expertise, and also offer comparable wages in other industries. They’re also offering $25,000 grants to small businesses affected by the closure of Valero. That’s kind of what’s at the state level. Locally, there’s a lot more. One of the big things that Benicia is hoping to lean on is the Bay Area Air District. Our air regulator has started a new program. It’s taking fines against polluters like Valero and reinvesting those fines back into communities that were affected by emissions. They find Valero 82 million in 2024 for over a decade of excess emissions. And they’re making… 60 million of that available to Benicia and surrounding communities. Benicia’s not sure how much of that money they’re going to get awarded and they won’t know until the fall but they’re hoping to use that money to keep the city government afloat and keep services for the community consistent so that they can handle this transition and they’re pretty confident they’re gonna get a lot of support from the Air District.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>\u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:16:29] \u003c/em>Is it enough for cities and towns like Benicia? Like, how do Benicia residents and officials feel about the support that’s coming from the state and air regulators?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Julie Small: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:16:40] \u003c/em>I think they feel pretty positive about what’s coming from the air regulators. At the state level, you know, they could use a lot more support.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Josh Sonnenfeld: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:16:49] \u003c/em>There’s a lot more that we can and should be doing at the same time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Julie Small: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:16:52] \u003c/em>I talked to Josh Sonnenfeld with the UC Berkeley Labor Center, and he says most of the emphasis has been on how to show up the fuel supply and not nearly enough on how do we help these refinery towns actually transition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Josh Sonnenfeld: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:17:09] \u003c/em>For example, California is one of the biggest markets for clean energy products, right? Whether that’s solar panels, EVs, heat pumps. And we have an opportunity to actually build these products in California as well. And so how can we make sure that the inequities of the past century of putting low-income housing and people of color and immigrants next to refineries. That we’re actually undoing some of that damage with the new economy that we are trying to build.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Julie Small: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:17:41] \u003c/em>He says, you know, the state should be doing both. They should be making sure that the fuel supply stays stable, but they could also be helping refinery towns by establishing a state office to facilitate and guide economic transitions, like which other states have done. And also he cited New York State, for example, created something called a tax revenue stabilization fund. It’s basically cash that the state provides to a refinery town to cope with the sudden drop and tax revenues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Josh Sonnenfeld: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:18:11] \u003c/em>There is opportunity for us to develop something similar in California. But the key is, do it in a way where we’re really, we really need the feedback of local communities about how they wanna transition their economy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Julie Small: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:18:24] \u003c/em>From my vantage point, I tried to find out what concretely they’re doing and I got just a lot of word salad. But, you know, other people in Benicia feel like they’re more involved in sort of the backroom discussions, feel that the state is with the town and will be helping more going forward.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:18:46] \u003c/em>Well, what do you think, Julie, it will take for Benicia to, in fact, become the poster child of a just transition?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Julie Small: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:18:55] \u003c/em>It will take Valero’s departure, the final departure of Valero so that that land can be redeveloped. I really think that that’s the key to their future. I think it’s going to take more support from the state for displaced workers. And also just like Benicia on its own cannot create a new green economy. There’s a lot of effort regionally to create like these green economic zones, manufacturing zones for the green industry. It’s going take programs like that to provide a new identity for Benicia, a new economy. It takes ten years to decontaminate. Refinery site, according to state officials, you know, whose job is it is to do that. And that’s like probably a conservative number.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:19:44] \u003c/em>What’s your sense of how city leaders are feeling in Benicia? You think they’re hopeful about their future?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Julie Small: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:19:51] \u003c/em>They are hopeful. I mean, it’s a really great community and it’s really politically active community. I mean in 2016, Valero wanted to bring in oil by rail and that really galvanized people. You know, I left that town hall feeling like a lot of other people probably did, which was like, yes, they can do it. I’ve since become a little more like, wait a minute, you know, they’re relying on a lot of aspects here that are tenuous. But they’re very driven and they have a lot of know-how and a lot chutzpah. Well, you have eight other refinery towns that are gonna be facing this, and having a blueprint that works is gonna make a big difference for them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:20:41] \u003c/em>Well, Julie Small, thank you so much for joining me. I appreciate it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Julie Small: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:20:45] \u003c/em>Thank you, Ericka.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "uc-berkeley-gives-names-to-the-feds-valeros-benicia-refinery-closing-and-waymos-at-the-airport",
"title": "UC Berkeley Gives Names to the Feds, Valero's Benicia Refinery Closing, and Robotaxis at the Airport",
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"headTitle": "UC Berkeley Gives Names to the Feds, Valero’s Benicia Refinery Closing, and Robotaxis at the Airport | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp class=\"e-91036-text encore-text-body-medium\" data-encore-id=\"text\" data-slate-node=\"element\">\u003cspan data-slate-node=\"text\">\u003cspan class=\"sc-kAyceB grEoze\" data-slate-leaf=\"true\">In this edition of The Bay’s news roundup, Ericka, Jessica, and KQED political correspondent Guy Marzorati discuss UC Berkeley’s decision to hand over more than 150 names to the Trump administration as part of a federal investigation into antisemitism. Plus, the Valero refinery in Benicia is on track to close, and Waymo driverless cars could be en route to the San Francisco and San José airports soon.\u003c/span>\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp data-encore-id=\"text\" data-slate-node=\"element\">\n\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=KQINC3550539483\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\n\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"e-91036-text encore-text-body-medium\" data-encore-id=\"text\" data-slate-node=\"element\">\u003cspan data-slate-node=\"text\">\u003cspan class=\"sc-kAyceB grEoze\" data-slate-leaf=\"true\">\u003cstrong>Links:\u003c/strong>\u003c/span>\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul class=\"sc-gsFSXq jSVEKt\" data-slate-node=\"element\" data-slate-fragment=\"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\">\n\u003cli data-slate-node=\"element\">\u003ca class=\"e-91036-text-link e-91036-baseline e-91036-overflow-wrap-anywhere encore-internal-color-text-announcement e-91036-text-link--use-focus sc-kpDqfm ejcycC\" href=\"https://www.dailycal.org/news/campus/uc-berkeley-turns-over-personal-information-of-more-than-150-students-and-staff-to-federal/article_a4aad3e1-bbba-42cc-92d7-a7964d9641c5.html\" data-encore-id=\"textLink\" data-slate-node=\"element\" data-slate-inline=\"true\">\u003cspan data-slate-node=\"text\">\u003cspan class=\"sc-kAyceB grEoze\" data-slate-leaf=\"true\">UC Berkeley turns over personal information of more than 150 students and staff to federal government\u003c/span>\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli data-slate-node=\"element\">\u003ca class=\"e-91036-text-link e-91036-baseline e-91036-overflow-wrap-anywhere encore-internal-color-text-announcement e-91036-text-link--use-focus sc-kpDqfm ejcycC\" href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/benicial-valero-refinery-21051229.php\" data-encore-id=\"textLink\" data-slate-node=\"element\" data-slate-inline=\"true\">\u003cspan data-slate-node=\"text\">\u003cspan class=\"sc-kAyceB grEoze\" data-slate-leaf=\"true\">Major Bay Area refinery on track to close, city official says\u003c/span>\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli data-slate-node=\"element\">\u003ca class=\"e-91036-text-link e-91036-baseline e-91036-overflow-wrap-anywhere encore-internal-color-text-announcement e-91036-text-link--use-focus sc-kpDqfm ejcycC\" href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/waymo-sfo-robotaxi-fleet-21050019.php\" data-encore-id=\"textLink\" data-slate-node=\"element\" data-slate-inline=\"true\">\u003cspan data-slate-node=\"text\">\u003cspan class=\"sc-kAyceB grEoze\" data-slate-leaf=\"true\">Waymo wins approval to pick up passengers at SFO, its robotaxis will start with human drivers\u003c/span>\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ci>Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. San Francisco Northern California Local.\u003c/i>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:00:38] \u003c/em>I’m Ericka Cruz Guevara, and welcome to the Bay Local News to keep you rooted. And welcome to our September news roundup, where we talk about some of the other stories that we’ve been following this month. I am joined by Jessica Kariisa, our producer. Hey, Jessica.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jessica Kariisa: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:00:54] \u003c/em>Hey, Ericka.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:00:55] \u003c/em>And our very special guest this month, Guy Marzorotti, politics and government correspondent for KQED. What’s up, Guy?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Guy Marzorati: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:02] \u003c/em>Hey, thanks for having me\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:03] \u003c/em>Thank you so much for being here. I am sitting here with two San Jose folks, South Bay folks. I take it you guys didn’t feel the earthquake, which had its epicenter in Berkeley. No, I definitely didn’t fell it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Guy Marzorati: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:21] \u003c/em>No, that was a fantastic night of sleep.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:24] \u003c/em>I am curious. So I felt it, and I feel like a lot of people in my circles are just talking about it and freaking out about it. Are people in your orbits talking about the earthquake?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Guy Marzorati: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:35] \u003c/em>I was in the office the next day and there was a lot of buzz about it. It didn’t stand out to me statistically as like, oh, this is a massive number. But yeah, maybe it was just, you know, when it landed, people were talking about it\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:50] \u003c/em>Yeah, Jessica, you and I on Wednesday picked up emergency kits. So is it, it was on your mind, it seems like.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jessica Kariisa: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:58] \u003c/em>It’s always been on my mind since I moved to California, to be honest with you, I just was aware of earthquakes being a possibility. So even though living in San Jose, I haven’t really felt much. I think there was one that was like really, really tiny. I just wanna be prepared. So I did pick up that go bag and it’s underneath my bed, ready to go.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:02:18] \u003c/em>Yeah, I have to say that even though I felt the earthquake, I definitely woke up and then immediately went back to sleep.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Guy Marzorati: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:02:28] \u003c/em>Yeah, no, I feel like that you have that like sense as working in news of like, okay, is this, does this meet the scale if I need to fully get out of bed? Like I remember that about the Napa earthquake. It was like, okay, this is not just a like roll back over type of shake. So yeah, your senses were on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:02:44] \u003c/em>But definitely a California girl a little too used to it. I guess we could just dive right into the stories that we’ve been following this month. I’m gonna stick here in Berkeley with my story actually, which is a story about UC Berkeley where earlier this month, the university confirmed that it sent the names of 160 students, staff and faculty members over to the federal government for its investigation into anti-Semitism on campus. Individuals were notified that their personal info was shared with the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights earlier this month. And it’s drawn, as you can imagine, lots of criticism from folks who say that this is a violation of academic freedom and puts a lot of people at risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jessica Kariisa: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:45] \u003c/em>So why is this happening? Could you tell us a bit more about this investigation?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:50] \u003c/em>Yeah, so Cal is the subject of several federal investigations right now. It’s one of 60 universities facing a civil rights investigation into how the university handles complaints and allegations of anti-Semitism and or discrimination on campus. And these investigations really came out of the campus protests that we saw last summer over Israel’s war in Gaza. The university spokesperson said that its decision to share these names was really just in compliance with this federal investigation and its legal obligation to do so.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Guy Marzorati: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:29] \u003c/em>So why these specific people? What was the federal government looking for about these specific folks?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:37] \u003c/em>So the San Francisco Chronicle got a hold of this letter that had been shared with each person whose name and information had been with the federal government. And the letter notes that the Federal Office of Civil Rights quote, required production of comprehensive documents, including files and reports related to alleged anti-Semitic incidents, unquote. There isn’t a ton of information about why these specific people had their names given to the federal government, but one grad student who got one of these letters from the university told the Daily Cal that they feel like the move seems to be targeting Arab and Muslim individuals who had expressed support for Palestine. If you recall, there were these protests on campus last summer. And there’s a feeling that many of the folks involved in that were among those targeted by this investigation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jessica Kariisa: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:05:44] \u003c/em>Yeah, I mean, I think a lot of us know the history of UC Berkeley as this center of student protests and just a lot of activism. What’s been the response? I can’t imagine that people are just sort of taking this lying down.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:06:01] \u003c/em>Yeah, I mean, you’re hearing a lot of folks saying that this effectively represses folks’ First Amendment rights. There’s petitions circulating, including one that’s been signed by 600 university professors from around the world and professors who have worked with faculty at Cal saying that they’re truly concerned about the decision to share these names, these professors. Acknowledge that Berkeley has an obligation to comply with this federal investigation. But they criticized how those names were shared, specifically that the folks whose names were shared didn’t really have a chance to dispute the information that the university had collected on them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Guy Marzorati: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:06:49] \u003c/em>OK, so I know UC has a new president. How has he been kind of factoring into all this?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:06:55] \u003c/em>So I will say that UC Berkeley said that their decision to comply with these federal investigations was made by the University of California’s system-wide office of the general counsel. And so now there is a national coalition that’s calling for the removal of the head of the UC. That’s President James Millikan. And the petition is basically describing the UC’s move as a violation of academic freedom. And so some folks are looking to hold someone accountable for this.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Guy Marzorati: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:07:30] \u003c/em>Wow, just a few months in already on the hot seat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:07:33] \u003c/em>Right, intense time to run colleges, I guess, for anyone in that job. Well, that is it for my story this month. We’re going to take a quick break. But when we come back, we’ll talk about some of the other stories that we’ve been following this month Stay with us.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:08:46] \u003c/em>And welcome back to the Bay September News Roundup where we talk about some of the other stories that we’ve been following this month. Our special guest, Guy, we’re gonna turn to you. I know you got a story on the biggest economic driver in Benicia closing down for good.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Guy Marzorati: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:09:03] \u003c/em>Yes. So this is, you know, we’ve been following the saga I know you have on the Bay about the closure announcement from the Valero refinery in Benicia. And there’s a reporting in the San Francisco Chronicle by Julie Johnson that this refinery in Benisia is on track to close. There has been a lot of effort since Valero made this announcement to like keep the refinery open. Because when you combine that refinery closing with another refinery and LA closing, there could be like 20% of the state’s fuel refining capacity just gone overnight. So there’s been a lot of efforts to counteract that. There were some bills signed by the governor earlier this month to increase oil drilling in the state. But then we have this reporting in the San Francisco Chronicle where the city manager of Benicia said, quote, it seems there is now no path that remains for Valero to remain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:09:55] \u003c/em>I mean, why is that guy after all that effort, after all this hubbub around trying to keep this thing open, the worries about the impact on Benicia, why couldn’t they make it happen?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Guy Marzorati: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:10:07] \u003c/em>I think this is something very immediate, right? This is a company that decided dollars and cents is not working for us. We’re gonna close our doors. I’ve heard about there have been some efforts to literally do like a bailout package, like literally have the state just give money to Valero to keep their refinery open because we are talking about jobs, talking about impact to the local city economy. That never came to fruition. And I think in absence of that, Valero made the decision, look, this still just doesn’t work for us and we’re gonna, you know. Close up our doors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jessica Kariisa: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:10:38] \u003c/em>I mean, with two refineries in the state closing, does that mean that our gas is gonna get more expensive?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Guy Marzorati: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:10:45] \u003c/em>I think that’s the big fear, right? To counteract that, I think there is more and more conversation about bringing in fuel from elsewhere, right. Like, you know, California, it’s often described as like islands for fuel production because we have these really strict standards. We can’t necessarily import from other states. And so as you see the decline in actual like oil being drilled in California, it has to come from somewhere because even as there’s less demand for fuel in the state, people are still driving, right. California is still a state where people drive a lot. So I think the conversation might turn to like, can we import more of this? The thing that I’m really curious about is the impact on like the local city economies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:11:26] \u003c/em>Mm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Guy Marzorati: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:11:27] \u003c/em>Because I think it’s often like, okay, well, what about the people that are gonna work at the refineries, you know, what’s gonna happen to their jobs? I read this interview with the head of the refinery in LA and he’s like, oh, basically everyone from this refinery can find a job pretty easily. Like they’re getting new employment. But this Chronicle story says that Benicia will lose more than $10 million in taxes out of a $60 million budget when Valero closes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:11:53] \u003c/em>Yeah, I was gonna ask about that guy because I know that Valera was a major economic engine in the city of Benicia. I mean, what has the reaction from the local community been?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Guy Marzorati: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:12:06] \u003c/em>Yeah, I mean, it really seems like a scramble right now. Like there’s work being done to try to figure out, okay, how to, you know, prop up local businesses. But one city council member who’s quoted in this story said, we have a lot of businesses in Venetia where Valero is their only client. They might make a specific piece or part or some complicated refining equipment that’s really only built to serve Valero. So what is that business supposed to do right now? And when you talk about like the budget impact, yeah, you lose that much money overnight. Like how are you gonna pay the police, the fire, the like, you know, clean up people’s streets, fix the roads, all of that I think suddenly becomes like a really urgent question for the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jessica Kariisa: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:12:49] \u003c/em>I’m curious too though, like at a statewide level, knowing that we’re a state that wants to move away from fossil fuels, how does the closing of this refinery like square with that? Like, does that get us closer to the goal in a weird way?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Guy Marzorati: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:06] \u003c/em>Yeah, I think it’s like, it’s a really delicate dance that the state is doing because they are pushing away from petroleum and they’re pushing towards like clean energy. At the same time, we still have a demand for those products and we still have, you know, people who are driving up to the pump every day and looking at the price and that’s affecting, you who they might vote for. So I think that when people say like, California is in mid-transition, like we are literally. In the middle of this transition and nowhere else is experiencing it like we are. Like people talk about, oh, climate change is coming, like we’re living it with wildfires and everything. We’re also living like what it means to transition away from fossil fuels. And it’s, you know, it’s kind of crazy being like living in the middle an experiment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:53] \u003c/em>Crazy way to think about it, guy. But it’s true and I guess it means that like whatever happens in Benicia over the next few months and years is gonna be something to like really watch closely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Guy Marzorati: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:14:06] \u003c/em>And I feel like there’s gonna be thousands of Benicas across the country in the next like few decades. So yeah, what happens here is important.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:14:14] \u003c/em>Well, guy, thank you so much for bringing that story.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Guy Marzorati: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:14:16] \u003c/em>Yeah, absolutely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:14:22] \u003c/em>And last but not least, producer Jessica Kariisa, you brought a story about Waymo coming to an airport near you real soon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jessica Kariisa: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:14:31] \u003c/em>Yes, living in San Jose, I don’t see a lot of Waymos, but I’m about to see Waymo. I thought about that on the train and I delivered. Yes. I wasn’t ready. Anyways, yes, Waymos are coming to the airport. They were first approved at San Jose’s airport, my airport of choice earlier this month. And then soon after SFO followed up. And so there isn’t an exact date, but. Waymos will be coming to the airports in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:15:04] \u003c/em>Why exactly. Is this happening?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>\u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:15:08] \u003c/em>Well, I mean, yeah. Like around KQED, we’re in the mission. We see Waymos all the time. We know that it’s a thing here. It’s become like a tourist attraction. And I think with a lot of big events coming to the Bay Area next year, namely the Super Bowl and the World Cup, San Jose and San Francisco want to capitalize on like another tourist experience for people coming into the city. And also Waymo was always gonna roll out across the Bay Area. Its plan is to expand in general. And so I think, you know, this is one step as they get closer to more penetration in other parts of the Bay area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Guy Marzorati: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:15:46] \u003c/em>I remember when Uber and Lyft, like when they were first trying to go to SFO and go to airports, it was like a huge deal. And it was a big fight with all the taxi drivers, a lot of the unions. Is there any opposition now this time around to these companies trying to create a foothold at the airports?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jessica Kariisa: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:16:03] \u003c/em>According to the reporting that I’ve seen in the Standard and the Chronicle, I haven’t heard of any opposition. There’s already rideshare options at the airport. This will just be an addition to that. And Waymo released a report back in March saying that there were over 13,000 searches for SFO in their app. And also there were 700 people that downloaded the app while at the airports. So, you know, it almost just kind of feels inevitable. I think we had the big sort of push and opposition when rideshare first emerged. But with Waymo, it’s just another option, you now. So just pick which one you prefer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:16:44] \u003c/em>Yeah, I remember that guy. Like it doesn’t feel that long ago when we were talking about like taxi medallions and people feeling really upset about, you know, paying a ton of money to have those and be able to drive folks from the airport. And now we’re talking about driverless cars at the airport, what is the timeline here, Jessica? Like how soon, I guess, are people gonna see Waymo’s at the airports?