window.__IS_SSR__=true
window.__INITIAL_STATE__={
"attachmentsReducer": {
"audio_0": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_0",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background0.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_1": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_1",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background1.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_2": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_2",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background2.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_3": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_3",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background3.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_4": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_4",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background4.jpg"
}
}
},
"placeholder": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "placeholder",
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-768x512.jpg",
"width": 768,
"height": 512,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"fd-lrg": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"fd-med": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"fd-sm": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"xxsmall": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"xsmall": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"small": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"xlarge": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1920x1280.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-32": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 32,
"height": 32,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-50": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 50,
"height": 50,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-64": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 64,
"height": 64,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-96": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 96,
"height": 96,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-128": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 128,
"height": 128,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"detail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
}
},
"news_11735080": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_11735080",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11735080",
"found": true
},
"title": "Valero Refinery-Benicia-20190323",
"publishDate": 1553446329,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 11735065,
"modified": 1741204009,
"caption": "A plume containing petroleum coke dusts wafts from a smokestack at Valero's Benicia oil refinery on March 23, 2019.",
"credit": "Sasha Khokha/KQED",
"altTag": "Problems began at the refinery on March 11 when a malfunction involving one of the refinery's units led to the release of petroleum coke dust.",
"description": "Problems began at the refinery on March 11 when a malfunction involving one of the refinery's units led to the release of petroleum coke dust.",
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/03/IMG_5553-1-160x120.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 120,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/03/IMG_5553-1-800x600.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 600,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/03/IMG_5553-1-1020x765.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 765,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"complete_open_graph": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/03/IMG_5553-1-1200x900.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 900,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/03/IMG_5553-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/03/IMG_5553-1-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/03/IMG_5553-1-1920x1440.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1440,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-32": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/03/IMG_5553-1-32x32.jpg",
"width": 32,
"height": 32,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-50": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/03/IMG_5553-1-50x50.jpg",
"width": 50,
"height": 50,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-64": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/03/IMG_5553-1-64x64.jpg",
"width": 64,
"height": 64,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-96": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/03/IMG_5553-1-96x96.jpg",
"width": 96,
"height": 96,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-128": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/03/IMG_5553-1-128x128.jpg",
"width": 128,
"height": 128,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"apple_news_ca_landscape_12_9": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/03/IMG_5553-1-1832x1374.jpg",
"width": 1832,
"height": 1374,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"apple_news_ca_landscape_9_7": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/03/IMG_5553-1-1376x1032.jpg",
"width": 1376,
"height": 1032,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"apple_news_ca_landscape_5_5": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/03/IMG_5553-1-1044x783.jpg",
"width": 1044,
"height": 783,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"apple_news_ca_landscape_4_7": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/03/IMG_5553-1-632x474.jpg",
"width": 632,
"height": 474,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"apple_news_ca_landscape_4_0": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/03/IMG_5553-1-536x402.jpg",
"width": 536,
"height": 402,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"apple_news_ca_portrait_12_9": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/03/IMG_5553-1-1122x1496.jpg",
"width": 1122,
"height": 1496,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"apple_news_ca_portrait_9_7": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/03/IMG_5553-1-840x1120.jpg",
"width": 840,
"height": 1120,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"apple_news_ca_portrait_5_5": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/03/IMG_5553-1-687x916.jpg",
"width": 687,
"height": 916,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"apple_news_ca_portrait_4_7": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/03/IMG_5553-1-414x552.jpg",
"width": 414,
"height": 552,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"apple_news_ca_portrait_4_0": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/03/IMG_5553-1-354x472.jpg",
"width": 354,
"height": 472,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"apple_news_ca_square_12_9": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/03/IMG_5553-1-1472x1472.jpg",
"width": 1472,
"height": 1472,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"apple_news_ca_square_9_7": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/03/IMG_5553-1-1104x1104.jpg",
"width": 1104,
"height": 1104,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"apple_news_ca_square_5_5": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/03/IMG_5553-1-912x912.jpg",
"width": 912,
"height": 912,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"apple_news_ca_square_4_7": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/03/IMG_5553-1-550x550.jpg",
"width": 550,
"height": 550,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"apple_news_ca_square_4_0": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/03/IMG_5553-1-470x470.jpg",
"width": 470,
"height": 470,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/03/IMG_5553-1-e1553446402845.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1440
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_11733161": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_11733161",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11733161",
"found": true
},
"parent": 11733145,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/03/Valero20Refinery20Coke20Fines202019-03-13-160x120.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 120
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/03/Valero20Refinery20Coke20Fines202019-03-13-640x372.jpg",
"width": 640,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/03/Valero20Refinery20Coke20Fines202019-03-13.jpg",
"width": 640,
"height": 480
},
"guest-author-50": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/03/Valero20Refinery20Coke20Fines202019-03-13-50x50.jpg",
"width": 50,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 50
},
"guest-author-96": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/03/Valero20Refinery20Coke20Fines202019-03-13-96x96.jpg",
"width": 96,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 96
},
"guest-author-64": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/03/Valero20Refinery20Coke20Fines202019-03-13-64x64.jpg",
"width": 64,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 64
},
"guest-author-32": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/03/Valero20Refinery20Coke20Fines202019-03-13-32x32.jpg",
"width": 32,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 32
},
"guest-author-128": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/03/Valero20Refinery20Coke20Fines202019-03-13-128x128.jpg",
"width": 128,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 128
}
},
"publishDate": 1552675247,
"modified": 1553442451,
"caption": "A sooty plume, containing petroleum coke particulates, emerging from flare stacks this week at Valero's Benicia refinery. ",
"description": "So-called coke fines coming from Valero's Benicia refinery on March 14,2019. ",
"title": "ValeroRefineryCokeFines2019-03-13",
"credit": "Courtesy of the Solano County Department of Resource Management",
"status": "inherit",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_11704716": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_11704716",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11704716",
"found": true
},
"parent": 11704576,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/Valero-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/Valero-160x120.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 120
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/Valero-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/Valero.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1440
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/Valero-1020x765.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 765
},
"complete_open_graph": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/Valero-1200x900.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 900
},
"guest-author-50": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/Valero-50x50.jpg",
"width": 50,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 50
},
"guest-author-96": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/Valero-96x96.jpg",
"width": 96,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 96
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/Valero-800x600.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 600
},
"guest-author-64": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/Valero-64x64.jpg",
"width": 64,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 64
},