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jessica Kariisa: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:17:13] \u003c/em>Yeah, so we just know that it’s gonna be this year. At San Jose, they did testing last summer. At SFO, they’re gonna start off with a testing phase where there’ll be a human in the car, a safety driver is what they call it. And then after that, they are gonna open up the rides to Waymo employees and airport staff. And then, after that it’ll open up to everybody else. We don’t have an exact date yet, but that’s the process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:17:42] \u003c/em>Well, Jessica, thank you so much for bringing that story. Thank you so. And that is it for our September news roundup. Thank you so much to producer Jessica Kariisa for joining me.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jessica Kariisa: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:17:55] \u003c/em>Thank you, Ericka.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jessica Kariisa: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:17:57] \u003c/em>And Guy Marzorati, politics and government correspondent for KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Guy Marzorati: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:18:00] \u003c/em>Thanks for having me.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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Plus, the Valero refinery in Benicia is on track to close, and Waymo driverless cars could be en route to the San Francisco and San José airports soon.\u003c/span>\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp data-encore-id=\"text\" data-slate-node=\"element\">\n\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=KQINC3550539483\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\n\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"e-91036-text encore-text-body-medium\" data-encore-id=\"text\" data-slate-node=\"element\">\u003cspan data-slate-node=\"text\">\u003cspan class=\"sc-kAyceB grEoze\" data-slate-leaf=\"true\">\u003cstrong>Links:\u003c/strong>\u003c/span>\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul class=\"sc-gsFSXq jSVEKt\" data-slate-node=\"element\" 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href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/benicial-valero-refinery-21051229.php\" data-encore-id=\"textLink\" data-slate-node=\"element\" data-slate-inline=\"true\">\u003cspan data-slate-node=\"text\">\u003cspan class=\"sc-kAyceB grEoze\" data-slate-leaf=\"true\">Major Bay Area refinery on track to close, city official says\u003c/span>\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli data-slate-node=\"element\">\u003ca class=\"e-91036-text-link e-91036-baseline e-91036-overflow-wrap-anywhere encore-internal-color-text-announcement e-91036-text-link--use-focus sc-kpDqfm ejcycC\" href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/waymo-sfo-robotaxi-fleet-21050019.php\" data-encore-id=\"textLink\" data-slate-node=\"element\" data-slate-inline=\"true\">\u003cspan data-slate-node=\"text\">\u003cspan class=\"sc-kAyceB grEoze\" data-slate-leaf=\"true\">Waymo wins approval to pick up passengers at SFO, its robotaxis will start with human drivers\u003c/span>\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ci>Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. San Francisco Northern California Local.\u003c/i>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:00:38] \u003c/em>I’m Ericka Cruz Guevara, and welcome to the Bay Local News to keep you rooted. And welcome to our September news roundup, where we talk about some of the other stories that we’ve been following this month. I am joined by Jessica Kariisa, our producer. Hey, Jessica.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jessica Kariisa: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:00:54] \u003c/em>Hey, Ericka.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:00:55] \u003c/em>And our very special guest this month, Guy Marzorotti, politics and government correspondent for KQED. What’s up, Guy?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Guy Marzorati: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:02] \u003c/em>Hey, thanks for having me\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:03] \u003c/em>Thank you so much for being here. I am sitting here with two San Jose folks, South Bay folks. I take it you guys didn’t feel the earthquake, which had its epicenter in Berkeley. No, I definitely didn’t fell it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Guy Marzorati: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:21] \u003c/em>No, that was a fantastic night of sleep.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:24] \u003c/em>I am curious. So I felt it, and I feel like a lot of people in my circles are just talking about it and freaking out about it. Are people in your orbits talking about the earthquake?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Guy Marzorati: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:35] \u003c/em>I was in the office the next day and there was a lot of buzz about it. It didn’t stand out to me statistically as like, oh, this is a massive number. But yeah, maybe it was just, you know, when it landed, people were talking about it\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:50] \u003c/em>Yeah, Jessica, you and I on Wednesday picked up emergency kits. So is it, it was on your mind, it seems like.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jessica Kariisa: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:58] \u003c/em>It’s always been on my mind since I moved to California, to be honest with you, I just was aware of earthquakes being a possibility. So even though living in San Jose, I haven’t really felt much. I think there was one that was like really, really tiny. I just wanna be prepared. So I did pick up that go bag and it’s underneath my bed, ready to go.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:02:18] \u003c/em>Yeah, I have to say that even though I felt the earthquake, I definitely woke up and then immediately went back to sleep.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Guy Marzorati: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:02:28] \u003c/em>Yeah, no, I feel like that you have that like sense as working in news of like, okay, is this, does this meet the scale if I need to fully get out of bed? Like I remember that about the Napa earthquake. It was like, okay, this is not just a like roll back over type of shake. So yeah, your senses were on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:02:44] \u003c/em>But definitely a California girl a little too used to it. I guess we could just dive right into the stories that we’ve been following this month. I’m gonna stick here in Berkeley with my story actually, which is a story about UC Berkeley where earlier this month, the university confirmed that it sent the names of 160 students, staff and faculty members over to the federal government for its investigation into anti-Semitism on campus. Individuals were notified that their personal info was shared with the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights earlier this month. And it’s drawn, as you can imagine, lots of criticism from folks who say that this is a violation of academic freedom and puts a lot of people at risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jessica Kariisa: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:45] \u003c/em>So why is this happening? Could you tell us a bit more about this investigation?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:50] \u003c/em>Yeah, so Cal is the subject of several federal investigations right now. It’s one of 60 universities facing a civil rights investigation into how the university handles complaints and allegations of anti-Semitism and or discrimination on campus. And these investigations really came out of the campus protests that we saw last summer over Israel’s war in Gaza. The university spokesperson said that its decision to share these names was really just in compliance with this federal investigation and its legal obligation to do so.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Guy Marzorati: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:29] \u003c/em>So why these specific people? What was the federal government looking for about these specific folks?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:37] \u003c/em>So the San Francisco Chronicle got a hold of this letter that had been shared with each person whose name and information had been with the federal government. And the letter notes that the Federal Office of Civil Rights quote, required production of comprehensive documents, including files and reports related to alleged anti-Semitic incidents, unquote. There isn’t a ton of information about why these specific people had their names given to the federal government, but one grad student who got one of these letters from the university told the Daily Cal that they feel like the move seems to be targeting Arab and Muslim individuals who had expressed support for Palestine. If you recall, there were these protests on campus last summer. And there’s a feeling that many of the folks involved in that were among those targeted by this investigation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jessica Kariisa: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:05:44] \u003c/em>Yeah, I mean, I think a lot of us know the history of UC Berkeley as this center of student protests and just a lot of activism. What’s been the response? I can’t imagine that people are just sort of taking this lying down.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:06:01] \u003c/em>Yeah, I mean, you’re hearing a lot of folks saying that this effectively represses folks’ First Amendment rights. There’s petitions circulating, including one that’s been signed by 600 university professors from around the world and professors who have worked with faculty at Cal saying that they’re truly concerned about the decision to share these names, these professors. Acknowledge that Berkeley has an obligation to comply with this federal investigation. But they criticized how those names were shared, specifically that the folks whose names were shared didn’t really have a chance to dispute the information that the university had collected on them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Guy Marzorati: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:06:49] \u003c/em>OK, so I know UC has a new president. How has he been kind of factoring into all this?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:06:55] \u003c/em>So I will say that UC Berkeley said that their decision to comply with these federal investigations was made by the University of California’s system-wide office of the general counsel. And so now there is a national coalition that’s calling for the removal of the head of the UC. That’s President James Millikan. And the petition is basically describing the UC’s move as a violation of academic freedom. And so some folks are looking to hold someone accountable for this.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Guy Marzorati: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:07:30] \u003c/em>Wow, just a few months in already on the hot seat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:07:33] \u003c/em>Right, intense time to run colleges, I guess, for anyone in that job. Well, that is it for my story this month. We’re going to take a quick break. But when we come back, we’ll talk about some of the other stories that we’ve been following this month Stay with us.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:08:46] \u003c/em>And welcome back to the Bay September News Roundup where we talk about some of the other stories that we’ve been following this month. Our special guest, Guy, we’re gonna turn to you. I know you got a story on the biggest economic driver in Benicia closing down for good.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Guy Marzorati: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:09:03] \u003c/em>Yes. So this is, you know, we’ve been following the saga I know you have on the Bay about the closure announcement from the Valero refinery in Benicia. And there’s a reporting in the San Francisco Chronicle by Julie Johnson that this refinery in Benisia is on track to close. There has been a lot of effort since Valero made this announcement to like keep the refinery open. Because when you combine that refinery closing with another refinery and LA closing, there could be like 20% of the state’s fuel refining capacity just gone overnight. So there’s been a lot of efforts to counteract that. There were some bills signed by the governor earlier this month to increase oil drilling in the state. But then we have this reporting in the San Francisco Chronicle where the city manager of Benicia said, quote, it seems there is now no path that remains for Valero to remain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:09:55] \u003c/em>I mean, why is that guy after all that effort, after all this hubbub around trying to keep this thing open, the worries about the impact on Benicia, why couldn’t they make it happen?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Guy Marzorati: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:10:07] \u003c/em>I think this is something very immediate, right? This is a company that decided dollars and cents is not working for us. We’re gonna close our doors. I’ve heard about there have been some efforts to literally do like a bailout package, like literally have the state just give money to Valero to keep their refinery open because we are talking about jobs, talking about impact to the local city economy. That never came to fruition. And I think in absence of that, Valero made the decision, look, this still just doesn’t work for us and we’re gonna, you know. Close up our doors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jessica Kariisa: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:10:38] \u003c/em>I mean, with two refineries in the state closing, does that mean that our gas is gonna get more expensive?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Guy Marzorati: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:10:45] \u003c/em>I think that’s the big fear, right? To counteract that, I think there is more and more conversation about bringing in fuel from elsewhere, right. Like, you know, California, it’s often described as like islands for fuel production because we have these really strict standards. We can’t necessarily import from other states. And so as you see the decline in actual like oil being drilled in California, it has to come from somewhere because even as there’s less demand for fuel in the state, people are still driving, right. California is still a state where people drive a lot. So I think the conversation might turn to like, can we import more of this? The thing that I’m really curious about is the impact on like the local city economies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:11:26] \u003c/em>Mm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Guy Marzorati: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:11:27] \u003c/em>Because I think it’s often like, okay, well, what about the people that are gonna work at the refineries, you know, what’s gonna happen to their jobs? I read this interview with the head of the refinery in LA and he’s like, oh, basically everyone from this refinery can find a job pretty easily. Like they’re getting new employment. But this Chronicle story says that Benicia will lose more than $10 million in taxes out of a $60 million budget when Valero closes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:11:53] \u003c/em>Yeah, I was gonna ask about that guy because I know that Valera was a major economic engine in the city of Benicia. I mean, what has the reaction from the local community been?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Guy Marzorati: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:12:06] \u003c/em>Yeah, I mean, it really seems like a scramble right now. Like there’s work being done to try to figure out, okay, how to, you know, prop up local businesses. But one city council member who’s quoted in this story said, we have a lot of businesses in Venetia where Valero is their only client. They might make a specific piece or part or some complicated refining equipment that’s really only built to serve Valero. So what is that business supposed to do right now? And when you talk about like the budget impact, yeah, you lose that much money overnight. Like how are you gonna pay the police, the fire, the like, you know, clean up people’s streets, fix the roads, all of that I think suddenly becomes like a really urgent question for the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jessica Kariisa: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:12:49] \u003c/em>I’m curious too though, like at a statewide level, knowing that we’re a state that wants to move away from fossil fuels, how does the closing of this refinery like square with that? Like, does that get us closer to the goal in a weird way?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Guy Marzorati: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:06] \u003c/em>Yeah, I think it’s like, it’s a really delicate dance that the state is doing because they are pushing away from petroleum and they’re pushing towards like clean energy. At the same time, we still have a demand for those products and we still have, you know, people who are driving up to the pump every day and looking at the price and that’s affecting, you who they might vote for. So I think that when people say like, California is in mid-transition, like we are literally. In the middle of this transition and nowhere else is experiencing it like we are. Like people talk about, oh, climate change is coming, like we’re living it with wildfires and everything. We’re also living like what it means to transition away from fossil fuels. And it’s, you know, it’s kind of crazy being like living in the middle an experiment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:53] \u003c/em>Crazy way to think about it, guy. But it’s true and I guess it means that like whatever happens in Benicia over the next few months and years is gonna be something to like really watch closely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Guy Marzorati: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:14:06] \u003c/em>And I feel like there’s gonna be thousands of Benicas across the country in the next like few decades. So yeah, what happens here is important.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:14:14] \u003c/em>Well, guy, thank you so much for bringing that story.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Guy Marzorati: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:14:16] \u003c/em>Yeah, absolutely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:14:22] \u003c/em>And last but not least, producer Jessica Kariisa, you brought a story about Waymo coming to an airport near you real soon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jessica Kariisa: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:14:31] \u003c/em>Yes, living in San Jose, I don’t see a lot of Waymos, but I’m about to see Waymo. I thought about that on the train and I delivered. Yes. I wasn’t ready. Anyways, yes, Waymos are coming to the airport. They were first approved at San Jose’s airport, my airport of choice earlier this month. And then soon after SFO followed up. And so there isn’t an exact date, but. Waymos will be coming to the airports in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:15:04] \u003c/em>Why exactly. Is this happening?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>\u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:15:08] \u003c/em>Well, I mean, yeah. Like around KQED, we’re in the mission. We see Waymos all the time. We know that it’s a thing here. It’s become like a tourist attraction. And I think with a lot of big events coming to the Bay Area next year, namely the Super Bowl and the World Cup, San Jose and San Francisco want to capitalize on like another tourist experience for people coming into the city. And also Waymo was always gonna roll out across the Bay Area. Its plan is to expand in general. And so I think, you know, this is one step as they get closer to more penetration in other parts of the Bay area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Guy Marzorati: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:15:46] \u003c/em>I remember when Uber and Lyft, like when they were first trying to go to SFO and go to airports, it was like a huge deal. And it was a big fight with all the taxi drivers, a lot of the unions. Is there any opposition now this time around to these companies trying to create a foothold at the airports?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jessica Kariisa: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:16:03] \u003c/em>According to the reporting that I’ve seen in the Standard and the Chronicle, I haven’t heard of any opposition. There’s already rideshare options at the airport. This will just be an addition to that. And Waymo released a report back in March saying that there were over 13,000 searches for SFO in their app. And also there were 700 people that downloaded the app while at the airports. So, you know, it almost just kind of feels inevitable. I think we had the big sort of push and opposition when rideshare first emerged. But with Waymo, it’s just another option, you now. So just pick which one you prefer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:16:44] \u003c/em>Yeah, I remember that guy. Like it doesn’t feel that long ago when we were talking about like taxi medallions and people feeling really upset about, you know, paying a ton of money to have those and be able to drive folks from the airport. And now we’re talking about driverless cars at the airport, what is the timeline here, Jessica? Like how soon, I guess, are people gonna see Waymo’s at the airports?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jessica Kariisa: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:17:13] \u003c/em>Yeah, so we just know that it’s gonna be this year. At San Jose, they did testing last summer. At SFO, they’re gonna start off with a testing phase where there’ll be a human in the car, a safety driver is what they call it. And then after that, they are gonna open up the rides to Waymo employees and airport staff. And then, after that it’ll open up to everybody else. We don’t have an exact date yet, but that’s the process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:17:42] \u003c/em>Well, Jessica, thank you so much for bringing that story. Thank you so. And that is it for our September news roundup. Thank you so much to producer Jessica Kariisa for joining me.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jessica Kariisa: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:17:55] \u003c/em>Thank you, Ericka.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jessica Kariisa: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:17:57] \u003c/em>And Guy Marzorati, politics and government correspondent for KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>Updated 11:55 a.m. Wednesday\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Benicia city leaders are taking initial steps to prepare for the\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12037668/potential-valero-refinery-closure-leaves-benicia-state-officials-scrambling-to-pick-up-pieces\"> likely closure of the Valero refinery\u003c/a>, a month after the oil giant \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12036242/oil-giant-valero-announces-plans-to-shutter-troubled-benicia-refinery\">announced plans\u003c/a> to cease operations at its sprawling Solano County facility within a year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved the mayor’s proposal to \u003ca href=\"https://legistarweb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/attachment/pdf/3344895/Staff_Report_-_ACT_Task_Force_Groups.pdf\">create four economic and community-focused task forces\u003c/a> to “understand potential economic impacts, develop strategies to mitigate those impacts and plan for the future.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The groups are intended to ready the small North Bay city for the potentially seismic fallout if Valero makes good on its intent to cease operations at the refinery by April 2026.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero is Benicia’s largest employer and accounts for almost 20% of its tax base.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think we are taking some serious steps trying to address as many of the known and unknown facts that we have,” said Mayor Steve Young, who tapped specific council members to head each of the groups, and said no one attending the meeting voiced any opposition to the plan. “We’re basically trying to utilize the respective strengths of the council members, all of whom have significant things that they can bring to the table.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12039648\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12039648\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-56-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-56-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-56-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-56-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-56-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-56-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-56-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Benicia Mayor Steve Young sits in the City Hall offices in Benicia on May 8, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>That includes a group to address economic recovery options for the city as it braces for a massive budget shortfall, and another to collaborate with nonprofits, schools and local sports leagues that have long relied on Valero’s donations, and now face losing their primary funding source.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re in a situation where we’re going to have $10 [million] to $12 million less than last year,” Young said. “The hit on the community is going to be severe. My main job is to ease that transition as much as we can.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A third group would map out next steps for the city’s port and the many businesses in its industrial park that for decades have supplied equipment and services to Valero, while a fourth would tackle plans to redevelop the 930 acres of land the company owns.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oakland-based Signature Development Group recently announced it was \u003ca href=\"https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/valero-benicia-refinery-signature-development-group-consulted-site-future/\">in talks with Valero\u003c/a> to redevelop the land on the eastern side of the city into housing and commercial property.[aside postID=news_12039505 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-52-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg']Doing so, however, would require a costly remediation effort — one Valero is legally required to undertake— that would likely take a decade to complete before any development takes place. During that time, the city would receive no revenue, Young said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero has taken the land off the market, which implies that it’s given Signature the exclusive right to negotiate for it, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“So [Signature’s] got a year to sort of do their due diligence, look at redeveloping options and then at the end of that year presumably buy the site and then move forward with who knows what kind of development options,” Young said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He noted, however, “there are so many unknowns that probably things will pivot a month from now, three months from now. Six months from now, we might be doing something different.