"guest-author-32": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/Valero-32x32.jpg",
"width": 32,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 32
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/Valero-1920x1440.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1440
},
"detail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/Valero-150x150.jpg",
"width": 150,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 150
},
"guest-author-128": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/Valero-128x128.jpg",
"width": 128,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 128
}
},
"publishDate": 1541630360,
"modified": 1541630376,
"caption": "The Valero refinery in Benicia.",
"description": "The Valero refinery in Benicia.",
"title": "Valero",
"credit": "Craig Miller/KQED",
"status": "inherit",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_11703286": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_11703286",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11703286",
"found": true
},
"parent": 11703159,
"imgSizes": {
"small": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/ValeroRefinery-520x375.jpg",
"width": 520,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 375
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/ValeroRefinery-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/ValeroRefinery-160x116.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 116
},
"fd-sm": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/ValeroRefinery-960x693.jpg",
"width": 960,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 693
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/ValeroRefinery-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"xsmall": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/ValeroRefinery-375x271.jpg",
"width": 375,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 271
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/ValeroRefinery.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1386
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/ValeroRefinery-1020x736.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 736
},
"xlarge": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/ValeroRefinery-1180x852.jpg",
"width": 1180,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 852
},
"complete_open_graph": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/ValeroRefinery-1200x866.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 866
},
"guest-author-50": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/ValeroRefinery-50x50.jpg",
"width": 50,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 50
},
"guest-author-96": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/ValeroRefinery-96x96.jpg",
"width": 96,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 96
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/ValeroRefinery-800x578.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 578
},
"guest-author-64": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/ValeroRefinery-64x64.jpg",
"width": 64,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 64
},
"guest-author-32": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/ValeroRefinery-32x32.jpg",
"width": 32,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 32
},
"fd-lrg": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/ValeroRefinery-1920x1386.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1386
},
"fd-med": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/ValeroRefinery-1180x852.jpg",
"width": 1180,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 852
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/ValeroRefinery-1920x1386.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1386
},
"detail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/ValeroRefinery-150x150.jpg",
"width": 150,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 150
},
"guest-author-128": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/ValeroRefinery-128x128.jpg",
"width": 128,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 128
},
"xxsmall": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/ValeroRefinery-240x173.jpg",
"width": 240,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 173
}
},
"publishDate": 1541190731,
"modified": 1634605165,
"caption": "Valero's oil refinery in the Solano County city of Benicia.",
"description": "The Valero refinery in Benicia.",
"title": "ValeroRefinery",
"credit": "Craig Miller/KQED",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": "Dozens of tall smokestacks beside a parking lot.",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_11685771": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_11685771",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11685771",
"found": true
},
"parent": 11685464,
"imgSizes": {
"small": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS5894_IMG_1993-520x390.jpg",
"width": 520,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 390
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS5894_IMG_1993-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS5894_IMG_1993-160x120.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 120
},
"fd-sm": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS5894_IMG_1993-960x720.jpg",
"width": 960,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 720
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS5894_IMG_1993-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"xsmall": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS5894_IMG_1993-375x281.jpg",
"width": 375,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 281
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS5894_IMG_1993-e1533767117896.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1440
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS5894_IMG_1993-1020x765.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 765
},
"xlarge": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS5894_IMG_1993-1180x885.jpg",
"width": 1180,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 885
},
"complete_open_graph": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS5894_IMG_1993-1200x900.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 900
},
"guest-author-50": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS5894_IMG_1993-50x50.jpg",
"width": 50,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 50
},
"guest-author-96": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS5894_IMG_1993-96x96.jpg",
"width": 96,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 96
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS5894_IMG_1993-800x600.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 600
},
"guest-author-64": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS5894_IMG_1993-64x64.jpg",
"width": 64,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 64
},
"guest-author-32": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS5894_IMG_1993-32x32.jpg",
"width": 32,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 32
},
"fd-lrg": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS5894_IMG_1993-1920x1440.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1440
},
"fd-med": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS5894_IMG_1993-1180x885.jpg",
"width": 1180,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 885
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS5894_IMG_1993-1920x1440.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1440
},
"detail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS5894_IMG_1993-150x150.jpg",
"width": 150,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 150
},
"guest-author-128": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS5894_IMG_1993-128x128.jpg",
"width": 128,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 128
},
"xxsmall": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS5894_IMG_1993-240x180.jpg",
"width": 240,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 180
}
},
"publishDate": 1533766916,
"modified": 1645732542,
"caption": "The Valero refinery in Benicia.",
"description": "The Valero Benicia refinery.",
"title": "Valery Refinery",
"credit": "Craig Miller/KQED",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": "Storage tanks at Valero's oil refinery in Benicia, California.",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_11505717": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_11505717",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11505717",
"found": true
},
"parent": 11500307,
"imgSizes": {
"small": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Valero-Benicia-Refinery-photo-from-Cal-EPA-520x390.jpg",
"width": 520,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 390
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Valero-Benicia-Refinery-photo-from-Cal-EPA-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Valero-Benicia-Refinery-photo-from-Cal-EPA-160x120.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 120
},
"fd-sm": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Valero-Benicia-Refinery-photo-from-Cal-EPA-960x720.jpg",
"width": 960,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 720
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Valero-Benicia-Refinery-photo-from-Cal-EPA-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"xsmall": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Valero-Benicia-Refinery-photo-from-Cal-EPA-375x281.jpg",
"width": 375,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 281
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Valero-Benicia-Refinery-photo-from-Cal-EPA-e1523552917405.jpg",
"width": 1440,
"height": 1080
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Valero-Benicia-Refinery-photo-from-Cal-EPA-1020x765.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 765
},
"xlarge": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Valero-Benicia-Refinery-photo-from-Cal-EPA-1180x885.jpg",
"width": 1180,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 885
},
"guest-author-50": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Valero-Benicia-Refinery-photo-from-Cal-EPA-50x50.jpg",
"width": 50,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 50
},
"guest-author-96": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Valero-Benicia-Refinery-photo-from-Cal-EPA-96x96.jpg",
"width": 96,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 96
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Valero-Benicia-Refinery-photo-from-Cal-EPA-800x600.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 600
},
"guest-author-64": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Valero-Benicia-Refinery-photo-from-Cal-EPA-64x64.jpg",
"width": 64,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 64
},
"guest-author-32": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Valero-Benicia-Refinery-photo-from-Cal-EPA-32x32.jpg",
"width": 32,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 32
},
"fd-lrg": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Valero-Benicia-Refinery-photo-from-Cal-EPA-1920x1440.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1440
},
"fd-med": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Valero-Benicia-Refinery-photo-from-Cal-EPA-1180x885.jpg",
"width": 1180,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 885
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Valero-Benicia-Refinery-photo-from-Cal-EPA-1920x1440.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1440
},
"detail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Valero-Benicia-Refinery-photo-from-Cal-EPA-150x150.jpg",
"width": 150,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 150
},
"guest-author-128": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Valero-Benicia-Refinery-photo-from-Cal-EPA-128x128.jpg",
"width": 128,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 128
},
"xxsmall": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Valero-Benicia-Refinery-photo-from-Cal-EPA-240x180.jpg",
"width": 240,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 180
}
},
"publishDate": 1497270816,
"modified": 1510703174,
"caption": "A power outage on May 5, 2017, at Benicia's Valero refinery led to a prolonged episode of flaring during which more than 80,000 pounds of sulfur dioxide were released into the air. ",
"description": "A power outage on May 5, 2017 at Benicia's Valero refinery led to a prolonged episode of flaring during which more than 80,000 pounds of sulfur dioxide was released into the air. ",
"title": "Valero Benicia Refinery",
"credit": "California Environmental Protection Agency",
"status": "inherit",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_120958": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_120958",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "120958",
"found": true
},
"parent": 120953,
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2013/12/RS268_chevron20120810.jpg",
"width": 1024,
"height": 728
}
},
"publishDate": 1387243939,
"modified": 1489785393,
"caption": "The Chevron refinery fire in Richmond in August 2012 sent smoke across the Bay Area. ",
"description": null,
"title": "RS268_chevron20120810",
"credit": "Stephen Schiller/Flickr",
"status": "inherit",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_11505839": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_11505839",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11505839",
"found": true
},
"parent": 11500307,
"imgSizes": {
"small": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/valero170505a-520x368.jpg",
"width": 520,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 368
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/valero170505a-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/valero170505a-160x113.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 113
},
"fd-sm": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/valero170505a-960x680.jpg",
"width": 960,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 680
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/valero170505a-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"xsmall": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/valero170505a-375x266.jpg",
"width": 375,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 266
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/valero170505a-e1497278425550.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1360
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/valero170505a-1020x722.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 722
},
"xlarge": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/valero170505a-1180x836.jpg",
"width": 1180,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 836
},
"guest-author-50": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/valero170505a-50x50.jpg",
"width": 50,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 50
},
"guest-author-96": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/valero170505a-96x96.jpg",
"width": 96,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 96
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/valero170505a-800x566.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 566
},
"guest-author-64": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/valero170505a-64x64.jpg",
"width": 64,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 64
},
"guest-author-32": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/valero170505a-32x32.jpg",
"width": 32,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 32
},
"fd-lrg": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/valero170505a-1920x1360.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1360
},
"fd-med": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/valero170505a-1180x836.jpg",
"width": 1180,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 836
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/valero170505a-1920x1360.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1360
},
"detail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/valero170505a-150x150.jpg",
"width": 150,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 150
},
"guest-author-128": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/valero170505a-128x128.jpg",
"width": 128,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 128
},
"xxsmall": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/valero170505a-240x170.jpg",
"width": 240,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 170
}
},
"publishDate": 1497278385,
"modified": 1529356075,
"caption": "An 18-minute power outage on May 5, 2017, at the Valero refinery in Benicia led to a prolonged episode of flaring during which 74,000 pounds of sulfur dioxide was released into the air.",
"description": "An 18-minute power outage on May 5, 2017, at the Valero refinery in Benicia led to a prolonged episode of flaring during which 74,000 pounds of sulfur dioxide was released into the air.",
"title": "Valero Benicia Refinery",
"credit": "California EPA",
"status": "inherit",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
}
},
"audioPlayerReducer": {
"postId": "stream_live",
"isPaused": true,
"isPlaying": false,
"pfsActive": false,
"pledgeModalIsOpen": true,
"playerDrawerIsOpen": false,
"liveAudioPlayStartedAt": 0,
"liveAudioPlayContext": ""
},
"authorsReducer": {
"tgoldberg": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "258",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "258",
"found": true
},
"name": "Ted Goldberg",
"firstName": "Ted",
"lastName": "Goldberg",
"slug": "tgoldberg",
"email": "tgoldberg@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": true,
"staff_mastheads": [
"news"
],
"title": "KQED Managing Editor, News and Newscasts",
"bio": "Ted Goldberg is Managing Editor of News and Newscasts at KQED. His main reporting beat is the Bay Area's oil refining industry.\r\n\r\nPrior to joining KQED in 2014, Ted worked at CBS News and WCBS AM in New York and Bay City News and KCBS Radio in San Francisco. He graduated from Oberlin College in Ohio in 1998.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/16d702c9ec5f696d78dbfb76b592cf0a?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": "TedrickG",
"bluesky": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "science",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Ted Goldberg | KQED",
"description": "KQED Managing Editor, News and Newscasts",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/16d702c9ec5f696d78dbfb76b592cf0a?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/16d702c9ec5f696d78dbfb76b592cf0a?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/tgoldberg"
},
"jplaczek": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "8606",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "8606",
"found": true
},
"name": "Jessica Placzek",
"firstName": "Jessica",
"lastName": "Placzek",
"slug": "jplaczek",
"email": "jessicalplaczek@gmail.com",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [
"news"
],
"title": "KQED Contributor",
"bio": "\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jessica Placzek is a former senior editor of podcasts at KQED where she served as the editorial lead of the podcast department. She worked with shows like MindShift, Rightnowish, Consider This, SOLD OUT, Bay Curious and The Bay. She’s also been a reporter and audio producer at KQED, KPFA, and KALW. She taught audio production to men incarcerated at California State Prison Solano and edited pieces they produced for the Uncuffed podcast through KALW. In 2018 she co-hosted and produced the third season of Raw Material for SFMOMA. In New Orleans she wrote for the Nola Defender. Her work has also appeared on Marketplace, All Things Considered, The California Report, and Vice. You can find more at jessicaplaczek.com\u003c/span>",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/4505f7be77b50826a2a1b8bd3a120685?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"subscriber"
]
},
{
"site": "stateofhealth",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "forum",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Jessica Placzek | KQED",
"description": "KQED Contributor",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/4505f7be77b50826a2a1b8bd3a120685?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/4505f7be77b50826a2a1b8bd3a120685?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/jplaczek"
},
"mwiley": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11526",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11526",
"found": true
},
"name": "Michelle Wiley",
"firstName": "Michelle",
"lastName": "Wiley",
"slug": "mwiley",
"email": "mwiley@KQED.org",
"display_author_email": true,
"staff_mastheads": [],
"title": null,
"bio": "Michelle Wiley was the senior editor of weekends.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/3b897d82a09e8587e8e73fa69fbcc635?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": "michelleewiley",
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"subscriber"
]
},
{
"site": "lowdown",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "science",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "podcasts",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Michelle Wiley | KQED",
"description": null,
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/3b897d82a09e8587e8e73fa69fbcc635?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/3b897d82a09e8587e8e73fa69fbcc635?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/mwiley"
}
},
"pagesReducer": {
"news_tag_valero": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_20022",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "20022",
"score": 10.400978
},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Valero",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Valero Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 20039,
"slug": "valero",
"isLoading": false,
"title": "Valero",
"pageMeta": {
"site": "news",
"WpPageTemplate": "page-topic-editorial",
"currentPage": 3
},
"blocks": [
{
"blockName": "kqed/post-list",
"attrs": {
"layout": "cardArticle2",
"query": "posts/news?tag=valero",
"seeMore": false,
"paginated": true,
"page": 3
}
},
{
"blockName": "kqed/ad"
}
]
}
},
"pfsSessionReducer": {},
"postsReducer": {
"stream_live": {
"type": "live",
"id": "stream_live",
"audioUrl": "https://streams.kqed.org/kqedradio",
"title": "Live Stream",
"excerpt": "Live Stream information currently unavailable.",
"link": "/radio",
"featImg": "",
"label": {
"name": "KQED Live",
"link": "/"
}
},
"stream_kqedNewscast": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "stream_kqedNewscast",
"audioUrl": "https://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/radio/RDnews/newscast.mp3?_=1",
"title": "KQED Newscast",
"featImg": "",
"label": {
"name": "88.5 FM",
"link": "/"
}
},
"news_11735237": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_11735237",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11735237",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1553623813000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news",