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Councilmember Terry Scott, whom Young asked to help lead the redevelopment group, said his priority is to focus on the 400 acres of the Valero property that haven’t been used for manufacturing and processing operations. That land wouldn’t require the same degree of remediation, and could potentially be turned into housing and other uses within several years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for the refinery property, he said, the city would need to court industries that could operate on land that will remain fairly contaminated, even after the remediation process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12038710\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12038710\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/Air-District-Valero-Benicia-e1746467055636.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A fire at the Valero Oil Refinery in Benicia, California. The fire comes just weeks after Valero executives announced they were considering closing the sprawling refinery by next April. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Bay Area Air District)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“There’s gonna be some pretty bad brown spots there,” said Scott, who is hoping to attract less-polluting industries to replace the refinery. “This will not be growing gardens, and having front lawns and having kids running across it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12036242/oil-giant-valero-announces-plans-to-shutter-troubled-benicia-refinery\">Valero’s announcement in mid-April\u003c/a> to “idle, restructure or cease” operations at the refinery that it’s operated since 2000, caught Young and other city officials completely off guard. The company cited California’s tough “regulatory and enforcement environment” as the main driver behind its move to consider closing the sixth-largest refinery in the state, which makes up about 9% of the state’s total crude oil capacity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The news dropped less than two weeks after the City Council unanimously approved modest rules to increase their oversight of the refinery, and some six months since regional and state air regulators fined the company \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12011785/bay-area-air-district-hits-valeros-benicia-refinery-with-historic-82-million-fine\">a record $82 million\u003c/a> for secretly exceeding toxic emissions standards for more than 15 years.[aside postID=forum_2010101909783 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/43/2025/05/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-02_qed-1020x680.jpg']Although that money is reserved for future public health initiatives, Young said he is pressing regulators to consider “a lenient and liberal” interpretation of what they mean by public health, so that Benicia leaders may use those funds “to offset some of the losses that the city’s going to see.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Young also hopes he can help broker a deal with Valero and state officials to convince the company to continue operating the refinery for at least a few more years. He additionally intends to make the case that closing the facility next year could pose a serious national security threat, as it’s currently the sole provider of roughly 50 million gallons of jet fuel to nearby Travis Air Force Base, which it delivers via a direct pipeline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The threat of no jet fuel for Travis potentially puts the future of the whole base at risk,” he said. “If we could get three years instead of one year, that certainly eases the transition period for the city and gives us a little bit of breathing room to try to stabilize the financial hit that we’re going to see, and at the same time, plan for the eventual closure.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Young said members of the City Council and community leaders have so far been generally supportive of the proposal to form task forces as part of the city’s abrupt effort to begin processing and planning for an uncertain future. People, he said, are glad to see that the city is at least trying to create a blueprint.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Even though a lot of it is out of our hands, we are addressing it to the best of our ability so far,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Scott called Valero’s announcement last month “a warning shot” that he hopes will galvanize the community into action.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We cannot let weeks or months go by without really looking at the future and saying, what are the things that we can do?” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"description": "The Solano County city’s leaders voted to form task forces to address the fallout from the potential Valero refinery closure. ",
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"headline": "Benicia Takes First Steps Toward Future Without Valero Refinery",
"datePublished": "2025-05-21T11:55:04-07:00",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>Updated 11:55 a.m. Wednesday\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Benicia city leaders are taking initial steps to prepare for the\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12037668/potential-valero-refinery-closure-leaves-benicia-state-officials-scrambling-to-pick-up-pieces\"> likely closure of the Valero refinery\u003c/a>, a month after the oil giant \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12036242/oil-giant-valero-announces-plans-to-shutter-troubled-benicia-refinery\">announced plans\u003c/a> to cease operations at its sprawling Solano County facility within a year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved the mayor’s proposal to \u003ca href=\"https://legistarweb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/attachment/pdf/3344895/Staff_Report_-_ACT_Task_Force_Groups.pdf\">create four economic and community-focused task forces\u003c/a> to “understand potential economic impacts, develop strategies to mitigate those impacts and plan for the future.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The groups are intended to ready the small North Bay city for the potentially seismic fallout if Valero makes good on its intent to cease operations at the refinery by April 2026.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero is Benicia’s largest employer and accounts for almost 20% of its tax base.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think we are taking some serious steps trying to address as many of the known and unknown facts that we have,” said Mayor Steve Young, who tapped specific council members to head each of the groups, and said no one attending the meeting voiced any opposition to the plan. “We’re basically trying to utilize the respective strengths of the council members, all of whom have significant things that they can bring to the table.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12039648\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12039648\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-56-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-56-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-56-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-56-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-56-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-56-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-56-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Benicia Mayor Steve Young sits in the City Hall offices in Benicia on May 8, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>That includes a group to address economic recovery options for the city as it braces for a massive budget shortfall, and another to collaborate with nonprofits, schools and local sports leagues that have long relied on Valero’s donations, and now face losing their primary funding source.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re in a situation where we’re going to have $10 [million] to $12 million less than last year,” Young said. “The hit on the community is going to be severe. My main job is to ease that transition as much as we can.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A third group would map out next steps for the city’s port and the many businesses in its industrial park that for decades have supplied equipment and services to Valero, while a fourth would tackle plans to redevelop the 930 acres of land the company owns.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oakland-based Signature Development Group recently announced it was \u003ca href=\"https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/valero-benicia-refinery-signature-development-group-consulted-site-future/\">in talks with Valero\u003c/a> to redevelop the land on the eastern side of the city into housing and commercial property.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Doing so, however, would require a costly remediation effort — one Valero is legally required to undertake— that would likely take a decade to complete before any development takes place. During that time, the city would receive no revenue, Young said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero has taken the land off the market, which implies that it’s given Signature the exclusive right to negotiate for it, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“So [Signature’s] got a year to sort of do their due diligence, look at redeveloping options and then at the end of that year presumably buy the site and then move forward with who knows what kind of development options,” Young said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He noted, however, “there are so many unknowns that probably things will pivot a month from now, three months from now. Six months from now, we might be doing something different.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Councilmember Terry Scott, whom Young asked to help lead the redevelopment group, said his priority is to focus on the 400 acres of the Valero property that haven’t been used for manufacturing and processing operations. That land wouldn’t require the same degree of remediation, and could potentially be turned into housing and other uses within several years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for the refinery property, he said, the city would need to court industries that could operate on land that will remain fairly contaminated, even after the remediation process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12038710\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12038710\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/Air-District-Valero-Benicia-e1746467055636.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A fire at the Valero Oil Refinery in Benicia, California. The fire comes just weeks after Valero executives announced they were considering closing the sprawling refinery by next April. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Bay Area Air District)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“There’s gonna be some pretty bad brown spots there,” said Scott, who is hoping to attract less-polluting industries to replace the refinery. “This will not be growing gardens, and having front lawns and having kids running across it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12036242/oil-giant-valero-announces-plans-to-shutter-troubled-benicia-refinery\">Valero’s announcement in mid-April\u003c/a> to “idle, restructure or cease” operations at the refinery that it’s operated since 2000, caught Young and other city officials completely off guard. The company cited California’s tough “regulatory and enforcement environment” as the main driver behind its move to consider closing the sixth-largest refinery in the state, which makes up about 9% of the state’s total crude oil capacity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The news dropped less than two weeks after the City Council unanimously approved modest rules to increase their oversight of the refinery, and some six months since regional and state air regulators fined the company \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12011785/bay-area-air-district-hits-valeros-benicia-refinery-with-historic-82-million-fine\">a record $82 million\u003c/a> for secretly exceeding toxic emissions standards for more than 15 years.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Although that money is reserved for future public health initiatives, Young said he is pressing regulators to consider “a lenient and liberal” interpretation of what they mean by public health, so that Benicia leaders may use those funds “to offset some of the losses that the city’s going to see.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Young also hopes he can help broker a deal with Valero and state officials to convince the company to continue operating the refinery for at least a few more years. He additionally intends to make the case that closing the facility next year could pose a serious national security threat, as it’s currently the sole provider of roughly 50 million gallons of jet fuel to nearby Travis Air Force Base, which it delivers via a direct pipeline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The threat of no jet fuel for Travis potentially puts the future of the whole base at risk,” he said. “If we could get three years instead of one year, that certainly eases the transition period for the city and gives us a little bit of breathing room to try to stabilize the financial hit that we’re going to see, and at the same time, plan for the eventual closure.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Young said members of the City Council and community leaders have so far been generally supportive of the proposal to form task forces as part of the city’s abrupt effort to begin processing and planning for an uncertain future. People, he said, are glad to see that the city is at least trying to create a blueprint.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Even though a lot of it is out of our hands, we are addressing it to the best of our ability so far,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Scott called Valero’s announcement last month “a warning shot” that he hopes will galvanize the community into action.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We cannot let weeks or months go by without really looking at the future and saying, what are the things that we can do?” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "a-bay-area-refinery-town-contemplates-future-without-big-oil",
"title": "A Bay Area Refinery Town Contemplates a Future Without Big Oil",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/benicia-refinery\">Benicia\u003c/a> Mayor Steve Young poked at his shrimp Louie salad as he glanced wistfully out the window of a local seafood restaurant perched on the banks of an unusually serene stretch of the Carquinez Strait.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ve had better months. Let’s put it that way,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Young, 73, looked grateful for the lunch break. He has been deep in damage control mode since last month, when \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/valero\">Texas-based oil giant Valero\u003c/a>, the city’s largest employer, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12036242/oil-giant-valero-announces-plans-to-shutter-troubled-benicia-refinery\">announced plans\u003c/a> to “idle, restructure or cease” operations at its Benicia refinery within a year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a recent earnings call, Valero CEO Lane Riggs cited California’s tough “regulatory and enforcement environment” as the main driver behind the company’s intent to close California’s sixth-largest refinery, accounting for about 9% of the state’s total production.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The refinery makes up nearly 20% of Benicia’s tax base, and shutting down the facility, which dominates much of the eastern side of this small, relatively affluent Solano County city, could have a catastrophic impact on the city’s financial well-being.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re in a situation where we’re going to have $10 (million) to $12 million less than last year,” said Young, a tall, gray-haired man with a gravelly voice. “The hit on the community is going to be severe. My main job is to ease that transition as much as we can.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Benicia is known as a “full-service city,” he said, “which means we do every conceivable municipal service there is.” That’s part of what makes this community of well-kept yards and century-old homes feel so safe and pleasant, with its abundance of parks, libraries and subsidized artists’ studios.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12039648\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12039648\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-56-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-56-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-56-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-56-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-56-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-56-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-56-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Benicia Mayor Steve Young sits in the City Hall offices in Benicia on May 8, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But a decent portion of those amenities are funded, in part, by the property taxes Valero pays the city — leaving Young with the unenviable task of recommending which services to potentially cut, whether it’s the public pool, the summer concert series or even the dog poop bag dispensers in the parks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Anything we cut has a passionate base,” Young said, grimacing slightly in anticipation of the inevitable budgeting battles to come.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shutting down the refinery, he added, would also be a major blow to the hundreds of residents who work there, not to mention the restaurants, hotels and businesses in the city’s industrial park that provide services to the facility and its workers, as well as the many local nonprofits that have long depended on Valero’s donations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero didn’t respond to KQED’s multiple requests for comments for this story.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Young rose to local political prominence nearly a decade ago by pushing back against the company’s strong influence in a place many here consider a “refinery town.”[aside postID=news_12036242 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/ValeroBenicia-1020x765.jpg']In 2016, Young, a former local government administrator, stepped out of retirement to join the planning commission, where he successfully led the opposition against the company’s proposal to start bringing in crude oil by rail.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the time, Valero was accustomed to being “the big dog in town,” and expected the City Council to rubber stamp the proposal, much like it had for many of the company’s other requests, Young said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They had been joined at the hip,” he said. “Valero was used to having things slide through.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So it came as a shock to the company when the City Council voted down the proposal, citing major public safety and congestion concerns about having a constant flow of trains bringing volatile materials through town.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That was a big deal. It kind of set the tone,” said Young, who went on to win a seat on the Council later that year. He successfully ran for mayor in 2020, despite intense opposition from Valero, which spent some $250,000 in attack ads and campaign mailers opposing him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Two years later, voters elected two additional candidates to the five-member Council — Kari Birdseye and Terry Scott — who, like Young, pledged to stand up to Valero when its actions compromised public safety.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12039647\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12039647 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-42-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-42-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-42-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-42-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-42-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-42-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-42-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Valero Benicia Refinery in Benicia, on May 8, 2025, processes up to 170,000 barrels of oil a day, making gasoline, diesel and other fuels for California. Valero plans to shut down the Benicia refinery by April 2026, citing high costs and strict environmental rules. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But Young and his allies now find themselves in the awkward position of beseeching the very company they’ve challenged to stick around — at least for a few more years — to buy the city more time to prepare.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We need to get moving on this quickly, because 12 months is not a long time given the severity of the economic impact,” Young said, acknowledging that his bargaining chips are limited.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One option, he said, is appealing directly to the state to ease some of the regulations that Valero finds so burdensome. Young appreciates California’s efforts to address climate change, but he questions the practicality of the current approach, especially when it results in frontline communities like his losing their refineries and being forced to suddenly fend for themselves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I understand these are necessary steps going forward,” he said. “But the state passes many laws without any consequence or understanding of how they’re going to be implemented and who’s going to have to pay for it. That’s, I think, part of my frustration as a local official.”[aside postID=news_12038707 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/Air-District-Valero-Benicia-1020x765.jpg']Young said he intends to make the case that closing the refinery could pose a national security threat, as it’s currently the sole provider of jet fuel to nearby Travis Air Force Base, which is delivered via a direct pipeline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If that is stopped, what does that mean to the base?” Young said. “Travis uses an amazing amount of fuel to fly all their planes, much more than can be easily replaced and certainly not replaced within a year. So I think that this becomes a matter of real concern to the defense department.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s also a possibility that the 900 total acres of land Valero owns, which has unobstructed views of the scenic bluffs and straits that funnel into the mouth of the Sacramento Delta, could be redeveloped into housing and commercial property. Oakland-based Signature Development Group \u003ca href=\"https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2025/04/28/bay-area-oil-refinery-benicia-build-property-home-jobs-energy-economy/\">recently announced\u003c/a> it was in talks with the company.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Doing so, however, would require a costly remediation effort — one Valero is legally required to do — that would likely take a decade to complete before any development takes place, Young said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This would be a good long-term development — to have an outside entity pressing Valero to do the remediation,” Young said. “But in the meantime, we’re not going to have any money at all coming in.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The city may ultimately need to ask for another tax increase, Young said — a request he believes voters in the city, many of whom have lived here for decades and pay low property taxes, will approve.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12039779\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12039779\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BeniciaRefinery-60-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BeniciaRefinery-60-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BeniciaRefinery-60-BL_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BeniciaRefinery-60-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BeniciaRefinery-60-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BeniciaRefinery-60-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BeniciaRefinery-60-BL_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A mural depicts downtown Benicia in the city on May 8, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It may come down to that,” he said. “I don’t think we’re going to be able to cut our way to $10 (million) or $12 million and maintain any level of similar services.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Downtown Benicia has a quaint, small-town feel that belies its proximity to San Francisco, less than 40 miles south. Drivers turning off Interstate 780 are greeted by a sign for an American Legion rib cookoff before passing a large white gazebo in a small park on the edge of downtown. The main drag is filled with restaurants, cafes and galleries.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A monument in a nearby park reminds visitors that Benicia was once the state capital — though only for a year, in 1853.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>From many vantage points in this charming city of some 27,000 residents on the outer edge of the Bay Area, it’s easy to forget the refinery is there at all, its stacks, holding tanks and billowing steam hidden from view.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero, which has operated the nearly 60-year-old Benicia refinery since buying it from Exxon in 2000, dropped its bombshell announcement on April 16, roughly six months after regional and state air regulators fined the company \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12011785/bay-area-air-district-hits-valeros-benicia-refinery-with-historic-82-million-fine\">a record $82 million\u003c/a> for secretly exceeding toxic emissions standards for more than 15 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last month, city leaders unanimously approved modest rules to increase their oversight of the refinery, despite staunch opposition from the company.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ If you keep poking that golden goose, one day it’s going to fly away,” Mark Hughes, a former council member, said during a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12029845/benicia-moves-toward-tougher-oversight-of-valero-refinery\">packed Council meeting in March\u003c/a> ahead of the vote. “And that’s not a threat, that’s not any inside information I have about Valero. It’s just the likely outcome of a company that constantly feels that it’s being pushed away.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The timing of Valero’s closure announcement, less than two weeks later, sparked speculation that the industrial safety ordinance was the final straw for the company.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12039650\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12039650 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-58-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-58-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-58-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-58-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-58-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-58-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-58-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Attorney Terry Mollica stands outside his home in Benicia on May 8, 2025, near the Valero Benicia Refinery. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>According to Terry Mollica, who helped lead a group of residents that pushed for the city’s new safety rules, the ordinance is a significantly watered-down version of the original. It merely requires the company to conduct internal reviews following safety incidents and disclose findings to the city, which can then request upgrades if public safety is at risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The ISO, at least the version that was adopted, couldn’t possibly require them to do that much that they would close down a $1.2 billion facility,” he said. “Now, it’s possible that that was part of the reason, but that scenario only makes sense if there was something very seriously wrong with the refinery that they didn’t want disclosed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are serious risks that come from living with a refinery in your backyard, Mollica said, noting the exposure to toxic emissions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a great little town and a great little community, and we love living here. But that is the one negative about being here,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That risk was underscored last week when \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12038707/valero-refinery-fire-in-benicia-spurs-warnings-to-stay-indoors\">a major fire ignited at the facility\u003c/a> after part of a furnace stack broke off and struck other equipment in a gasoline production area, according to the company’s incident report. The fire sent black plumes of smoke into the air and prompted a brief shelter-in-place order for surrounding neighborhoods.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12039651\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12039651\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-57-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-57-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-57-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-57-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-57-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-57-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-57-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Attorney Terry Mollica holds a photo on his phone at his home in Benicia on May 8, 2025, of a flare at the Valero Benicia Refinery seen from his neighborhood. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The incident followed a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12025377/huge-martinez-refinery-fire-renews-neighbors-fear-frustration\">multi-day blaze\u003c/a> in early February at PBF Energy’s Martinez Refining Co., just across the strait.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I spend a lot of time in the garden, and when these incidents occur, you’re not allowed to go outside. You just don’t know what you’re being exposed to. The history of it has been bad.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Danny Bernardini, business manager of the Napa-Solano Building & Construction Trades Council — a group of 15 unions that represent hundreds of boilermakers, laborers, plumbers and steamfitters, many of whom work intermittently at the refinery — thinks the company grew weary of the regulations “pile-on.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“California is the toughest place to have a refinery. And so at some point they have to say, ‘Does this make business sense for us to stay in California or not?’” Bernardini said. “And I think their announcement was them saying, ‘We can’t do business like this.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The facility’s likely closure comes amid a growing exodus of traditional oil refiners in California, raising serious concerns about potential gas shortages and rising prices at the pump.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12039642\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12039642\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-05-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-05-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-05-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-05-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-05-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-05-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-05-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Apprentices work on a project at the Heat and Frost Insulators Local 16 Training Center in Benicia on May 9, 2025. The training center teaches apprentices to install and maintain insulation systems that conserve energy and protect equipment, skills that are essential for safe and efficient operations in refineries and other industrial facilities. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://biodieselmagazine.com/articles/phillips-66-rodeo-conversion-project-to-begin-operations-in-q1\">Phillips 66’s refinery in Rodeo\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://biodieselmagazine.com/articles/marathon-martinez-biorefinery-to-reach-full-capacity-by-year-end\">Marathon’s facility in Martinez\u003c/a> both recently converted operations to biofuel production. Phillips 66 also \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2024-10-16/phillips-66-will-shut-historic-wilmington-refinery\">plans to close\u003c/a> its Los Angeles-area refinery — the seventh largest in the state — later this year. And Valero executives recently hinted they may soon consider “strategic alternatives” for the company’s only other California refinery located near Los Angeles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Until there’s an alternative to refineries, we need to keep them,” Bernardini said. “And yes, they need to be safe. They need to not pollute. They need not have incidents. But at the same time, they’re a necessary thing right now because everybody drives in a car.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said the workers in his unions are highly skilled technicians who have relied on consistent jobs at the Valero refinery, but many of their skills don’t transfer to other industries.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Refinery work is very specific to their trade,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That specialization is on full display at the Heat & Frost Insulators Local 16 apprenticeship facility in Benicia, just down the road from the refinery’s towering stacks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12039644\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12039644 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-18-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-18-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-18-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-18-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-18-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-18-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-18-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Coordinator Jonathan Blaine stands in the workshop at the Heat and Frost Insulators Local 16 Training Center in Benicia on May 9, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“For any pipe, duct or vessel that has to maintain a specific temperature, we’re going to insulate those to stay that temperature within the pipe,” said Jonathan Blaine, the apprenticeship coordinator, as about a dozen apprentices practiced on piping models in the classroom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Apprentices, he said, have to train for 8,000 hours before contractors can hire them. It’s difficult, sometimes dangerous work, but it pays upward of $80 an hour.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Everybody says, ‘Hey, you need to go to college. That’s the only way that you can afford to live.’ And then you find out about the union building trades,” he said. “It offers a really good career path. You just have to work hard for it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But much of that is dependent on the refineries staying open.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a lot of man-hours that are worked in refineries throughout the year,” he said. “There’s been a lot of questions, and at this point, we don’t really know exactly what’s going to happen.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Christian Ochoa, an apprentice from Fairfield specializing in installation, said he chose the career path because it would allow him to provide for his two kids and “live a comfortable life” without having to hold down multiple jobs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12039643\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12039643 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-09-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-09-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-09-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-09-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-09-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-09-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-09-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tyler Fleming (left) and Levi Humphries, both 5th-year apprentices, work on a project at the Heat and Frost Insulators Local 16 Training Center in Benicia on May 9, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Ochoa said he’s confident he’ll still be able to find work at power plants and other industrial facilities if the refinery closes. But he said the news is still disheartening.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I can see this whole town collapsing, man. A lot of people from around this area work there,” he said. “Less work for us.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Young is more optimistic, despite the severe budget shortfall that the city will likely soon be forced to confront. If Valero skips town, there will no doubt be some short-term pain, he acknowledged. But that may be worth the price of no longer having to live in the shadow of a refinery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Losing the refinery would force Benicia to diversify its economy, which “would certainly be a healthier thing for the city,” Young said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have the highest rate of asthma and the highest rate of cancer in Solano County, which is not something that you would typically expect in a city that also has the highest income and the highest education levels,” he said. “So I think from a health perspective, we would be better off.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Valero’s Benicia refinery accounts for nearly 20% of the city’s tax base, and its expected shutdown could have a catastrophic impact on the city’s financial health. ",
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"title": "A Bay Area Refinery Town Contemplates a Future Without Big Oil | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/benicia-refinery\">Benicia\u003c/a> Mayor Steve Young poked at his shrimp Louie salad as he glanced wistfully out the window of a local seafood restaurant perched on the banks of an unusually serene stretch of the Carquinez Strait.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ve had better months. Let’s put it that way,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Young, 73, looked grateful for the lunch break. He has been deep in damage control mode since last month, when \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/valero\">Texas-based oil giant Valero\u003c/a>, the city’s largest employer, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12036242/oil-giant-valero-announces-plans-to-shutter-troubled-benicia-refinery\">announced plans\u003c/a> to “idle, restructure or cease” operations at its Benicia refinery within a year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a recent earnings call, Valero CEO Lane Riggs cited California’s tough “regulatory and enforcement environment” as the main driver behind the company’s intent to close California’s sixth-largest refinery, accounting for about 9% of the state’s total production.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The refinery makes up nearly 20% of Benicia’s tax base, and shutting down the facility, which dominates much of the eastern side of this small, relatively affluent Solano County city, could have a catastrophic impact on the city’s financial well-being.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re in a situation where we’re going to have $10 (million) to $12 million less than last year,” said Young, a tall, gray-haired man with a gravelly voice. “The hit on the community is going to be severe. My main job is to ease that transition as much as we can.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Benicia is known as a “full-service city,” he said, “which means we do every conceivable municipal service there is.” That’s part of what makes this community of well-kept yards and century-old homes feel so safe and pleasant, with its abundance of parks, libraries and subsidized artists’ studios.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12039648\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12039648\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-56-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-56-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-56-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-56-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-56-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-56-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-56-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Benicia Mayor Steve Young sits in the City Hall offices in Benicia on May 8, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But a decent portion of those amenities are funded, in part, by the property taxes Valero pays the city — leaving Young with the unenviable task of recommending which services to potentially cut, whether it’s the public pool, the summer concert series or even the dog poop bag dispensers in the parks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Anything we cut has a passionate base,” Young said, grimacing slightly in anticipation of the inevitable budgeting battles to come.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shutting down the refinery, he added, would also be a major blow to the hundreds of residents who work there, not to mention the restaurants, hotels and businesses in the city’s industrial park that provide services to the facility and its workers, as well as the many local nonprofits that have long depended on Valero’s donations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero didn’t respond to KQED’s multiple requests for comments for this story.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Young rose to local political prominence nearly a decade ago by pushing back against the company’s strong influence in a place many here consider a “refinery town.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>In 2016, Young, a former local government administrator, stepped out of retirement to join the planning commission, where he successfully led the opposition against the company’s proposal to start bringing in crude oil by rail.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the time, Valero was accustomed to being “the big dog in town,” and expected the City Council to rubber stamp the proposal, much like it had for many of the company’s other requests, Young said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They had been joined at the hip,” he said. “Valero was used to having things slide through.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So it came as a shock to the company when the City Council voted down the proposal, citing major public safety and congestion concerns about having a constant flow of trains bringing volatile materials through town.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That was a big deal. It kind of set the tone,” said Young, who went on to win a seat on the Council later that year. He successfully ran for mayor in 2020, despite intense opposition from Valero, which spent some $250,000 in attack ads and campaign mailers opposing him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Two years later, voters elected two additional candidates to the five-member Council — Kari Birdseye and Terry Scott — who, like Young, pledged to stand up to Valero when its actions compromised public safety.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12039647\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12039647 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-42-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-42-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-42-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-42-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-42-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-42-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-42-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Valero Benicia Refinery in Benicia, on May 8, 2025, processes up to 170,000 barrels of oil a day, making gasoline, diesel and other fuels for California. Valero plans to shut down the Benicia refinery by April 2026, citing high costs and strict environmental rules. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But Young and his allies now find themselves in the awkward position of beseeching the very company they’ve challenged to stick around — at least for a few more years — to buy the city more time to prepare.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We need to get moving on this quickly, because 12 months is not a long time given the severity of the economic impact,” Young said, acknowledging that his bargaining chips are limited.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One option, he said, is appealing directly to the state to ease some of the regulations that Valero finds so burdensome. Young appreciates California’s efforts to address climate change, but he questions the practicality of the current approach, especially when it results in frontline communities like his losing their refineries and being forced to suddenly fend for themselves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I understand these are necessary steps going forward,” he said. “But the state passes many laws without any consequence or understanding of how they’re going to be implemented and who’s going to have to pay for it. That’s, I think, part of my frustration as a local official.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Young said he intends to make the case that closing the refinery could pose a national security threat, as it’s currently the sole provider of jet fuel to nearby Travis Air Force Base, which is delivered via a direct pipeline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If that is stopped, what does that mean to the base?” Young said. “Travis uses an amazing amount of fuel to fly all their planes, much more than can be easily replaced and certainly not replaced within a year. So I think that this becomes a matter of real concern to the defense department.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s also a possibility that the 900 total acres of land Valero owns, which has unobstructed views of the scenic bluffs and straits that funnel into the mouth of the Sacramento Delta, could be redeveloped into housing and commercial property. Oakland-based Signature Development Group \u003ca href=\"https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2025/04/28/bay-area-oil-refinery-benicia-build-property-home-jobs-energy-economy/\">recently announced\u003c/a> it was in talks with the company.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Doing so, however, would require a costly remediation effort — one Valero is legally required to do — that would likely take a decade to complete before any development takes place, Young said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This would be a good long-term development — to have an outside entity pressing Valero to do the remediation,” Young said. “But in the meantime, we’re not going to have any money at all coming in.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The city may ultimately need to ask for another tax increase, Young said — a request he believes voters in the city, many of whom have lived here for decades and pay low property taxes, will approve.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12039779\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12039779\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BeniciaRefinery-60-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BeniciaRefinery-60-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BeniciaRefinery-60-BL_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BeniciaRefinery-60-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BeniciaRefinery-60-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BeniciaRefinery-60-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BeniciaRefinery-60-BL_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A mural depicts downtown Benicia in the city on May 8, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It may come down to that,” he said. “I don’t think we’re going to be able to cut our way to $10 (million) or $12 million and maintain any level of similar services.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Downtown Benicia has a quaint, small-town feel that belies its proximity to San Francisco, less than 40 miles south. Drivers turning off Interstate 780 are greeted by a sign for an American Legion rib cookoff before passing a large white gazebo in a small park on the edge of downtown. The main drag is filled with restaurants, cafes and galleries.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A monument in a nearby park reminds visitors that Benicia was once the state capital — though only for a year, in 1853.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>From many vantage points in this charming city of some 27,000 residents on the outer edge of the Bay Area, it’s easy to forget the refinery is there at all, its stacks, holding tanks and billowing steam hidden from view.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero, which has operated the nearly 60-year-old Benicia refinery since buying it from Exxon in 2000, dropped its bombshell announcement on April 16, roughly six months after regional and state air regulators fined the company \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12011785/bay-area-air-district-hits-valeros-benicia-refinery-with-historic-82-million-fine\">a record $82 million\u003c/a> for secretly exceeding toxic emissions standards for more than 15 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last month, city leaders unanimously approved modest rules to increase their oversight of the refinery, despite staunch opposition from the company.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ If you keep poking that golden goose, one day it’s going to fly away,” Mark Hughes, a former council member, said during a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12029845/benicia-moves-toward-tougher-oversight-of-valero-refinery\">packed Council meeting in March\u003c/a> ahead of the vote. “And that’s not a threat, that’s not any inside information I have about Valero. It’s just the likely outcome of a company that constantly feels that it’s being pushed away.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The timing of Valero’s closure announcement, less than two weeks later, sparked speculation that the industrial safety ordinance was the final straw for the company.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12039650\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12039650 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-58-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-58-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-58-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-58-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-58-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-58-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-58-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Attorney Terry Mollica stands outside his home in Benicia on May 8, 2025, near the Valero Benicia Refinery. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>According to Terry Mollica, who helped lead a group of residents that pushed for the city’s new safety rules, the ordinance is a significantly watered-down version of the original. It merely requires the company to conduct internal reviews following safety incidents and disclose findings to the city, which can then request upgrades if public safety is at risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The ISO, at least the version that was adopted, couldn’t possibly require them to do that much that they would close down a $1.2 billion facility,” he said. “Now, it’s possible that that was part of the reason, but that scenario only makes sense if there was something very seriously wrong with the refinery that they didn’t want disclosed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are serious risks that come from living with a refinery in your backyard, Mollica said, noting the exposure to toxic emissions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a great little town and a great little community, and we love living here. But that is the one negative about being here,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That risk was underscored last week when \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12038707/valero-refinery-fire-in-benicia-spurs-warnings-to-stay-indoors\">a major fire ignited at the facility\u003c/a> after part of a furnace stack broke off and struck other equipment in a gasoline production area, according to the company’s incident report. The fire sent black plumes of smoke into the air and prompted a brief shelter-in-place order for surrounding neighborhoods.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12039651\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12039651\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-57-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-57-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-57-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-57-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-57-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-57-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-57-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Attorney Terry Mollica holds a photo on his phone at his home in Benicia on May 8, 2025, of a flare at the Valero Benicia Refinery seen from his neighborhood. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The incident followed a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12025377/huge-martinez-refinery-fire-renews-neighbors-fear-frustration\">multi-day blaze\u003c/a> in early February at PBF Energy’s Martinez Refining Co., just across the strait.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I spend a lot of time in the garden, and when these incidents occur, you’re not allowed to go outside. You just don’t know what you’re being exposed to. The history of it has been bad.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Danny Bernardini, business manager of the Napa-Solano Building & Construction Trades Council — a group of 15 unions that represent hundreds of boilermakers, laborers, plumbers and steamfitters, many of whom work intermittently at the refinery — thinks the company grew weary of the regulations “pile-on.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“California is the toughest place to have a refinery. And so at some point they have to say, ‘Does this make business sense for us to stay in California or not?’” Bernardini said. “And I think their announcement was them saying, ‘We can’t do business like this.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The facility’s likely closure comes amid a growing exodus of traditional oil refiners in California, raising serious concerns about potential gas shortages and rising prices at the pump.