"term": 72
},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1553623813,
"format": "standard",
"disqusTitle": "Valero's Benicia Refinery Now Target of Several Probes Into Pollution Releases",
"title": "Valero's Benicia Refinery Now Target of Several Probes Into Pollution Releases",
"headTitle": "The California Report | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cp>State workplace regulators, the region's local air quality district and Solano County health officials are trying to find out why a problem at Valero's Benicia refinery suddenly worsened over the weekend, leading to a release of petroleum coke dust that prompted fire officials to urge those with respiratory problems to stay indoors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The incident led to a partial shutdown at the facility and represents the worst malfunction at the plant since a power outage caused a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11681218/cpuc-probe-says-pge-mistakes-led-to-benicia-refinery-outage\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">major pollution incident\u003c/a> in 2017.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The releases of elevated levels of particulate matter led several residents to complain of breathing problems and prompted Benicia's mayor to call on Valero to pay the city back for its work dealing with the emergency. The partial refinery shutdown is also expected to lead to a spike in higher gasoline prices throughout the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mayor Elizabeth Patterson said she's gotten a flood of phone calls and emails from residents wanting to know why it took so long for Valero to suspend refinery operations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=news_11735475 label='Refinery Incidents Impact Gas Prices']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"There's a lack of understanding about how coke particulates could be continuously emitted throughout a couple of weeks,\" Patterson said. \"There's not a lot of information that's readily available to the public.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California's Division of Occupational Safety and Health began a probe into Valero on Monday, the day after the company began the gradual shutdown of a significant portion of the refinery, according to agency spokesman Frank Polizzi.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cal/OSHA becomes the latest government agency to look into the breakdown of a key piece of equipment inside the refinery that went down two weeks ago. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District and Solano County officials have launched probes as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Refinery Problems Started Two Weeks Ago\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On March 11, the facility's flue gas scrubber began malfunctioning. That meant the facility's smokestacks began belching a sooty plume of petroleum coke dust — minute carbon particles that are a byproduct of the oil refining process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The initial problem prompted the Bay Area Air Quality Management District to issue eight \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11733145/air-district-hits-valero-with-violations-over-benicia-refinery-releases\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">notices of violation\u003c/a> against Valero.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The air district and Solano County health officials said during the following days that the flue gas scrubber had been fixed and the coke dust releases were intermittent and gradually coming to an end.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the black smoke returned on Saturday. On Sunday, fire officials detected high levels of fine particulate matter, known as PM10, around the refinery and issued a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11735065/problems-at-valeros-benicia-refinery-increase-prompt-health-advisory\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">health advisory\u003c/a> urging people with respiratory issues to stay indoors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"What we were seeing was dark gray, almost black smoke coming from the flue gas scrubber unit,\" Benicia Fire Chief Josh Chadwick said Monday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>PM10 is particulate matter 10 micrometers or less in diameter — larger than PM2.5 many became familiar with during last November's Camp Fire, when smoke from the huge Butte County blaze prompted health advisories throughout much of Northern California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like PM2.5, the larger particulate matter is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>EPA spokeswoman Soledad Calvino said the agency would not comment on ongoing or potential investigations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The agency has said that once inhaled, petroleum coke dust can affect the heart and lungs and cause serious health effects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The additional concern is that this is more toxic than the standard stuff you'd find in the atmosphere,\" said Anthony Wexler, director of the Air Quality Research Center at UC Davis. \"It's probably similar in toxicity to diesel exhaust, which is a known carcinogen because it's sooty in nature.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Sunday morning the wind in the Benicia area was blowing east to west at about 6 to 12 mph, according to meteorologist Jan Null.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That meant the coke dust was being blown toward residential neighborhoods, said Chadwick.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"That was one of the big concerns I had,\" Chadwick said. \"We had a wind shift ... that really turned it back toward the city.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Several Residents Complain of Breathing Problems\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chadwick said the Benicia Fire Department received two 911 calls for respiratory complaints. One of the calls was for one person who was transported to John Muir Medical Center in Concord. The other was for two people who told paramedics who showed up they didn't need to be hospitalized.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The wind on Sunday also sent the coke dust toward parts of Contra Costa County, according to air district spokesman Ralph Borrmann. The agency received several complaints from people in Benicia and a few in Rodeo, Borrmann said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fire crews have been conducting air readings since Sunday morning and the levels of particulate are back to normal, Chadwick said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Air district officials are expected to release the results of their testing later this week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It's unclear why the flue gas scrubber began malfunctioning again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Terry Schmidtbauer, Solano County's assistant director of resource management, said his department's investigation is focused on the scrubber unit, other refinery components that interact with the device and if refinery workers made a mistake in operating the unit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It's also uncertain how long it will take to shut down the affected parts of the refinery and how long that closure will last.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I am not sure how long Valero intends to have the affected portion shut down,\" Schmidtbauer said in an email.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lillian Riojas, a Valero spokeswoman, did not answer questions about how long the shutdown should last.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Sunday the company issued a statement about the refinery problem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"There may be a visible plume and flaring as part of the shutdown,\" Valero's statement said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mayor Renews Call for More Refinery Regulations\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mayor Patterson has been calling for more regulation of Valero's facility ever since the May 5, 2017, refinery incident — a push that so far \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11675407/in-wake-of-valero-refinery-incident-benicia-weighs-whether-to-pursue-safety-ordinance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">has failed\u003c/a> to result in action.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The City Council rejected her proposal to develop an industrial safety ordinance, similar to one in Contra Costa County, that provides more information to town officials about refinery problems.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The latest incident has prompted her to renew her call for action.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We definitely need an industrial safety ordinance with the fees to cover the costs that it's costing the city,\" Patterson said. \"When we are responding to these things, that means we're not doing something else.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Patterson said she planned to bring up the issue of compensation at a City Council session this Saturday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A Bay Area environmental group critical of the oil industry and the agencies regulating it said the episode should raise concern about operations at other facilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"This is the latest sign that Bay Area refineries and our air quality officials can't safely cope with current workloads, let alone the increased volume of oil processing planned by the industry,\" said Hollin Kretzmann, an Oakland-based lawyer for the Center for Biological Diversity.\u003c/p>\n",
"disqusIdentifier": "11735237 https://ww2.kqed.org/news/?p=11735237",
"disqusUrl": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2019/03/26/valeros-benicia-refinery-now-target-of-several-probes-into-pollution-releases/",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 1131,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 42
},
"modified": 1553639486,
"excerpt": "A surge of sooty, particulate-laden smoke from the Solano County facility prompted a health advisory over the weekend. ",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "A surge of sooty, particulate-laden smoke from the Solano County facility prompted a health advisory over the weekend. ",
"title": "Valero's Benicia Refinery Now Target of Several Probes Into Pollution Releases | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "Valero's Benicia Refinery Now Target of Several Probes Into Pollution Releases",
"datePublished": "2019-03-26T11:10:13-07:00",
"dateModified": "2019-03-26T15:31:26-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "valeros-benicia-refinery-now-target-of-several-probes-into-pollution-releases",
"status": "publish",
"path": "/news/11735237/valeros-benicia-refinery-now-target-of-several-probes-into-pollution-releases",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>State workplace regulators, the region's local air quality district and Solano County health officials are trying to find out why a problem at Valero's Benicia refinery suddenly worsened over the weekend, leading to a release of petroleum coke dust that prompted fire officials to urge those with respiratory problems to stay indoors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The incident led to a partial shutdown at the facility and represents the worst malfunction at the plant since a power outage caused a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11681218/cpuc-probe-says-pge-mistakes-led-to-benicia-refinery-outage\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">major pollution incident\u003c/a> in 2017.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The releases of elevated levels of particulate matter led several residents to complain of breathing problems and prompted Benicia's mayor to call on Valero to pay the city back for its work dealing with the emergency. The partial refinery shutdown is also expected to lead to a spike in higher gasoline prices throughout the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mayor Elizabeth Patterson said she's gotten a flood of phone calls and emails from residents wanting to know why it took so long for Valero to suspend refinery operations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_11735475",
"label": "Refinery Incidents Impact Gas Prices "
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"There's a lack of understanding about how coke particulates could be continuously emitted throughout a couple of weeks,\" Patterson said. \"There's not a lot of information that's readily available to the public.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California's Division of Occupational Safety and Health began a probe into Valero on Monday, the day after the company began the gradual shutdown of a significant portion of the refinery, according to agency spokesman Frank Polizzi.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cal/OSHA becomes the latest government agency to look into the breakdown of a key piece of equipment inside the refinery that went down two weeks ago. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District and Solano County officials have launched probes as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Refinery Problems Started Two Weeks Ago\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On March 11, the facility's flue gas scrubber began malfunctioning. That meant the facility's smokestacks began belching a sooty plume of petroleum coke dust — minute carbon particles that are a byproduct of the oil refining process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The initial problem prompted the Bay Area Air Quality Management District to issue eight \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11733145/air-district-hits-valero-with-violations-over-benicia-refinery-releases\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">notices of violation\u003c/a> against Valero.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The air district and Solano County health officials said during the following days that the flue gas scrubber had been fixed and the coke dust releases were intermittent and gradually coming to an end.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the black smoke returned on Saturday. On Sunday, fire officials detected high levels of fine particulate matter, known as PM10, around the refinery and issued a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11735065/problems-at-valeros-benicia-refinery-increase-prompt-health-advisory\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">health advisory\u003c/a> urging people with respiratory issues to stay indoors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"What we were seeing was dark gray, almost black smoke coming from the flue gas scrubber unit,\" Benicia Fire Chief Josh Chadwick said Monday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>PM10 is particulate matter 10 micrometers or less in diameter — larger than PM2.5 many became familiar with during last November's Camp Fire, when smoke from the huge Butte County blaze prompted health advisories throughout much of Northern California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like PM2.5, the larger particulate matter is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>EPA spokeswoman Soledad Calvino said the agency would not comment on ongoing or potential investigations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The agency has said that once inhaled, petroleum coke dust can affect the heart and lungs and cause serious health effects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The additional concern is that this is more toxic than the standard stuff you'd find in the atmosphere,\" said Anthony Wexler, director of the Air Quality Research Center at UC Davis. \"It's probably similar in toxicity to diesel exhaust, which is a known carcinogen because it's sooty in nature.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Sunday morning the wind in the Benicia area was blowing east to west at about 6 to 12 mph, according to meteorologist Jan Null.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That meant the coke dust was being blown toward residential neighborhoods, said Chadwick.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"That was one of the big concerns I had,\" Chadwick said. \"We had a wind shift ... that really turned it back toward the city.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Several Residents Complain of Breathing Problems\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chadwick said the Benicia Fire Department received two 911 calls for respiratory complaints. One of the calls was for one person who was transported to John Muir Medical Center in Concord. The other was for two people who told paramedics who showed up they didn't need to be hospitalized.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The wind on Sunday also sent the coke dust toward parts of Contra Costa County, according to air district spokesman Ralph Borrmann. The agency received several complaints from people in Benicia and a few in Rodeo, Borrmann said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fire crews have been conducting air readings since Sunday morning and the levels of particulate are back to normal, Chadwick said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Air district officials are expected to release the results of their testing later this week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It's unclear why the flue gas scrubber began malfunctioning again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Terry Schmidtbauer, Solano County's assistant director of resource management, said his department's investigation is focused on the scrubber unit, other refinery components that interact with the device and if refinery workers made a mistake in operating the unit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It's also uncertain how long it will take to shut down the affected parts of the refinery and how long that closure will last.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I am not sure how long Valero intends to have the affected portion shut down,\" Schmidtbauer said in an email.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lillian Riojas, a Valero spokeswoman, did not answer questions about how long the shutdown should last.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Sunday the company issued a statement about the refinery problem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"There may be a visible plume and flaring as part of the shutdown,\" Valero's statement said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mayor Renews Call for More Refinery Regulations\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mayor Patterson has been calling for more regulation of Valero's facility ever since the May 5, 2017, refinery incident — a push that so far \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11675407/in-wake-of-valero-refinery-incident-benicia-weighs-whether-to-pursue-safety-ordinance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">has failed\u003c/a> to result in action.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The City Council rejected her proposal to develop an industrial safety ordinance, similar to one in Contra Costa County, that provides more information to town officials about refinery problems.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The latest incident has prompted her to renew her call for action.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We definitely need an industrial safety ordinance with the fees to cover the costs that it's costing the city,\" Patterson said. \"When we are responding to these things, that means we're not doing something else.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Patterson said she planned to bring up the issue of compensation at a City Council session this Saturday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A Bay Area environmental group critical of the oil industry and the agencies regulating it said the episode should raise concern about operations at other facilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"This is the latest sign that Bay Area refineries and our air quality officials can't safely cope with current workloads, let alone the increased volume of oil processing planned by the industry,\" said Hollin Kretzmann, an Oakland-based lawyer for the Center for Biological Diversity.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/11735237/valeros-benicia-refinery-now-target-of-several-probes-into-pollution-releases",
"authors": [
"258"
],
"programs": [
"news_72"
],
"categories": [
"news_19906",
"news_8",
"news_356"
],
"tags": [
"news_2036",
"news_20902",
"news_21107",
"news_20022"
],
"featImg": "news_11735080",
"label": "news_72"
},
"news_11735065": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_11735065",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11735065",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1553444034000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news",
"term": 72
},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1553444034,
"format": "standard",
"disqusTitle": "After Weeks of Issues, Valero's Benicia Refinery to Temporarily Shut Down",
"title": "After Weeks of Issues, Valero's Benicia Refinery to Temporarily Shut Down",