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12039642\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12039642\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-05-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-05-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-05-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-05-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-05-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-05-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-05-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Apprentices work on a project at the Heat and Frost Insulators Local 16 Training Center in Benicia on May 9, 2025. The training center teaches apprentices to install and maintain insulation systems that conserve energy and protect equipment, skills that are essential for safe and efficient operations in refineries and other industrial facilities. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://biodieselmagazine.com/articles/phillips-66-rodeo-conversion-project-to-begin-operations-in-q1\">Phillips 66’s refinery in Rodeo\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://biodieselmagazine.com/articles/marathon-martinez-biorefinery-to-reach-full-capacity-by-year-end\">Marathon’s facility in Martinez\u003c/a> both recently converted operations to biofuel production. Phillips 66 also \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2024-10-16/phillips-66-will-shut-historic-wilmington-refinery\">plans to close\u003c/a> its Los Angeles-area refinery — the seventh largest in the state — later this year. And Valero executives recently hinted they may soon consider “strategic alternatives” for the company’s only other California refinery located near Los Angeles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Until there’s an alternative to refineries, we need to keep them,” Bernardini said. “And yes, they need to be safe. They need to not pollute. They need not have incidents. But at the same time, they’re a necessary thing right now because everybody drives in a car.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said the workers in his unions are highly skilled technicians who have relied on consistent jobs at the Valero refinery, but many of their skills don’t transfer to other industries.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Refinery work is very specific to their trade,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That specialization is on full display at the Heat & Frost Insulators Local 16 apprenticeship facility in Benicia, just down the road from the refinery’s towering stacks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12039644\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12039644 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-18-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-18-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-18-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-18-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-18-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-18-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-18-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Coordinator Jonathan Blaine stands in the workshop at the Heat and Frost Insulators Local 16 Training Center in Benicia on May 9, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“For any pipe, duct or vessel that has to maintain a specific temperature, we’re going to insulate those to stay that temperature within the pipe,” said Jonathan Blaine, the apprenticeship coordinator, as about a dozen apprentices practiced on piping models in the classroom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Apprentices, he said, have to train for 8,000 hours before contractors can hire them. It’s difficult, sometimes dangerous work, but it pays upward of $80 an hour.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Everybody says, ‘Hey, you need to go to college. That’s the only way that you can afford to live.’ And then you find out about the union building trades,” he said. “It offers a really good career path. You just have to work hard for it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But much of that is dependent on the refineries staying open.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a lot of man-hours that are worked in refineries throughout the year,” he said. “There’s been a lot of questions, and at this point, we don’t really know exactly what’s going to happen.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Christian Ochoa, an apprentice from Fairfield specializing in installation, said he chose the career path because it would allow him to provide for his two kids and “live a comfortable life” without having to hold down multiple jobs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12039643\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12039643 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-09-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-09-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-09-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-09-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-09-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-09-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BENICIAREFINERY-09-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tyler Fleming (left) and Levi Humphries, both 5th-year apprentices, work on a project at the Heat and Frost Insulators Local 16 Training Center in Benicia on May 9, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Ochoa said he’s confident he’ll still be able to find work at power plants and other industrial facilities if the refinery closes. But he said the news is still disheartening.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I can see this whole town collapsing, man. A lot of people from around this area work there,” he said. “Less work for us.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Young is more optimistic, despite the severe budget shortfall that the city will likely soon be forced to confront. If Valero skips town, there will no doubt be some short-term pain, he acknowledged. But that may be worth the price of no longer having to live in the shadow of a refinery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Losing the refinery would force Benicia to diversify its economy, which “would certainly be a healthier thing for the city,” Young said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have the highest rate of asthma and the highest rate of cancer in Solano County, which is not something that you would typically expect in a city that also has the highest income and the highest education levels,” he said. “So I think from a health perspective, we would be better off.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "Valero Refinery Fire in Benicia Is Under Control After Warnings to Stay Indoors",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>Updated 4:23 p.m.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A blaze that ignited Monday morning at Valero’s Benicia refinery was brought under control after \u003ca href=\"https://cameras.alertcalifornia.org/?pos=38.0188_-122.2059_12&id=Axis-CummingsSkyway\">sending large plumes of black smoke\u003c/a> into the air for over an hour.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fire, which firefighters responded to around 8:45 a.m., had been “placed under control” at 10:38 a.m., and shelter-in-place orders for nearby residents and Robert Semple Elementary School were lifted, the Benicia Fire Department said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Emergency personnel will remain on scene for clean up,” the department said in a Facebook post. “While there is particulate matter present, all other air monitoring is below health hazard levels.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fairfield, Vallejo and Contra Costa County firefighters also responded to the fire, which was mainly confined to a single structure in the refinery, the department said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>No injuries had been reported, it said. The cause of the blaze were still unclear.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12036334\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1777px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1979_qed.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12036334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1979_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1777\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1979_qed.jpg 1777w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1979_qed-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1979_qed-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1979_qed-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1979_qed-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1777px) 100vw, 1777px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Valero refinery worker at the site in Benicia on July 25, 2013. \u003ccite>(Craig Miller/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Benicia Mayor Steve Young, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101909783/benicia-contends-with-valero-refinery-closure\">speaking on KQED’s Forum on Monday\u003c/a> about Valero’s recently announced plans to close the refinery, said safety officials had instructed people who live nearby to stay indoors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Larnie Fox, who lives in Benicia about 3 miles from the refinery, said he was taking a walk around 9:15 a.m. when he first saw smoke “in the wrong place.” The wind was blowing a large black cloud directly toward town, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s about when we got the shelter-in-place order,” he said. “And that’s about when we decided to go have breakfast in Vallejo.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fox said some neighbors with allergies or asthma told him their symptoms were kicking up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We know that stuff’s dangerous,” he said. “I had skin cancer, my wife had breast cancer, so we don’t want to breathe any of that stuff.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Air regulators and health officials are investigating the incident and using portable air monitors in the surrounding community to test for air pollution.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=news_12037668 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-01_qed-1020x680.jpg']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Bay Area Air District issued an air quality advisory for smoke in southern Solano, northern Contra Costa, and northwestern Alameda counties, “specifically communities between I-80 and I-680 bridges (Martinez, Pacheco, Concord and Port Chicago),” the agency said, noting that communities as far south as Oakland could potentially feel the impact.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Smoke from the fire contains fine particulate matter and other harmful pollutants. Exposure to smoke is unhealthy, even for short periods of time,” the agency said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although firefighters responded to the blaze within minutes, and the Benicia Fire Department posted a shelter-in-place alert soon thereafter, the county warning system didn’t alert residents until well after the fire had started because of a technical glitch, city officials told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pat Toth, a Benicia resident who lives miles away from the refinery, said she didn’t receive any official text communications about the fire until about 10:30 a.m., more than 90 minutes after it started, even though she subscribes to various emergency alerts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We need much better notifications and information, and especially when it’s happening,” said Toth, who’s lived in the city for 25 years. “Even when I was driving away, I saw people walking outside and I thought, ‘Wow, should I open my window and tell people to run home?’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>County officials have not responded to a request for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In January, residents were similarly impacted by a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12025377/huge-martinez-refinery-fire-renews-neighbors-fear-frustration\">major refinery fire in Martinez\u003c/a>, just across the Carquinez Strait.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Contra Costa health officials said Monday that they were sending a hazardous materials team to Martinez to monitor for any potential impacts from the Benicia fire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Benicia Fire Department said it had also requested drone air monitoring from the Solano County Hazardous Materials Response Team.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero said in a statement that emergency crews responded and are monitoring for air quality issues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The safety of our workers and community is our priority, and we are coordinating with state and local authorities,” the company said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fire comes just weeks after Valero executives announced they were considering \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12037668/potential-valero-refinery-closure-leaves-benicia-state-officials-scrambling-to-pick-up-pieces\">closing the sprawling refinery\u003c/a> by next April.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The refinery, which produces up to 145,000 barrels of crude oil a day, is the sixth largest in California, accounting for \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/californias-petroleum-market/californias-oil-refineries\">about 9%\u003c/a> of the state’s total capacity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last year, regional and state air regulators fined the company a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12011785/bay-area-air-district-hits-valeros-benicia-refinery-with-historic-82-million-fine\">record $82 million\u003c/a> for secretly exceeding toxic emissions standards for at least 15 years. And in March, Benicia officials voted unanimously to impose moderate \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12029845/benicia-moves-toward-tougher-oversight-of-valero-refinery\">new safety regulations\u003c/a> on the facility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Fox, the fire is another reason to be concerned about Valero’s safety record.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t think it’s acceptable,” Fox said. “I think Valero has tried to portray themselves as being safe, and they’ve proven time and time again that they’re not safe…. They don’t care about our safety. They’re just trying to make money and cut corners.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/jsmall\">Julie Small\u003c/a> contributed to this report.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>Updated 4:23 p.m.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A blaze that ignited Monday morning at Valero’s Benicia refinery was brought under control after \u003ca href=\"https://cameras.alertcalifornia.org/?pos=38.0188_-122.2059_12&id=Axis-CummingsSkyway\">sending large plumes of black smoke\u003c/a> into the air for over an hour.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fire, which firefighters responded to around 8:45 a.m., had been “placed under control” at 10:38 a.m., and shelter-in-place orders for nearby residents and Robert Semple Elementary School were lifted, the Benicia Fire Department said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Emergency personnel will remain on scene for clean up,” the department said in a Facebook post. “While there is particulate matter present, all other air monitoring is below health hazard levels.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fairfield, Vallejo and Contra Costa County firefighters also responded to the fire, which was mainly confined to a single structure in the refinery, the department said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>No injuries had been reported, it said. The cause of the blaze were still unclear.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12036334\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1777px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1979_qed.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12036334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1979_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1777\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1979_qed.jpg 1777w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1979_qed-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1979_qed-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1979_qed-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1979_qed-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1777px) 100vw, 1777px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Valero refinery worker at the site in Benicia on July 25, 2013. \u003ccite>(Craig Miller/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Benicia Mayor Steve Young, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101909783/benicia-contends-with-valero-refinery-closure\">speaking on KQED’s Forum on Monday\u003c/a> about Valero’s recently announced plans to close the refinery, said safety officials had instructed people who live nearby to stay indoors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Larnie Fox, who lives in Benicia about 3 miles from the refinery, said he was taking a walk around 9:15 a.m. when he first saw smoke “in the wrong place.” The wind was blowing a large black cloud directly toward town, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s about when we got the shelter-in-place order,” he said. “And that’s about when we decided to go have breakfast in Vallejo.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fox said some neighbors with allergies or asthma told him their symptoms were kicking up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We know that stuff’s dangerous,” he said. “I had skin cancer, my wife had breast cancer, so we don’t want to breathe any of that stuff.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Air regulators and health officials are investigating the incident and using portable air monitors in the surrounding community to test for air pollution.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Bay Area Air District issued an air quality advisory for smoke in southern Solano, northern Contra Costa, and northwestern Alameda counties, “specifically communities between I-80 and I-680 bridges (Martinez, Pacheco, Concord and Port Chicago),” the agency said, noting that communities as far south as Oakland could potentially feel the impact.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Smoke from the fire contains fine particulate matter and other harmful pollutants. Exposure to smoke is unhealthy, even for short periods of time,” the agency said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although firefighters responded to the blaze within minutes, and the Benicia Fire Department posted a shelter-in-place alert soon thereafter, the county warning system didn’t alert residents until well after the fire had started because of a technical glitch, city officials told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pat Toth, a Benicia resident who lives miles away from the refinery, said she didn’t receive any official text communications about the fire until about 10:30 a.m., more than 90 minutes after it started, even though she subscribes to various emergency alerts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We need much better notifications and information, and especially when it’s happening,” said Toth, who’s lived in the city for 25 years. “Even when I was driving away, I saw people walking outside and I thought, ‘Wow, should I open my window and tell people to run home?’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>County officials have not responded to a request for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In January, residents were similarly impacted by a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12025377/huge-martinez-refinery-fire-renews-neighbors-fear-frustration\">major refinery fire in Martinez\u003c/a>, just across the Carquinez Strait.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Contra Costa health officials said Monday that they were sending a hazardous materials team to Martinez to monitor for any potential impacts from the Benicia fire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Benicia Fire Department said it had also requested drone air monitoring from the Solano County Hazardous Materials Response Team.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero said in a statement that emergency crews responded and are monitoring for air quality issues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The safety of our workers and community is our priority, and we are coordinating with state and local authorities,” the company said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fire comes just weeks after Valero executives announced they were considering \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12037668/potential-valero-refinery-closure-leaves-benicia-state-officials-scrambling-to-pick-up-pieces\">closing the sprawling refinery\u003c/a> by next April.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The refinery, which produces up to 145,000 barrels of crude oil a day, is the sixth largest in California, accounting for \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/californias-petroleum-market/californias-oil-refineries\">about 9%\u003c/a> of the state’s total capacity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last year, regional and state air regulators fined the company a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12011785/bay-area-air-district-hits-valeros-benicia-refinery-with-historic-82-million-fine\">record $82 million\u003c/a> for secretly exceeding toxic emissions standards for at least 15 years. And in March, Benicia officials voted unanimously to impose moderate \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12029845/benicia-moves-toward-tougher-oversight-of-valero-refinery\">new safety regulations\u003c/a> on the facility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Fox, the fire is another reason to be concerned about Valero’s safety record.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t think it’s acceptable,” Fox said. “I think Valero has tried to portray themselves as being safe, and they’ve proven time and time again that they’re not safe…. They don’t care about our safety. They’re just trying to make money and cut corners.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/jsmall\">Julie Small\u003c/a> contributed to this report.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>A week after Valero \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12036695/shocking-news-valero-announces-plans-to-end-operations-at-benicia-refinery\">announced plans\u003c/a> to “idle, restructure or cease” operations at its massive Benicia oil refinery by next April, company executives said that while the plant’s closure was more than likely, it was not yet a foregone conclusion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an \u003ca href=\"https://seekingalpha.com/article/4777736-valero-energy-corporation-vlo-q1-2025-earnings-call-transcript\">earnings call\u003c/a> Thursday, Valero executives left open the possibility of a Hail Mary, saying they had plans to meet with state and local officials to discuss potential options.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I do think there’s a genuine interest in California to avoid the closure,” Richard Walsh, Valero’s executive vice president, said during the call. But he quickly added, “Our current intent right now is to close the refinery.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero CEO Lane Riggs cited California’s tough “regulatory and enforcement environment” as the main driver behind the company’s intent to cease operations at the sprawling North Bay facility. The sixth-largest refinery in the state, it currently produces up to 145,000 barrels of crude oil a day, accounting for \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/californias-petroleum-market/californias-oil-refineries\">about 9%\u003c/a> of the state’s production.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“California has been pursuing policies to move away from fossil fuels for really the past 20 years,” Riggs said, calling the state’s regulations “the most stringent and difficult of anywhere else in North America.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Benicia Mayor Steve Young doesn’t disagree with the assessment, but said he wishes the company had provided more lead time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=news_12036242 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/ValeroBenicia-1020x765.jpg']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We need to get moving on this quickly because 12 months is not a long time given the severity of the economic impact,” said Young, noting that nearly 20% of Benicia’s $60 million budget comes from the refinery. “I think that’s part of my frustration, is how little time we have to try to plan for some kind of an alternative.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shutting down the facility, he added, would also be a major blow to the hundreds of residents who work there, not to mention the scores of restaurants, hotels and other businesses that provide services to those workers in this city of some 27,000 residents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Valero refinery is also the exclusive supplier of jet fuel to nearby Travis Air Force Base, which it delivers through a direct pipeline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If that is stopped, what does that mean to the base?” Young said. “Travis uses an amazing amount of fuel to fly all their planes, much more than can be easily replaced, and certainly not replaced within a year. So I think that this becomes a matter of real concern to the Defense Department and it’s potentially a national security issue.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero dropped its bombshell April 16 announcement roughly six months after regional and state air regulators fined the company a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12011785/bay-area-air-district-hits-valeros-benicia-refinery-with-historic-82-million-fine\">record $82 million\u003c/a> for secretly exceeding toxic emissions standards for at least 15 years. And last month, city leaders voted unanimously to impose moderate \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12029845/benicia-moves-toward-tougher-oversight-of-valero-refinery\">new safety regulations\u003c/a> on the facility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11906319\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 345px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-11906319\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/02/BeniciaRefinery.png\" alt=\"Map showing location of Valero's Benicia refinery\" width=\"345\" height=\"362\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/02/BeniciaRefinery.png 940w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/02/BeniciaRefinery-800x839.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/02/BeniciaRefinery-160x168.png 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 345px) 100vw, 345px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u003ci>Map by Matthew Green/KQED\u003c/i>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I suspect that compared to other refinery operators, they’re a pretty good business operator. But they’ve also had a pretty bad track record on public safety,” said Terry Mollica, who leads a group of residents that pushed for the city’s new safety rules to increase oversight of the refinery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Mollica said that he doesn’t think anybody in his group is particularly excited about the possibility of the facility closing altogether.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There would be long-term and short-term impacts on the community,” he said. “People would lose their jobs. None of us want to see that happen particularly.