"headTitle": "The California Report | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>Updated Sunday, 11:30 a.m.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Valero refinery is performing a controlled shutdown to \"improve conditions and minimize risk,\" according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.ci.benicia.ca.us/index.asp?SEC=168344BF-D432-4104-A49E-CCC4A509780B&DE=727A7651-863F-4A53-AED6-92FB7619366B&Type=B_PR\">statement\u003c/a> from Benicia city officials. The shutdown could last multiple days and result in visible flaring.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earlier Sunday, city officials issued an advisory notice for residents with respiratory issues to stay inside after a 2-week-old problem at the Valero refinery worsened.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But now that the refinery is shutting down, city officials and Solano County health officer Bela Matyas say the air quality is safe for residents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Valero Advisory Update - 10:30 a.m.\u003cbr>\nBenicia Fire Department continues to monitor air quality. Readings show that levels have significantly improved and are currently in the safe range. \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/hashtag/ValeroScrubberIncident?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#ValeroScrubberIncident\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>— City of Benicia (@CityofBenicia) \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/CityofBenicia/status/1109871678937423872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 24, 2019\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>The problem at the Valero refinery began on March 11 when a malfunction involving one of the refinery's units led to the release of \u003ca href=\"https://www.epa.gov/petroleum-coke-chicago/health-effects-petroleum-coke\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">petroleum coke dust\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A Valero representative said then that the refinery's flue gas scrubber was \"experiencing operational issues.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The releases prompted local air regulators to issue \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11733145/air-district-hits-valero-with-violations-over-benicia-refinery-releases\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">seven notices of violation against the refinery. \u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those problems eased after a few days but continued intermittently, air district officials said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Saturday several Benicia residents posted comments on the social media site Nextdoor, expressing concerns about what appeared to be more black smoke coming from Valero's stacks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Sunday, the particulate matter in the air increased.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/TedrickG/status/1109828119693684736\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The concentration of particulate matter has become significantly higher over the past day. The emissions contain coke, a by-product of the refining process that is made up primarily of carbon particles,\" the city's statement said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Benicia officials said testing of the coke dust released so far did not show heavy metals at harmful levels but warned that breathing in air from the releases could worsen underlying respiratory conditions like asthma.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Inspectors are on scene working with the facility and with Solano County and making a determination if additional violations will be coming,” said Lisa Fasano, a spokeswoman with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The air district also deployed a monitoring van to drive throughout Benicia to \"gather ground-level emissions data.\"\u003c/p>\n\n",
"disqusIdentifier": "11735065 https://ww2.kqed.org/news/?p=11735065",
"disqusUrl": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2019/03/24/problems-at-valeros-benicia-refinery-increase-prompt-health-advisory/",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 377,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 17
},
"modified": 1553560976,
"excerpt": "Releases from particulate matter from the refinery, which began two weeks ago, worsened over the weekend. ",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "Releases from particulate matter from the refinery, which began two weeks ago, worsened over the weekend. ",
"title": "After Weeks of Issues, Valero's Benicia Refinery to Temporarily Shut Down | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "After Weeks of Issues, Valero's Benicia Refinery to Temporarily Shut Down",
"datePublished": "2019-03-24T09:13:54-07:00",
"dateModified": "2019-03-25T17:42:56-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "problems-at-valeros-benicia-refinery-increase-prompt-health-advisory",
"status": "publish",
"path": "/news/11735065/problems-at-valeros-benicia-refinery-increase-prompt-health-advisory",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>Updated Sunday, 11:30 a.m.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Valero refinery is performing a controlled shutdown to \"improve conditions and minimize risk,\" according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.ci.benicia.ca.us/index.asp?SEC=168344BF-D432-4104-A49E-CCC4A509780B&DE=727A7651-863F-4A53-AED6-92FB7619366B&Type=B_PR\">statement\u003c/a> from Benicia city officials. The shutdown could last multiple days and result in visible flaring.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earlier Sunday, city officials issued an advisory notice for residents with respiratory issues to stay inside after a 2-week-old problem at the Valero refinery worsened.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But now that the refinery is shutting down, city officials and Solano County health officer Bela Matyas say the air quality is safe for residents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Valero Advisory Update - 10:30 a.m.\u003cbr>\nBenicia Fire Department continues to monitor air quality. Readings show that levels have significantly improved and are currently in the safe range. \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/hashtag/ValeroScrubberIncident?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#ValeroScrubberIncident\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>— City of Benicia (@CityofBenicia) \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/CityofBenicia/status/1109871678937423872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 24, 2019\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>The problem at the Valero refinery began on March 11 when a malfunction involving one of the refinery's units led to the release of \u003ca href=\"https://www.epa.gov/petroleum-coke-chicago/health-effects-petroleum-coke\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">petroleum coke dust\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A Valero representative said then that the refinery's flue gas scrubber was \"experiencing operational issues.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The releases prompted local air regulators to issue \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11733145/air-district-hits-valero-with-violations-over-benicia-refinery-releases\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">seven notices of violation against the refinery. \u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those problems eased after a few days but continued intermittently, air district officials said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Saturday several Benicia residents posted comments on the social media site Nextdoor, expressing concerns about what appeared to be more black smoke coming from Valero's stacks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Sunday, the particulate matter in the air increased.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "singleTwitterStatus",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"id": "1109828119693684736"
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\"The concentration of particulate matter has become significantly higher over the past day. The emissions contain coke, a by-product of the refining process that is made up primarily of carbon particles,\" the city's statement said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Benicia officials said testing of the coke dust released so far did not show heavy metals at harmful levels but warned that breathing in air from the releases could worsen underlying respiratory conditions like asthma.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Inspectors are on scene working with the facility and with Solano County and making a determination if additional violations will be coming,” said Lisa Fasano, a spokeswoman with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The air district also deployed a monitoring van to drive throughout Benicia to \"gather ground-level emissions data.\"\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/11735065/problems-at-valeros-benicia-refinery-increase-prompt-health-advisory",
"authors": [
"258",
"11526"
],
"programs": [
"news_72"
],
"categories": [
"news_19906",
"news_8"
],
"tags": [
"news_20902",
"news_21826",
"news_2920",
"news_2919",
"news_23938",
"news_20022"
],
"featImg": "news_11735080",
"label": "news_72"
},
"news_11733145": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_11733145",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11733145",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1552695007000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news",
"term": 72
},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1552695007,
"format": "standard",
"disqusTitle": "Air District Hits Valero With Violations Over Benicia Refinery Releases",
"title": "Air District Hits Valero With Violations Over Benicia Refinery Releases",
"headTitle": "The California Report | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cp>Local air regulators have issued seven notices of violation against the Valero Energy Corp. over a malfunction at its Benicia refinery that has led to the release of petroleum coke dust from the facility since Monday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The problem has led to a response by four agencies: the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and Solano County health officials have launched investigations into the releases; the U.S. Environmental Protection Administration and the Benicia Fire Department are monitoring the situation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It's unclear how long the problem will last.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Valero is telling us they are unable to give an estimate of when it will be resolved,\" said Benicia Fire Chief Josh Chadwick.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A Valero representative says the malfunction is tied to a device that removes particulates during a process that takes place inside the refinery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We have been experiencing operational issues with the flue gas scrubber,\" said company spokeswoman Lillian Riojas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That led to so-called coke fines — very small carbon particulates that are a byproduct of the oil refining process — being released from the refinery's flare stacks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Normally, warm water vapor moves through the refinery's towers and exits the stacks as steam, but the petcoke particulates make the plume appear dark and sooty.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The fines remained in the raw exhaust gas,\" said Professor Eric Smith, associate director of the Tulane Energy Institute, specializing in refinery operations. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The dark smoke will continue until all of the fines in the lines leading to the exhaust stack have been cleared from the system,\" Smith said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the material is not hazardous, the releases could include trace amounts of heavy metals, according to Terry Schmidtbauer, Solano County's assistant director of resource management.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero's Riojas did not respond to follow-up questions about the status of the scrubber that led to this week's releases, but Benicia Fire's Chadwick said Friday that \"the maintenance issue has been resolved.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So far, air tests have not raised concerns among the agencies monitoring the site. Crews have not detected high levels of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide or particulate matter, according to Chadwick.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And Schmidtbauer says the situation is slowly improving — the amount of coke dust coming from the facility has been lessening.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nevertheless, the air district has issued four notices of violation against Valero for visible emissions and three for public nuisance, agency spokesman Ralph Borrmann said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The U.S. EPA says significant quantities of dust from pet coke can present a \u003ca href=\"https://www.epa.gov/petroleum-coke-chicago/health-effects-petroleum-coke\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">health risk\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The risk of these tiny particles getting into people's lungs is yet another example of the dangers of living near a dirty refinery,\" said Hollin Kretzmann, a staff attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. \"Communities should not have to be afraid of breathing in pollution that could affect their health.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The problem represents one of the more extensive malfunctions at the refinery since it \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11685464/state-decides-not-to-penalize-pge-for-major-valero-outage\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">lost all power\u003c/a> on May 5, 2017, an event that led to a major release of pollution, shelter-in-place and evacuation orders.\u003c/p>\n\n",
"disqusIdentifier": "11733145 https://ww2.kqed.org/news/?p=11733145",
"disqusUrl": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2019/03/15/air-district-hits-valero-with-violations-over-benicia-refinery-releases/",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 512,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 20
},
"modified": 1552695007,
"excerpt": "A device that scrubs small carbon particulates broke down earlier this week, leading to a sooty plume that has persisted for days.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "A device that scrubs small carbon particulates broke down earlier this week, leading to a sooty plume that has persisted for days.",
"title": "Air District Hits Valero With Violations Over Benicia Refinery Releases | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "Air District Hits Valero With Violations Over Benicia Refinery Releases",
"datePublished": "2019-03-15T17:10:07-07:00",
"dateModified": "2019-03-15T17:10:07-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "air-district-hits-valero-with-violations-over-benicia-refinery-releases",
"status": "publish",
"path": "/news/11733145/air-district-hits-valero-with-violations-over-benicia-refinery-releases",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Local air regulators have issued seven notices of violation against the Valero Energy Corp. over a malfunction at its Benicia refinery that has led to the release of petroleum coke dust from the facility since Monday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The problem has led to a response by four agencies: the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and Solano County health officials have launched investigations into the releases; the U.S. Environmental Protection Administration and the Benicia Fire Department are monitoring the situation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It's unclear how long the problem will last.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Valero is telling us they are unable to give an estimate of when it will be resolved,\" said Benicia Fire Chief Josh Chadwick.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A Valero representative says the malfunction is tied to a device that removes particulates during a process that takes place inside the refinery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We have been experiencing operational issues with the flue gas scrubber,\" said company spokeswoman Lillian Riojas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That led to so-called coke fines — very small carbon particulates that are a byproduct of the oil refining process — being released from the refinery's flare stacks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Normally, warm water vapor moves through the refinery's towers and exits the stacks as steam, but the petcoke particulates make the plume appear dark and sooty.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The fines remained in the raw exhaust gas,\" said Professor Eric Smith, associate director of the Tulane Energy Institute, specializing in refinery operations. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The dark smoke will continue until all of the fines in the lines leading to the exhaust stack have been cleared from the system,\" Smith said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the material is not hazardous, the releases could include trace amounts of heavy metals, according to Terry Schmidtbauer, Solano County's assistant director of resource management.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero's Riojas did not respond to follow-up questions about the status of the scrubber that led to this week's releases, but Benicia Fire's Chadwick said Friday that \"the maintenance issue has been resolved.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So far, air tests have not raised concerns among the agencies monitoring the site. Crews have not detected high levels of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide or particulate matter, according to Chadwick.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And Schmidtbauer says the situation is slowly improving — the amount of coke dust coming from the facility has been lessening.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nevertheless, the air district has issued four notices of violation against Valero for visible emissions and three for public nuisance, agency spokesman Ralph Borrmann said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The U.S. EPA says significant quantities of dust from pet coke can present a \u003ca href=\"https://www.epa.gov/petroleum-coke-chicago/health-effects-petroleum-coke\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">health risk\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The risk of these tiny particles getting into people's lungs is yet another example of the dangers of living near a dirty refinery,\" said Hollin Kretzmann, a staff attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. \"Communities should not have to be afraid of breathing in pollution that could affect their health.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The problem represents one of the more extensive malfunctions at the refinery since it \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11685464/state-decides-not-to-penalize-pge-for-major-valero-outage\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">lost all power\u003c/a> on May 5, 2017, an event that led to a major release of pollution, shelter-in-place and evacuation orders.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/11733145/air-district-hits-valero-with-violations-over-benicia-refinery-releases",
"authors": [
"258"
],
"programs": [
"news_72"
],
"categories": [
"news_19906",
"news_8",
"news_356"
],
"tags": [
"news_2036",
"news_20902",
"news_20022"
],
"featImg": "news_11733161",
"label": "news_72"
},
"news_11704576": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_11704576",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11704576",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1541631707000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news"
},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1541631707,
"format": "standard",
"disqusTitle": "Valero-Backed Candidates Win Benicia City Council Election",
"title": "Valero-Backed Candidates Win Benicia City Council Election",
"headTitle": "KQED News",
"content": "\u003cp>Two candidates backed by Texas-based Valero Energy Corp. won seats on the Benicia City Council in Tuesday's election, while another candidate attacked by the large oil company lost.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero — which operates a refinery that's one of Benicia's largest employers — along with five state and local labor groups donated more than $165,000 to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11700855/valero-backed-group-spends-heavily-to-sway-benicia-city-council-election\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">political action committee\u003c/a> that backed Christina Strawbridge and Lionel Largaespada and opposed Kari Birdseye, an environmentalist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That amount is more than three times as much as what the candidates raised combined.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By Wednesday morning, Strawbridge got more than 33 percent of the vote, Largaespada garnered close to 30 percent and Birdseye received 26 percent, according to the Solano County Registrar of Voters. Those numbers don't yet include all mail-in and provisional ballots.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"alignright\">\n\u003ch3>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11700855/valero-backed-group-spends-heavily-to-sway-benicia-city-council-election\">Valero-Backed Group Spends Heavily to Sway Benicia City Council Election\u003c/a>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11700855/valero-backed-group-spends-heavily-to-sway-benicia-city-council-election\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS5894_IMG_1993-1180x885.jpg\" alt=\"\">\u003c/a>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>Birdseye has conceded the election, but she expressed displeasure with the PAC's actions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We ran a smart, clean campaign and played by the rules. These election results will only embolden special interests to throw in money to local races to buy candidates to do their dirty work,\" Birdseye said in an emailed statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Valero PAC's ads called Birdseye \"a yes man\" for Mayor Elizabeth Patterson, and \"another job killer\" that was \"bad for Benicia.