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero has owned and operated the Benicia refinery since 2000. The refinery was originally built in 1968 for Humble Oil, later called Exxon, and began operations the following year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Its possible closure comes amid a growing exodus of traditional oil refiners in California. \u003ca href=\"https://biodieselmagazine.com/articles/phillips-66-rodeo-conversion-project-to-begin-operations-in-q1\">Phillips 66’s refinery in Rodeo\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://biodieselmagazine.com/articles/marathon-martinez-biorefinery-to-reach-full-capacity-by-year-end\">Marathon’s facility in Martinez \u003c/a>both recently converted operations to biofuel production. Phillips 66 also \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2024-10-16/phillips-66-will-shut-historic-wilmington-refinery\">plans to close\u003c/a> its Los Angeles-area refinery — the seventh largest in the state — later this year.[aside postID=news_12011785 hero='https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2016/10/Refinery-1920x1440.jpg']And Valero executives, in this week’s earnings call, hinted that they may also soon consider “strategic alternatives” for the company’s only other California refinery, located near Los Angeles, which accounts for more than 5% of the state’s crude oil supply.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“California is phasing out its gasoline consumption and refiners see that coming,” said Severin Borenstein, a UC Berkeley energy economist. “We should be seriously concerned about how all that gasoline supply is going to get replaced.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California has dramatically reduced its reliance on fossil fuels in recent decades, but most residents still drive gas-powered cars and will continue to do so for years to come, Borenstein said, even though the state already has some of the highest gas prices in the nation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom underscored that sense of urgency this week \u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GovNewsomLetterCECGunda.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">in a letter (PDF)\u003c/a> to California Energy Commission Vice Chair Siva Gunda. He urged the commission to “redouble” its efforts to ensure refiners “continue to see the value in serving the California market, even as demand for fossil fuels continues its gradual decline over the coming decades.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I am directing you … to reinforce the State’s openness to a collaborative relationship and our firm belief that Californians can be protected from price spikes and refiners can profitably operate in California — a market where demand for gasoline will still exist for years to come,” Newsom wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12037805\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1947px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12037805\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/174246469_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1947\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/174246469_qed.jpg 1947w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/174246469_qed-800x548.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/174246469_qed-1020x698.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/174246469_qed-160x110.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/174246469_qed-1536x1052.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/174246469_qed-1920x1315.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1947px) 100vw, 1947px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A customer prepares to pump gas into his truck at a Valero gas station on July 22, 2013 in Mill Valley. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Almost immediately after Valero’s announcement, Newsom was lambasted by state Assembly Republicans, who said the potential closure was among the growing number of “real-world consequences” of [his] war on California energy producers that was “becoming clearer by the day.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In his letter, Newsom defended two different laws he signed in the last two years that give the state more oversight of the oil industry and regulate backup supply when refineries go offline in order to prevent market irregularities. He also asked state energy and environmental officials to produce a report by July 1 on “any changes in the State’s approach that are needed to ensure adequate supply during this transition.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The California Energy Commission continues to be committed to working with stakeholders to explore options to ensure an affordable, reliable, and safe transportation fuel supply,” Sandy Louey, a spokesperson for the commission, said in an email in response to Newsom’s letter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Young, whose city has long felt the health impacts of the refinery’s toxic releases, said he understands the motivation behind California’s ambitious regulations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think certainly [California’s] done them for lots of good environmental reasons, and that obviously climate change is a real thing and burning fossil fuels is a direct contributor to it,” he said. “Did they go too far? I don’t want to say that. But it certainly has created an environment where oil companies feel that either they’ve been unfairly targeted or they are just seeing this as perhaps a way to negotiate some rollbacks of some of those things.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Young acknowledged that the refinery’s closure would yield some “net benefit” to the health and safety of his community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And so from an environmental point of view, sure, it’s certainly possible to look at it as a silver lining,” he said. “But overall, given how quick this is unfolding, I’m certainly not celebrating it by any means.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>A week after Valero \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12036695/shocking-news-valero-announces-plans-to-end-operations-at-benicia-refinery\">announced plans\u003c/a> to “idle, restructure or cease” operations at its massive Benicia oil refinery by next April, company executives said that while the plant’s closure was more than likely, it was not yet a foregone conclusion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an \u003ca href=\"https://seekingalpha.com/article/4777736-valero-energy-corporation-vlo-q1-2025-earnings-call-transcript\">earnings call\u003c/a> Thursday, Valero executives left open the possibility of a Hail Mary, saying they had plans to meet with state and local officials to discuss potential options.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I do think there’s a genuine interest in California to avoid the closure,” Richard Walsh, Valero’s executive vice president, said during the call. But he quickly added, “Our current intent right now is to close the refinery.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero CEO Lane Riggs cited California’s tough “regulatory and enforcement environment” as the main driver behind the company’s intent to cease operations at the sprawling North Bay facility. The sixth-largest refinery in the state, it currently produces up to 145,000 barrels of crude oil a day, accounting for \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/californias-petroleum-market/californias-oil-refineries\">about 9%\u003c/a> of the state’s production.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“California has been pursuing policies to move away from fossil fuels for really the past 20 years,” Riggs said, calling the state’s regulations “the most stringent and difficult of anywhere else in North America.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Benicia Mayor Steve Young doesn’t disagree with the assessment, but said he wishes the company had provided more lead time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We need to get moving on this quickly because 12 months is not a long time given the severity of the economic impact,” said Young, noting that nearly 20% of Benicia’s $60 million budget comes from the refinery. “I think that’s part of my frustration, is how little time we have to try to plan for some kind of an alternative.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shutting down the facility, he added, would also be a major blow to the hundreds of residents who work there, not to mention the scores of restaurants, hotels and other businesses that provide services to those workers in this city of some 27,000 residents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Valero refinery is also the exclusive supplier of jet fuel to nearby Travis Air Force Base, which it delivers through a direct pipeline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If that is stopped, what does that mean to the base?” Young said. “Travis uses an amazing amount of fuel to fly all their planes, much more than can be easily replaced, and certainly not replaced within a year. So I think that this becomes a matter of real concern to the Defense Department and it’s potentially a national security issue.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero dropped its bombshell April 16 announcement roughly six months after regional and state air regulators fined the company a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12011785/bay-area-air-district-hits-valeros-benicia-refinery-with-historic-82-million-fine\">record $82 million\u003c/a> for secretly exceeding toxic emissions standards for at least 15 years. And last month, city leaders voted unanimously to impose moderate \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12029845/benicia-moves-toward-tougher-oversight-of-valero-refinery\">new safety regulations\u003c/a> on the facility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11906319\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 345px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-11906319\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/02/BeniciaRefinery.png\" alt=\"Map showing location of Valero's Benicia refinery\" width=\"345\" height=\"362\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/02/BeniciaRefinery.png 940w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/02/BeniciaRefinery-800x839.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/02/BeniciaRefinery-160x168.png 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 345px) 100vw, 345px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u003ci>Map by Matthew Green/KQED\u003c/i>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I suspect that compared to other refinery operators, they’re a pretty good business operator. But they’ve also had a pretty bad track record on public safety,” said Terry Mollica, who leads a group of residents that pushed for the city’s new safety rules to increase oversight of the refinery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Mollica said that he doesn’t think anybody in his group is particularly excited about the possibility of the facility closing altogether.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There would be long-term and short-term impacts on the community,” he said. “People would lose their jobs. None of us want to see that happen particularly.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero has owned and operated the Benicia refinery since 2000. The refinery was originally built in 1968 for Humble Oil, later called Exxon, and began operations the following year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Its possible closure comes amid a growing exodus of traditional oil refiners in California. \u003ca href=\"https://biodieselmagazine.com/articles/phillips-66-rodeo-conversion-project-to-begin-operations-in-q1\">Phillips 66’s refinery in Rodeo\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://biodieselmagazine.com/articles/marathon-martinez-biorefinery-to-reach-full-capacity-by-year-end\">Marathon’s facility in Martinez \u003c/a>both recently converted operations to biofuel production. Phillips 66 also \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2024-10-16/phillips-66-will-shut-historic-wilmington-refinery\">plans to close\u003c/a> its Los Angeles-area refinery — the seventh largest in the state — later this year.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>And Valero executives, in this week’s earnings call, hinted that they may also soon consider “strategic alternatives” for the company’s only other California refinery, located near Los Angeles, which accounts for more than 5% of the state’s crude oil supply.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“California is phasing out its gasoline consumption and refiners see that coming,” said Severin Borenstein, a UC Berkeley energy economist. “We should be seriously concerned about how all that gasoline supply is going to get replaced.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California has dramatically reduced its reliance on fossil fuels in recent decades, but most residents still drive gas-powered cars and will continue to do so for years to come, Borenstein said, even though the state already has some of the highest gas prices in the nation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom underscored that sense of urgency this week \u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GovNewsomLetterCECGunda.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">in a letter (PDF)\u003c/a> to California Energy Commission Vice Chair Siva Gunda. He urged the commission to “redouble” its efforts to ensure refiners “continue to see the value in serving the California market, even as demand for fossil fuels continues its gradual decline over the coming decades.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I am directing you … to reinforce the State’s openness to a collaborative relationship and our firm belief that Californians can be protected from price spikes and refiners can profitably operate in California — a market where demand for gasoline will still exist for years to come,” Newsom wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12037805\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1947px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12037805\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/174246469_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1947\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/174246469_qed.jpg 1947w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/174246469_qed-800x548.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/174246469_qed-1020x698.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/174246469_qed-160x110.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/174246469_qed-1536x1052.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/174246469_qed-1920x1315.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1947px) 100vw, 1947px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A customer prepares to pump gas into his truck at a Valero gas station on July 22, 2013 in Mill Valley. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Almost immediately after Valero’s announcement, Newsom was lambasted by state Assembly Republicans, who said the potential closure was among the growing number of “real-world consequences” of [his] war on California energy producers that was “becoming clearer by the day.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In his letter, Newsom defended two different laws he signed in the last two years that give the state more oversight of the oil industry and regulate backup supply when refineries go offline in order to prevent market irregularities. He also asked state energy and environmental officials to produce a report by July 1 on “any changes in the State’s approach that are needed to ensure adequate supply during this transition.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The California Energy Commission continues to be committed to working with stakeholders to explore options to ensure an affordable, reliable, and safe transportation fuel supply,” Sandy Louey, a spokesperson for the commission, said in an email in response to Newsom’s letter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Young, whose city has long felt the health impacts of the refinery’s toxic releases, said he understands the motivation behind California’s ambitious regulations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think certainly [California’s] done them for lots of good environmental reasons, and that obviously climate change is a real thing and burning fossil fuels is a direct contributor to it,” he said. “Did they go too far? I don’t want to say that. But it certainly has created an environment where oil companies feel that either they’ve been unfairly targeted or they are just seeing this as perhaps a way to negotiate some rollbacks of some of those things.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Young acknowledged that the refinery’s closure would yield some “net benefit” to the health and safety of his community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And so from an environmental point of view, sure, it’s certainly possible to look at it as a silver lining,” he said. “But overall, given how quick this is unfolding, I’m certainly not celebrating it by any means.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "'Shocking News': Valero Announces Plans to End Operations at Benicia Refinery",
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"headTitle": "‘Shocking News’: Valero Announces Plans to End Operations at Benicia Refinery | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Last week, the oil giant Valero announced that it will “idle, restructure, or cease operations” at its Benicia refinery that employs more than 400 workers. KQED’s Julie Small tells us how officials are reacting, and why many view this decision as a response to state and local regulations.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=KQINC5832771063&light=true\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Links:\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12036242/oil-giant-valero-announces-plans-to-shutter-troubled-benicia-refinery\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oil Giant Valero Looks to Shutter Troubled Bay Area Refinery. It’s ‘a Big Surprise’\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12011785/bay-area-air-district-hits-valeros-benicia-refinery-with-historic-82-million-fine\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bay Area Air District Hits Valero’s Benicia Refinery With ‘Historic’ $82 Million Fine\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12029845/benicia-moves-toward-tougher-oversight-of-valero-refinery\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Benicia Moves Toward Tougher Oversight of Valero Refinery\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. San Francisco Northern California Local.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This is a computer-generated program. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:01:24] Before we get into the latest news here, remind folks about the Valero refinery in Benicia. Where is it exactly and what goes on there?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:01:36] Well, it’s right on the Carquinez Strait in Benicia.Built in 1968 for Humble Oil, which later became Exxon, and it was sold to Valero in 2000. I got to tour the facility about 10 years ago, and it’s like a town within a town. They even have their own fire brigade, made up of refinery operators who, like during an incident, will respond. They refine crude oil into gasoline, and they refine a lot of it, about 145,000 barrels per day. They also employ 400 workers and lots of contractors, people who come in to help with specific operations like ironworks, steam fitters, boil makers, painters. Suffice it to say, it’s a major employer in the San Francisco Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:02:34] And what can you tell us about Valero, the company which bought this refinery, as you said, in 2000? What do we know about them?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:02:43] Well, they are the second largest U.S. Refiner in the United States. They have headquarters in Texas, but they have refineries all over the country. They also operate a second refinery in Southern California. It’s the Wilmington refinery, and it produces a little less than the one up here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:03:03] And I imagine plays a big role in the city of Benicia, which is a pretty small city. I mean, what role does Valero as a company play in the City?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:03:18] It’s the major economic engine of the city of Benicia. They pay taxes that make up about 10 to 12% of the City budget. It’s also a big client for a lot of local businesses that supply services, goods, or labor, and, you know, restaurants in the area. They donate to nonprofits, and they lend financial support for Benicia’s school district. So they’re very, very deeply involved in the community in all those good ways and some not so great ways.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:03:48] How would you describe the relationship between Valero and the city of Benicia, especially over the last couple of years?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:03:56] Well, it’s complicated. It’s interesting how people are very quick to praise the company, but also quick to criticize the company and the refinery specifically and the operations there. Air regulators just last year fined the company a record $82 million for exceeding toxic emissions standards, not for an hour or a day, but for over a decade. And that has really blown the trust. For a lot of people. They are even those people in Benicia who were always supportive of the refinery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:04:36] Yeah, sort of this love-hate relationship that I feel like you kind of see in refinery towns all over the Bay Area that rely on the jobs, but that also bear the brunt of the environmental impact.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:04:49] That’s right. There was one woman who spoke at a city council meeting and she said, yeah, it’s great that Valero is helping the school district, but what good does it do if all of our kids have asthma? And asthma has been a big issue in Benicia. And according to state health data from 2020, nearly 15% of the people in the county of Solano, which includes Benicia, have asthma, which is about 70% higher than the statewide average.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:05:22] Okay Julie, so I mean we’re talking because Valero actually made a really surprising announcement last week. What did the company announce?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:05:33] That the company is going to idle, restructure, or cease operations at its Benicia refinery by the end of April, 2026. And in a press release, the CEO and president of Valero said that they understand the impact that it may have on employees, business partners, and the community as a whole, and they’ll continue to work with them through this period.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:06:00] Okay, “idle, restructure, or cease operations, those are three very different things. And it sounds like no clear decision has necessarily been made quite yet, but it sounds something is going to change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:06:20] They could pause their operations and wait to see if the Trump administration takes action against some of our environmental standards, or they could try to sell the facility. Something’s gotta give, either California is gonna make life easier for refineries or deal with the sudden loss of them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:06:38] I mean, has Valero said anything about why they are doing this, either in the announcement or in interviews with the media?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:06:47] Valero didn’t say this in their press release, but Valero has been signaling that they’re pretty unhappy with California as an environment to do business. As everybody knows, California is committed to reducing our use of fossil fuels and we are passing laws and creating a climate where we’re moving towards that goal and refineries don’t like it. That got particularly worse in the last year because California regulators accused Valero of price gouging. There were some words exchanged with the California Energy Commission that basically said, we’re not price gouging. Your gas in California is more expensive because of all the regulations you’ve put on it. And there have been some other laws passed very recently that really get into the nitty gritty of how the, you know, the refinery operates. They described it as a hostile environment that California has created towards refineries.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Severin Borenstein \u003c/strong>[00:07:57] It is a harbinger of the larger issues that California faces.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:08:02] I talked with Severin Borenstein, he’s with the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and an economics and energy expert.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Severin Borenstein \u003c/strong>[00:08:11] California is phasing out its gasoline consumption and refiner see that coming.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:08:17] In California, you have the market for that fuel, for what you’re refining, the very product you’re making is actually shrinking, you know, and the idea is that we will not be reliant on that fuel anymore in the future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Severin Borenstein \u003c/strong>[00:08:30] This refinery in Benicia has had a lot of production problems and emissions problems that make it look like they’re going to have to make some significant investments in order to maintain production and still obey environmental rules. So I think they looked at that and said, is it worth making that investment?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:08:58] I mean, you’re seeing this, like we saw it, Phillips 66 decided to close their refinery in Southern California. That’s gonna close at the end of this year. They said, poor profits, we’re not making profits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:09:16] Coming up, how locals are reacting to Valero’s announcement. Stay with us.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:09:29] Whatever happens, it sounds like, is going to have a big impact, especially on the city of Benicia. What have you heard locally from people in the city? I mean, was this a big surprise?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:09:41] Yeah, it was. I think they felt like they were still in dialogue with Valero about how to make things better, how to work better together, and they wake up to this news. And for them, it’s like the nuclear option they were most afraid of.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Kari Birdseye \u003c/strong>[00:09:56] Well, we woke up to a big surprise this morning. It is some shocking news.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:10:03] I talked to city council member, Kari Birdseye. She is one of the people who was really pushed for increased oversight and accountability at Valero. And she called it shocking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Kari Birdseye \u003c/strong>[00:10:14] First of all, my thoughts go to our local workers and other small businesses that will be impacted by this news.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:10:26] I think the big concern in Benicia is how do you replace an economic powerhouse like a refinery? I mean, and Birdseye talked about possibilities of like getting involved in some offshore wind projects, ship building, but it’s really clear they don’t have a plan in place. They’re not ready for this to happen so quickly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Kari Birdseye \u003c/strong>[00:10:46] We will be resilient and we will figure out, you know, who we want to bring to our town and you know make sure that whoever comes to town isn’t going to increase our asthma rates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:11:00] I feel like she really kind of captures this tension of this just transition in California away from oil refineries, but also the reality, which is that a lot of people rely on these refinerys for work. I mean, what have you heard from workers? There’s a lot people who could possibly lose their job if Valero ceases operation in Benicia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:11:24] That’s right, 400 employees at the refinery itself and then hundreds of union contract workers who cycle through the refineries every year, different times of the year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Danny Bernardini \u003c/strong>[00:11:35] You’re hopeful, but you’re also realistic that it’s California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:11:39] Danny Bernardini with the Napa-Solano Building and Construction Trade Council. He wasn’t surprised. He says anyone who’s been paying attention knows that the future of refining in California is dim. He’d just been talking to Valero about renewing contracts for his members. He was excited and then he wakes up to the news that there may be no contracts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Danny Bernardini \u003c/strong>[00:12:00] We have state and local governments that are not fond of refinery those people drive cars and they have reliance on oil but they also you know there’s a lot of laws and ordinances that have a path that make it hard to do business and so this is the other side of that coin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:12:26] Well, Julie, this announcement last week was a pretty big shock, it sounds like, but April 2026, that’s still a year away from now, so I guess what happens in between now and then?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:12:40] Well, you know, local officials, you know, are saying they’re going to be looking for new industry partners and trying to develop a plan. They expect they’ll be losing $8 million a year if Valero closes. They’re going turn to the state to ask for help. They’re gonna ask other cities that were refinery towns how they’ve made the transition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Gavin Newsom \u003c/strong>[00:13:04] Just briefly on that, respecting the importance of that question.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:13:08] Gavin Newsom, our governor, was asked about the closure. You know, I guess he was contacted the night before the news came out and the morning after. And he made a comment and he said, you know, we’re all hands on deck dealing with this and we’re gonna make sure that this doesn’t disrupt the markets and, you know doesn’t hurt anything and we are on it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Gavin Newsom \u003c/strong>[00:13:28] Beginning last night, we had all hands and we’re in the process of addressing any anxiety that may be created or any market disruption that may be created by that announcement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:13:39] The other thing that could happen is that the Trump administration could roll back some of the environmental regulations and standards that California has fought so hard to get. And if that happens, that might change the equation for Valero, at least in the short\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:14:04] Julie, we’ve talked on this show about the various refineries around the Bay Area in cities like Benicia and Richmond and Martinez and Rodeo. And I know each one of these cities is very different, but do you think this story tells us anything about the future of oil refinerys here in the Bay area?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:14:24] I do. You know, when I heard the news, I thought immediately of the fact that Phillips 66 had announced that they were closing in Southern California. And I thought, oh, here we go. To me, it’s kind of like the writing on the wall. Refineries are having to convert or close their operations, and that is our goal in California. It just may be happening faster than places like Venetia are prepared for, or even faster than the states prepared for. I was thinking about, it’s kind of like a breakup. You’re planning to break up with someone, but before you get a chance, they break up with you, or you get fired from a job while you’re still looking for a new one. California’s decided we want to head in this other direction. Refineries aren’t waiting for that day to arrive. They’re just pulling up stakes. They’re making their decisions based on a bottom line.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Last week, the oil giant Valero announced that it will “idle, restructure, or cease operations” at its Benicia refinery that employs more than 400 workers. KQED’s Julie Small tells us how officials are reacting, and why many view this decision as a response to state and local regulations.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=KQINC5832771063&light=true\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Links:\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12036242/oil-giant-valero-announces-plans-to-shutter-troubled-benicia-refinery\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oil Giant Valero Looks to Shutter Troubled Bay Area Refinery. It’s ‘a Big Surprise’\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12011785/bay-area-air-district-hits-valeros-benicia-refinery-with-historic-82-million-fine\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bay Area Air District Hits Valero’s Benicia Refinery With ‘Historic’ $82 Million Fine\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12029845/benicia-moves-toward-tougher-oversight-of-valero-refinery\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Benicia Moves Toward Tougher Oversight of Valero Refinery\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. San Francisco Northern California Local.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This is a computer-generated program. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:01:24] Before we get into the latest news here, remind folks about the Valero refinery in Benicia. Where is it exactly and what goes on there?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:01:36] Well, it’s right on the Carquinez Strait in Benicia.Built in 1968 for Humble Oil, which later became Exxon, and it was sold to Valero in 2000. I got to tour the facility about 10 years ago, and it’s like a town within a town. They even have their own fire brigade, made up of refinery operators who, like during an incident, will respond. They refine crude oil into gasoline, and they refine a lot of it, about 145,000 barrels per day. They also employ 400 workers and lots of contractors, people who come in to help with specific operations like ironworks, steam fitters, boil makers, painters. Suffice it to say, it’s a major employer in the San Francisco Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:02:34] And what can you tell us about Valero, the company which bought this refinery, as you said, in 2000? What do we know about them?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:02:43] Well, they are the second largest U.S. Refiner in the United States. They have headquarters in Texas, but they have refineries all over the country. They also operate a second refinery in Southern California. It’s the Wilmington refinery, and it produces a little less than the one up here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:03:03] And I imagine plays a big role in the city of Benicia, which is a pretty small city. I mean, what role does Valero as a company play in the City?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:03:18] It’s the major economic engine of the city of Benicia. They pay taxes that make up about 10 to 12% of the City budget. It’s also a big client for a lot of local businesses that supply services, goods, or labor, and, you know, restaurants in the area. They donate to nonprofits, and they lend financial support for Benicia’s school district. So they’re very, very deeply involved in the community in all those good ways and some not so great ways.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:03:48] How would you describe the relationship between Valero and the city of Benicia, especially over the last couple of years?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:03:56] Well, it’s complicated. It’s interesting how people are very quick to praise the company, but also quick to criticize the company and the refinery specifically and the operations there. Air regulators just last year fined the company a record $82 million for exceeding toxic emissions standards, not for an hour or a day, but for over a decade. And that has really blown the trust. For a lot of people. They are even those people in Benicia who were always supportive of the refinery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:04:36] Yeah, sort of this love-hate relationship that I feel like you kind of see in refinery towns all over the Bay Area that rely on the jobs, but that also bear the brunt of the environmental impact.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:04:49] That’s right. There was one woman who spoke at a city council meeting and she said, yeah, it’s great that Valero is helping the school district, but what good does it do if all of our kids have asthma? And asthma has been a big issue in Benicia. And according to state health data from 2020, nearly 15% of the people in the county of Solano, which includes Benicia, have asthma, which is about 70% higher than the statewide average.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:05:22] Okay Julie, so I mean we’re talking because Valero actually made a really surprising announcement last week. What did the company announce?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:05:33] That the company is going to idle, restructure, or cease operations at its Benicia refinery by the end of April, 2026. And in a press release, the CEO and president of Valero said that they understand the impact that it may have on employees, business partners, and the community as a whole, and they’ll continue to work with them through this period.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:06:00] Okay, “idle, restructure, or cease operations, those are three very different things. And it sounds like no clear decision has necessarily been made quite yet, but it sounds something is going to change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:06:20] They could pause their operations and wait to see if the Trump administration takes action against some of our environmental standards, or they could try to sell the facility. Something’s gotta give, either California is gonna make life easier for refineries or deal with the sudden loss of them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:06:38] I mean, has Valero said anything about why they are doing this, either in the announcement or in interviews with the media?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:06:47] Valero didn’t say this in their press release, but Valero has been signaling that they’re pretty unhappy with California as an environment to do business. As everybody knows, California is committed to reducing our use of fossil fuels and we are passing laws and creating a climate where we’re moving towards that goal and refineries don’t like it. That got particularly worse in the last year because California regulators accused Valero of price gouging. There were some words exchanged with the California Energy Commission that basically said, we’re not price gouging. Your gas in California is more expensive because of all the regulations you’ve put on it. And there have been some other laws passed very recently that really get into the nitty gritty of how the, you know, the refinery operates. They described it as a hostile environment that California has created towards refineries.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Severin Borenstein \u003c/strong>[00:07:57] It is a harbinger of the larger issues that California faces.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:08:02] I talked with Severin Borenstein, he’s with the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and an economics and energy expert.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Severin Borenstein \u003c/strong>[00:08:11] California is phasing out its gasoline consumption and refiner see that coming.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:08:17] In California, you have the market for that fuel, for what you’re refining, the very product you’re making is actually shrinking, you know, and the idea is that we will not be reliant on that fuel anymore in the future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Severin Borenstein \u003c/strong>[00:08:30] This refinery in Benicia has had a lot of production problems and emissions problems that make it look like they’re going to have to make some significant investments in order to maintain production and still obey environmental rules. So I think they looked at that and said, is it worth making that investment?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:08:58] I mean, you’re seeing this, like we saw it, Phillips 66 decided to close their refinery in Southern California. That’s gonna close at the end of this year. They said, poor profits, we’re not making profits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:09:16] Coming up, how locals are reacting to Valero’s announcement. Stay with us.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:09:29] Whatever happens, it sounds like, is going to have a big impact, especially on the city of Benicia. What have you heard locally from people in the city? I mean, was this a big surprise?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:09:41] Yeah, it was. I think they felt like they were still in dialogue with Valero about how to make things better, how to work better together, and they wake up to this news. And for them, it’s like the nuclear option they were most afraid of.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Kari Birdseye \u003c/strong>[00:09:56] Well, we woke up to a big surprise this morning. It is some shocking news.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:10:03] I talked to city council member, Kari Birdseye. She is one of the people who was really pushed for increased oversight and accountability at Valero. And she called it shocking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Kari Birdseye \u003c/strong>[00:10:14] First of all, my thoughts go to our local workers and other small businesses that will be impacted by this news.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:10:26] I think the big concern in Benicia is how do you replace an economic powerhouse like a refinery? I mean, and Birdseye talked about possibilities of like getting involved in some offshore wind projects, ship building, but it’s really clear they don’t have a plan in place. They’re not ready for this to happen so quickly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Kari Birdseye \u003c/strong>[00:10:46] We will be resilient and we will figure out, you know, who we want to bring to our town and you know make sure that whoever comes to town isn’t going to increase our asthma rates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:11:00] I feel like she really kind of captures this tension of this just transition in California away from oil refineries, but also the reality, which is that a lot of people rely on these refinerys for work. I mean, what have you heard from workers? There’s a lot people who could possibly lose their job if Valero ceases operation in Benicia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:11:24] That’s right, 400 employees at the refinery itself and then hundreds of union contract workers who cycle through the refineries every year, different times of the year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Danny Bernardini \u003c/strong>[00:11:35] You’re hopeful, but you’re also realistic that it’s California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:11:39] Danny Bernardini with the Napa-Solano Building and Construction Trade Council. He wasn’t surprised. He says anyone who’s been paying attention knows that the future of refining in California is dim. He’d just been talking to Valero about renewing contracts for his members. He was excited and then he wakes up to the news that there may be no contracts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Danny Bernardini \u003c/strong>[00:12:00] We have state and local governments that are not fond of refinery those people drive cars and they have reliance on oil but they also you know there’s a lot of laws and ordinances that have a path that make it hard to do business and so this is the other side of that coin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:12:26] Well, Julie, this announcement last week was a pretty big shock, it sounds like, but April 2026, that’s still a year away from now, so I guess what happens in between now and then?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:12:40] Well, you know, local officials, you know, are saying they’re going to be looking for new industry partners and trying to develop a plan. They expect they’ll be losing $8 million a year if Valero closes. They’re going turn to the state to ask for help. They’re gonna ask other cities that were refinery towns how they’ve made the transition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Gavin Newsom \u003c/strong>[00:13:04] Just briefly on that, respecting the importance of that question.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:13:08] Gavin Newsom, our governor, was asked about the closure. You know, I guess he was contacted the night before the news came out and the morning after. And he made a comment and he said, you know, we’re all hands on deck dealing with this and we’re gonna make sure that this doesn’t disrupt the markets and, you know doesn’t hurt anything and we are on it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Gavin Newsom \u003c/strong>[00:13:28] Beginning last night, we had all hands and we’re in the process of addressing any anxiety that may be created or any market disruption that may be created by that announcement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:13:39] The other thing that could happen is that the Trump administration could roll back some of the environmental regulations and standards that California has fought so hard to get. And if that happens, that might change the equation for Valero, at least in the short\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:14:04] Julie, we’ve talked on this show about the various refineries around the Bay Area in cities like Benicia and Richmond and Martinez and Rodeo. And I know each one of these cities is very different, but do you think this story tells us anything about the future of oil refinerys here in the Bay area?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Julie Small \u003c/strong>[00:14:24] I do. You know, when I heard the news, I thought immediately of the fact that Phillips 66 had announced that they were closing in Southern California. And I thought, oh, here we go. To me, it’s kind of like the writing on the wall. Refineries are having to convert or close their operations, and that is our goal in California. It just may be happening faster than places like Venetia are prepared for, or even faster than the states prepared for. I was thinking about, it’s kind of like a breakup. You’re planning to break up with someone, but before you get a chance, they break up with you, or you get fired from a job while you’re still looking for a new one. California’s decided we want to head in this other direction. Refineries aren’t waiting for that day to arrive. They’re just pulling up stakes. They’re making their decisions based on a bottom line.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Oil Giant Valero Looks to Shutter Troubled Bay Area Refinery. It’s ‘a Big Surprise’",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>Updated 5:35 p.m. Wednesday\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Energy giant \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/valero\">Valero\u003c/a> on Wednesday announced plans to cease operations at its Benicia oil refinery, which has been consistently hindered by malfunctions and unintended toxic releases in recent years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Texas-based company said it had submitted notice of its intent to the California Energy Commission to “idle, restructure, or cease operations” at the refinery by the end of April 2026.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The move to shutter the sprawling North Bay refinery comes six months after regional and state air regulators fined the company a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12011785/bay-area-air-district-hits-valeros-benicia-refinery-with-historic-82-million-fine\">record $82 million\u003c/a> for exceeding toxic emissions standards for more than a decade before regulators found out. And last month, the city imposed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12029845/benicia-moves-toward-tougher-oversight-of-valero-refinery\">new safety regulations\u003c/a> on the facility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We woke up to a big surprise this morning. It is some shocking news,” said Benicia Councilmember Kari Birdseye, who spearheaded the new safety regulations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The timing is unfortunate because we just passed the local ordinance a couple of weeks ago. But I don’t think that the decision is related,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero has long been one of the city’s biggest employers: More than 400 people work at the Benicia refinery, which is \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/californias-petroleum-market/californias-oil-refineries\">the sixth largest in the state\u003c/a> and can process as much as 170,000 barrels of oil a day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12036332\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1777px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12036332\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1985_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1777\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1985_qed.jpg 1777w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1985_qed-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1985_qed-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1985_qed-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1985_qed-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1777px) 100vw, 1777px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Valero Benicia refinery on July 25, 2013. \u003ccite>(Craig Miller/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We understand the impact that this may have on our employees, business partners, and community, and will continue to work with them through this period,” Valero CEO Lane Riggs said in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The city, which stands to take a major financial hit from the possible refinery closure, said it intended to work with the company to “seek clarity around the timeline and scope” of the proposed changes and pledged to keep residents informed about any “potential economic impacts and challenges this may present.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My reaction remains surprise, concern for what it means to the community and a dedication to try to get through this in terms of trying to deal with the impacts it’s going to have on our city,” Benicia Mayor Steve Young told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Young said the city will work with Valero, regional partners and state agencies “to better understand the path ahead,” with the hope that a deal can be reached with the company to keep the refinery in the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It would certainly be preferable to them leaving altogether. That that serves nobody’s interest,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=news_12011785 hero='https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2016/10/Refinery-1920x1440.jpg']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Beyond the significant economic hit to the city’s tax base, he said the closure would have a major impact on the community, including the hundreds of residents who work there and the many local businesses that depend on those workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m not going to sugarcoat it and say that we’re just going to power through and it won’t have any effect,” he said. “It’s going to have an effect for sure.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kristine Roselius, a spokesperson for the Bay Area Air District, told KQED in an email that the agency would work with the refinery on any closure plans “to ensure that emissions are minimized and that air quality and public health are protected during this process.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero has owned and operated the Benicia refinery since 2000. The refinery was originally built in 1968 for Humble Oil, later called Exxon, and began operations the following year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The facility’s imminent closure would mark a dramatic transition that the city will be “working on for years to come,” Birdseye said. City leaders, she added, planned to seek advice from other former refinery towns that have experienced similar situations, and would also be working with the state to figure out “how we can be part of the clean energy future.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Birdseye noted that the closure announcement comes with a bright silver lining.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Solano County has some of the highest respiratory disease rates in California. Nearly 15% of residents suffer from asthma, a rate roughly 70% higher than the statewide average, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CCDPHP/DEODC/EHIB/CPE/Pages/CaliforniaBreathingCountyAsthmaProfiles.aspx\">state health data from 2020\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12036334\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1777px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12036334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1979_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1777\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1979_qed.jpg 1777w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1979_qed-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1979_qed-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1979_qed-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1979_qed-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1777px) 100vw, 1777px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Valero refinery worker at the site in Benicia on July 25, 2013. \u003ccite>(Craig Miller/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“So we will be resilient and we will figure out who we want to bring to our town,” she said, “and make sure that whoever comes isn’t going to increase our asthma rates.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Severin Borenstein, a UC Berkeley energy economist, said Valero’s announcement suggests the company has been reading the tea leaves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“California is phasing out its gasoline consumption and refiners see that coming,” Borenstein said, noting that the Benicia refinery’s many production and emissions problems would likely require significant, costly upgrades to address.[aside postID=news_12031389 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250203_MartinezRefineryFolo_GC-7-1020x680.jpg']“So I think they looked at that and said, ‘Is it worth making that investment?’ and decided it probably isn’t,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Borenstein suggested that the company, which owns another refinery in Southern California, may also have calculated that shuttering production at its Benicia facility would raise gasoline prices statewide, helping its other refinery make more money.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The announcement comes amid a growing exodus of traditional oil refiners in California, a state with some of the strictest environmental regulations in the nation. \u003ca href=\"https://biodieselmagazine.com/articles/phillips-66-rodeo-conversion-project-to-begin-operations-in-q1\">Phillips 66’s refinery in Rodeo\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://biodieselmagazine.com/articles/marathon-martinez-biorefinery-to-reach-full-capacity-by-year-end\">Marathon’s facility in Martinez \u003c/a>both recently converted operations to biofuel production. Phillips 66 also \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2024-10-16/phillips-66-will-shut-historic-wilmington-refinery\">plans to close\u003c/a> its Los Angeles-area refinery — the seventh largest in the state — later this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think it is a harbinger of the larger issues that California faces,” Borenstein said. “We should be seriously concerned about how all that gasoline supply is going to get replaced.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state Assembly Republican Caucus on Wednesday was quick to blame Gov. Gavin Newsom for the planned closure of the Benicia refinery, saying in a statement that the “real-world consequences” of [his] war on California energy producers are becoming clearer by the day.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Danny Bernardini, business manager for the Napa-Solano Building & Construction Trades Council, said he was in Benicia just last night talking to city officials about a labor agreement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11906319\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 400px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/02/BeniciaRefinery.png\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11906319\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/02/BeniciaRefinery.png\" alt=\"Map showing location of Valero's Benicia refinery\" width=\"400\" height=\"420\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/02/BeniciaRefinery.png 940w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/02/BeniciaRefinery-800x839.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/02/BeniciaRefinery-160x168.png 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u003ci>Map by Matthew Green/KQED\u003c/i>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We had good news coming out of Benicia at 8 o’clock at night, and then bad news at 8 in the morning,” said Bernardini, whose council represents hundreds of boilermakers, laborers, plumbers and steamfitters who work on call at the refinery. “We always knew this was a possibility, but to have it kind of just dropped in your lap in the morning, it was definitely a shock.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bernardini said he’s still holding out a glimmer of hope that a deal might be reached to keep the refinery operating, but acknowledged that was unlikely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have state and local governments that are not fond of refineries,” he said, noting that in its effort to limit oil production, the state still hasn’t created enough alternatives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a lot of laws and ordinances that have been passed that make it hard to do business,” he added. “So this is the other side of that coin.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/jsmall\">\u003cem>Julie Small\u003c/em>\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/nnavarro\">Natalia Navarro\u003c/a> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Months after Valero was hit with a record $82 million fine by air regulators, the company said it would ‘idle, restructure, or cease operations’ in Benicia by the end of April 2026. ",
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"title": "Oil Giant Valero Looks to Shutter Troubled Bay Area Refinery. It’s ‘a Big Surprise’ | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>Updated 5:35 p.m. Wednesday\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Energy giant \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/valero\">Valero\u003c/a> on Wednesday announced plans to cease operations at its Benicia oil refinery, which has been consistently hindered by malfunctions and unintended toxic releases in recent years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Texas-based company said it had submitted notice of its intent to the California Energy Commission to “idle, restructure, or cease operations” at the refinery by the end of April 2026.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The move to shutter the sprawling North Bay refinery comes six months after regional and state air regulators fined the company a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12011785/bay-area-air-district-hits-valeros-benicia-refinery-with-historic-82-million-fine\">record $82 million\u003c/a> for exceeding toxic emissions standards for more than a decade before regulators found out. And last month, the city imposed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12029845/benicia-moves-toward-tougher-oversight-of-valero-refinery\">new safety regulations\u003c/a> on the facility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We woke up to a big surprise this morning. It is some shocking news,” said Benicia Councilmember Kari Birdseye, who spearheaded the new safety regulations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The timing is unfortunate because we just passed the local ordinance a couple of weeks ago. But I don’t think that the decision is related,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero has long been one of the city’s biggest employers: More than 400 people work at the Benicia refinery, which is \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/californias-petroleum-market/californias-oil-refineries\">the sixth largest in the state\u003c/a> and can process as much as 170,000 barrels of oil a day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12036332\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1777px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12036332\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1985_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1777\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1985_qed.jpg 1777w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1985_qed-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1985_qed-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1985_qed-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1985_qed-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1777px) 100vw, 1777px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Valero Benicia refinery on July 25, 2013. \u003ccite>(Craig Miller/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We understand the impact that this may have on our employees, business partners, and community, and will continue to work with them through this period,” Valero CEO Lane Riggs said in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The city, which stands to take a major financial hit from the possible refinery closure, said it intended to work with the company to “seek clarity around the timeline and scope” of the proposed changes and pledged to keep residents informed about any “potential economic impacts and challenges this may present.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My reaction remains surprise, concern for what it means to the community and a dedication to try to get through this in terms of trying to deal with the impacts it’s going to have on our city,” Benicia Mayor Steve Young told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Young said the city will work with Valero, regional partners and state agencies “to better understand the path ahead,” with the hope that a deal can be reached with the company to keep the refinery in the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It would certainly be preferable to them leaving altogether. That that serves nobody’s interest,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Beyond the significant economic hit to the city’s tax base, he said the closure would have a major impact on the community, including the hundreds of residents who work there and the many local businesses that depend on those workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m not going to sugarcoat it and say that we’re just going to power through and it won’t have any effect,” he said. “It’s going to have an effect for sure.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kristine Roselius, a spokesperson for the Bay Area Air District, told KQED in an email that the agency would work with the refinery on any closure plans “to ensure that emissions are minimized and that air quality and public health are protected during this process.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero has owned and operated the Benicia refinery since 2000. The refinery was originally built in 1968 for Humble Oil, later called Exxon, and began operations the following year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The facility’s imminent closure would mark a dramatic transition that the city will be “working on for years to come,” Birdseye said. City leaders, she added, planned to seek advice from other former refinery towns that have experienced similar situations, and would also be working with the state to figure out “how we can be part of the clean energy future.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Birdseye noted that the closure announcement comes with a bright silver lining.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Solano County has some of the highest respiratory disease rates in California. Nearly 15% of residents suffer from asthma, a rate roughly 70% higher than the statewide average, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CCDPHP/DEODC/EHIB/CPE/Pages/CaliforniaBreathingCountyAsthmaProfiles.aspx\">state health data from 2020\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12036334\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1777px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12036334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1979_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1777\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1979_qed.jpg 1777w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1979_qed-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1979_qed-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1979_qed-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1979_qed-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1777px) 100vw, 1777px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Valero refinery worker at the site in Benicia on July 25, 2013. \u003ccite>(Craig Miller/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“So we will be resilient and we will figure out who we want to bring to our town,” she said, “and make sure that whoever comes isn’t going to increase our asthma rates.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Severin Borenstein, a UC Berkeley energy economist, said Valero’s announcement suggests the company has been reading the tea leaves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“California is phasing out its gasoline consumption and refiners see that coming,” Borenstein said, noting that the Benicia refinery’s many production and emissions problems would likely require significant, costly upgrades to address.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“So I think they looked at that and said, ‘Is it worth making that investment?’ and decided it probably isn’t,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Borenstein suggested that the company, which owns another refinery in Southern California, may also have calculated that shuttering production at its Benicia facility would raise gasoline prices statewide, helping its other refinery make more money.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The announcement comes amid a growing exodus of traditional oil refiners in California, a state with some of the strictest environmental regulations in the nation. \u003ca href=\"https://biodieselmagazine.com/articles/phillips-66-rodeo-conversion-project-to-begin-operations-in-q1\">Phillips 66’s refinery in Rodeo\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://biodieselmagazine.com/articles/marathon-martinez-biorefinery-to-reach-full-capacity-by-year-end\">Marathon’s facility in Martinez \u003c/a>both recently converted operations to biofuel production. Phillips 66 also \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2024-10-16/phillips-66-will-shut-historic-wilmington-refinery\">plans to close\u003c/a> its Los Angeles-area refinery — the seventh largest in the state — later this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think it is a harbinger of the larger issues that California faces,” Borenstein said. “We should be seriously concerned about how all that gasoline supply is going to get replaced.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state Assembly Republican Caucus on Wednesday was quick to blame Gov. Gavin Newsom for the planned closure of the Benicia refinery, saying in a statement that the “real-world consequences” of [his] war on California energy producers are becoming clearer by the day.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Danny Bernardini, business manager for the Napa-Solano Building & Construction Trades Council, said he was in Benicia just last night talking to city officials about a labor agreement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11906319\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 400px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/02/BeniciaRefinery.png\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11906319\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/02/BeniciaRefinery.png\" alt=\"Map showing location of Valero's Benicia refinery\" width=\"400\" height=\"420\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/02/BeniciaRefinery.png 940w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/02/BeniciaRefinery-800x839.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/02/BeniciaRefinery-160x168.png 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u003ci>Map by Matthew Green/KQED\u003c/i>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We had good news coming out of Benicia at 8 o’clock at night, and then bad news at 8 in the morning,” said Bernardini, whose council represents hundreds of boilermakers, laborers, plumbers and steamfitters who work on call at the refinery. “We always knew this was a possibility, but to have it kind of just dropped in your lap in the morning, it was definitely a shock.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bernardini said he’s still holding out a glimmer of hope that a deal might be reached to keep the refinery operating, but acknowledged that was unlikely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have state and local governments that are not fond of refineries,” he said, noting that in its effort to limit oil production, the state still hasn’t created enough alternatives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a lot of laws and ordinances that have been passed that make it hard to do business,” he added. “So this is the other side of that coin.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/jsmall\">\u003cem>Julie Small\u003c/em>\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/nnavarro\">Natalia Navarro\u003c/a> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>The Benicia City Council plans to vote on a controversial industrial safety ordinance next month despite fierce opposition from oil giant Valero and other industrial businesses that operate in the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oil executives, employees and residents packed a City Council meeting Tuesday to weigh in on the proposal, which would create a citizens’ oversight commission, boost community air quality monitoring and empower city officials to issue fines for safety and air quality violations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new law would replace an existing agreement with Benicia. Valero has threatened to sue the city if it moves ahead with the ordinance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a governmental overreach, significant governmental overreach — even in California!” Lauren Bird, general manager and vice president of the Benicia refinery, told the council. He touted the facility’s track record of responding to and containing plant malfunctions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ We work hard every day to maintain a safe operation,” Bird said. “Are we perfect? Absolutely not. But we work round the clock, 24/7, 365 days, multiple times a shift, multiple people, dedicated people who work hard, who are well trained, who are capable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dozens of refinery employees and company supporters praised Valero for financial contributions to the community and warned against alienating the town’s largest taxpayer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ If you keep poking that golden goose, one day it’s going to fly away,” said Mark Hughes, a former council member. “And that’s not a threat, that’s not any inside information I have about Valero. It’s just the likely outcome of a company that constantly feels that it’s being pushed away.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Anthony Bernasconi said residents like him are paying too high a price for Valero’s community investments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Valero can build baseball fields and donate to the schools, and that is good,” Burnasconi said. “But Valero is also a multibillion-dollar corporation that can spill poison into our air.”[aside postID=news_12011785 hero='https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2016/10/Refinery-1920x1440.jpg']Last year, the regional air district fined the company $82 million for failing to report excess toxic emissions at the Benicia refinery. Those releases occurred between 2003 and 2019 and were not disclosed to the public \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11905065/first-i-had-heard-of-it-valeros-benicia-refinery-secretly-released-toxic-chemicals-for-years\">until 2022\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“More important than the amount of money involved was the number of years that the problems had been ignored,” said ordinance proponent Terry Mollica, speaking after Tuesday’s vote. “Sixteen years of just sweeping the problem under the rug. That’s what people want the ISO to address.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Benicia showed up tonight,” said Councilmember Kari Birdseye, who, along with Councilmember Terry Scott and Benicia Fire Chief Josh Chadwick, refined the industrial safety ordinance over 14 months and held dozens of meetings with stakeholders.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Whether they were for or against it, all of the testimony was very impactful and meaningful to our final decision, and I am over the moon with the 5–0 vote,” Birdseye said. “It showed that our council takes the health and safety of Benicia very seriously.”\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Supporters of the ordinance held sunflowers while the dozens who came to speak against the ordinance sported Valero’s dark blue uniforms and T-shirts. Parents on both sides brought their children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Resident Julian Christi put it simply, saying, “I just want to keep my family safe.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>His daughter Charlotte also addressed the council.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I am 10 years old, and I’ve lived in Benicia all my life — it’s all I know,” she said. “I go to Joe Henderson Elementary, and I would like to say that I am also in favor of the ISO.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>9:35 a.m. March 6: An earlier version of this story said Mayor Steve Young was part of the work to refine the industrial safety ordinance. It has been updated to replace Young with Councilmember Terry Scott.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a governmental overreach, significant governmental overreach — even in California!” Lauren Bird, general manager and vice president of the Benicia refinery, told the council. He touted the facility’s track record of responding to and containing plant malfunctions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ We work hard every day to maintain a safe operation,” Bird said. “Are we perfect? Absolutely not. But we work round the clock, 24/7, 365 days, multiple times a shift, multiple people, dedicated people who work hard, who are well trained, who are capable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dozens of refinery employees and company supporters praised Valero for financial contributions to the community and warned against alienating the town’s largest taxpayer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ If you keep poking that golden goose, one day it’s going to fly away,” said Mark Hughes, a former council member. “And that’s not a threat, that’s not any inside information I have about Valero. It’s just the likely outcome of a company that constantly feels that it’s being pushed away.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Anthony Bernasconi said residents like him are paying too high a price for Valero’s community investments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Valero can build baseball fields and donate to the schools, and that is good,” Burnasconi said. “But Valero is also a multibillion-dollar corporation that can spill poison into our air.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Last year, the regional air district fined the company $82 million for failing to report excess toxic emissions at the Benicia refinery. Those releases occurred between 2003 and 2019 and were not disclosed to the public \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11905065/first-i-had-heard-of-it-valeros-benicia-refinery-secretly-released-toxic-chemicals-for-years\">until 2022\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“More important than the amount of money involved was the number of years that the problems had been ignored,” said ordinance proponent Terry Mollica, speaking after Tuesday’s vote. “Sixteen years of just sweeping the problem under the rug. That’s what people want the ISO to address.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Benicia showed up tonight,” said Councilmember Kari Birdseye, who, along with Councilmember Terry Scott and Benicia Fire Chief Josh Chadwick, refined the industrial safety ordinance over 14 months and held dozens of meetings with stakeholders.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Whether they were for or against it, all of the testimony was very impactful and meaningful to our final decision, and I am over the moon with the 5–0 vote,” Birdseye said. “It showed that our council takes the health and safety of Benicia very seriously.”\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Supporters of the ordinance held sunflowers while the dozens who came to speak against the ordinance sported Valero’s dark blue uniforms and T-shirts. Parents on both sides brought their children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Resident Julian Christi put it simply, saying, “I just want to keep my family safe.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>His daughter Charlotte also addressed the council.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I am 10 years old, and I’ve lived in Benicia all my life — it’s all I know,” she said. “I go to Joe Henderson Elementary, and I would like to say that I am also in favor of the ISO.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>9:35 a.m. March 6: An earlier version of this story said Mayor Steve Young was part of the work to refine the industrial safety ordinance. It has been updated to replace Young with Councilmember Terry Scott.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
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"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
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"marketplace": {
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"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
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"mindshift": {
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"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
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"order": 12
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
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"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
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"onourwatch": {
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"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
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"perspectives": {
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"planet-money": {
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"info": "The economy explained. Imagine you could call up a friend and say, Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy. Now imagine that's actually a fun evening.",
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"title": "Political Breakdown",
"tagline": "Politics from a personal perspective",
"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
"airtime": "THU 6:30pm-7pm",
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"possible": {
"id": "possible",
"title": "Possible",
"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Possible-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.possible.fm/",
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"source": "Possible"
},
"link": "/radio/program/possible",
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},
"pri-the-world": {
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"title": "PRI's The World: Latest Edition",
"info": "Each weekday, host Marco Werman and his team of producers bring you the world's most interesting stories in an hour of radio that reminds us just how small our planet really is.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-World-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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},
"radiolab": {
"id": "radiolab",
"title": "Radiolab",
"info": "A two-time Peabody Award-winner, Radiolab is an investigation told through sounds and stories, and centered around one big idea. In the Radiolab world, information sounds like music and science and culture collide. Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, the show is designed for listeners who demand skepticism, but appreciate wonder. WNYC Studios is the producer of other leading podcasts including Freakonomics Radio, Death, Sex & Money, On the Media and many more.",
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},
"reveal": {
"id": "reveal",
"title": "Reveal",
"info": "Created by The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX, Reveal is public radios first one-hour weekly radio show and podcast dedicated to investigative reporting. Credible, fact based and without a partisan agenda, Reveal combines the power and artistry of driveway moment storytelling with data-rich reporting on critically important issues. The result is stories that inform and inspire, arming our listeners with information to right injustices, hold the powerful accountable and improve lives.Reveal is hosted by Al Letson and showcases the award-winning work of CIR and newsrooms large and small across the nation. In a radio and podcast market crowded with choices, Reveal focuses on important and often surprising stories that illuminate the world for our listeners.",
"airtime": "SAT 4pm-5pm",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.revealnews.org/episodes/",
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},
"link": "/radio/program/reveal",
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"rss": "http://feeds.revealradio.org/revealpodcast"
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