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Its work deepened a divide at City Hall and the rest of Benicia over the city's relationship with its refinery neighbor, 18 months after the facility experienced a full power outage that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11685464/state-decides-not-to-penalize-pge-for-major-valero-outage\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">led to a major release of pollution\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Valero PAC's work led to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11703159/state-rejects-benicias-bid-to-have-political-watchdog-investigate-valero\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">failed attempt\u003c/a> by Benicia city officials to get the state's political watchdog to investigate some of Valero's communication with voters weeks before the vote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And it reminded critics of an \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2014/11/05/361875792/chevron-spends-big-and-loses-big-in-a-city-council-race\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">effort by Chevron to sway voters in Richmond\u003c/a> in 2014 when the company spent millions on an attempt to elect a slate of its allies to the City Council.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Strawbridge, who was previously on the council, emphasized that she did not support what she called the committee's \"smear campaign,\" and said it's time for the city to come together and improve its dealings with Valero.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"It's been a tough election,\" Strawbridge said in an interview Wednesday. \"I ran on my own credentials, my own experience and I feel like that resonated with the residents.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A Valero spokeswoman did not respond to a request for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last month the company wrote a \u003ca href=\"https://www.timesheraldonline.com/2018/10/16/an-open-letter-from-valero-benicia-refinery/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">letter to the editor\u003c/a> at the Vallejo Times-Herald, emphasizing the refinery's strong safety record and criticizing Mayor Patterson.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Union officials have said that Patterson's criticism of Valero puts the city's economic health at risk. And, since Birdseye was her ally and a spokeswoman for the National Resources Defense Council, she became the target of the PAC.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Last night the voters of Benicia made it clear the path they want our city to take,\" said Don Zampa, president of the District Council of Ironworkers, in an emailed statement. Zampa's group is one of the those that donated to the PAC.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Benicia is home to a blue-collar workforce. We've been here for generations and we are not going anywhere,\" Zampa said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Patterson, for her part, has said Valero tried to bully and buy its way into politics in Benicia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Largaespada did not respond to a request for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
"disqusIdentifier": "11704576 https://ww2.kqed.org/news/?p=11704576",
"disqusUrl": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2018/11/07/valero-backed-candidates-win-benicia-city-council-election/",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 574,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 21
},
"modified": 1541642125,
"excerpt": "'These election results will only embolden special interests to throw in money to local races to buy candidates to do their dirty work,' said candidate Kari Birdseye. ",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "'These election results will only embolden special interests to throw in money to local races to buy candidates to do their dirty work,' said candidate Kari Birdseye. ",
"title": "Valero-Backed Candidates Win Benicia City Council Election | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "Valero-Backed Candidates Win Benicia City Council Election",
"datePublished": "2018-11-07T15:01:47-08:00",
"dateModified": "2018-11-07T17:55:25-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "valero-backed-candidates-win-benicia-city-council-election",
"status": "publish",
"path": "/news/11704576/valero-backed-candidates-win-benicia-city-council-election",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Two candidates backed by Texas-based Valero Energy Corp. won seats on the Benicia City Council in Tuesday's election, while another candidate attacked by the large oil company lost.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero — which operates a refinery that's one of Benicia's largest employers — along with five state and local labor groups donated more than $165,000 to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11700855/valero-backed-group-spends-heavily-to-sway-benicia-city-council-election\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">political action committee\u003c/a> that backed Christina Strawbridge and Lionel Largaespada and opposed Kari Birdseye, an environmentalist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That amount is more than three times as much as what the candidates raised combined.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By Wednesday morning, Strawbridge got more than 33 percent of the vote, Largaespada garnered close to 30 percent and Birdseye received 26 percent, according to the Solano County Registrar of Voters. Those numbers don't yet include all mail-in and provisional ballots.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"alignright\">\n\u003ch3>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11700855/valero-backed-group-spends-heavily-to-sway-benicia-city-council-election\">Valero-Backed Group Spends Heavily to Sway Benicia City Council Election\u003c/a>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11700855/valero-backed-group-spends-heavily-to-sway-benicia-city-council-election\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS5894_IMG_1993-1180x885.jpg\" alt=\"\">\u003c/a>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>Birdseye has conceded the election, but she expressed displeasure with the PAC's actions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We ran a smart, clean campaign and played by the rules. These election results will only embolden special interests to throw in money to local races to buy candidates to do their dirty work,\" Birdseye said in an emailed statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Valero PAC's ads called Birdseye \"a yes man\" for Mayor Elizabeth Patterson, and \"another job killer\" that was \"bad for Benicia.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Its work deepened a divide at City Hall and the rest of Benicia over the city's relationship with its refinery neighbor, 18 months after the facility experienced a full power outage that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11685464/state-decides-not-to-penalize-pge-for-major-valero-outage\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">led to a major release of pollution\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Valero PAC's work led to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11703159/state-rejects-benicias-bid-to-have-political-watchdog-investigate-valero\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">failed attempt\u003c/a> by Benicia city officials to get the state's political watchdog to investigate some of Valero's communication with voters weeks before the vote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And it reminded critics of an \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2014/11/05/361875792/chevron-spends-big-and-loses-big-in-a-city-council-race\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">effort by Chevron to sway voters in Richmond\u003c/a> in 2014 when the company spent millions on an attempt to elect a slate of its allies to the City Council.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Strawbridge, who was previously on the council, emphasized that she did not support what she called the committee's \"smear campaign,\" and said it's time for the city to come together and improve its dealings with Valero.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"It's been a tough election,\" Strawbridge said in an interview Wednesday. \"I ran on my own credentials, my own experience and I feel like that resonated with the residents.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A Valero spokeswoman did not respond to a request for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last month the company wrote a \u003ca href=\"https://www.timesheraldonline.com/2018/10/16/an-open-letter-from-valero-benicia-refinery/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">letter to the editor\u003c/a> at the Vallejo Times-Herald, emphasizing the refinery's strong safety record and criticizing Mayor Patterson.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Union officials have said that Patterson's criticism of Valero puts the city's economic health at risk. And, since Birdseye was her ally and a spokeswoman for the National Resources Defense Council, she became the target of the PAC.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Last night the voters of Benicia made it clear the path they want our city to take,\" said Don Zampa, president of the District Council of Ironworkers, in an emailed statement. Zampa's group is one of the those that donated to the PAC.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Benicia is home to a blue-collar workforce. We've been here for generations and we are not going anywhere,\" Zampa said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Patterson, for her part, has said Valero tried to bully and buy its way into politics in Benicia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Largaespada did not respond to a request for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/11704576/valero-backed-candidates-win-benicia-city-council-election",
"authors": [
"258"
],
"categories": [
"news_19906",
"news_8",
"news_13"
],
"tags": [
"news_20902",
"news_20191",
"news_24446",
"news_3111",
"news_20022"
],
"featImg": "news_11704716",
"label": "news"
},
"news_11703159": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_11703159",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11703159",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1541197198000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news"
},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1541197198,
"format": "standard",
"disqusTitle": "State Rejects Benicia's Bid to Have Political Watchdog Investigate Valero",
"title": "State Rejects Benicia's Bid to Have Political Watchdog Investigate Valero",
"headTitle": "KQED News",
"content": "\u003cp>State campaign finance regulators have decided not to launch an investigation into one of the apparent tactics the Valero Energy Corp. may have used in order to influence the Benicia City Council election. The San Antonio-based oil company operates a refinery that's one of the Solano County city's largest employers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>City officials last month filed a complaint with the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) against the Valero refinery in connection with a series of phone calls made to Benicia residents about the election.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>City Attorney Heather McLaughlin alleged that Valero sponsored a so-called push poll that may have involved a questioner laying out negative statements about one of the council candidates the company opposes, and positive ones about two candidates the company sees as allies — but did not disclose it was behind the poll during the calls.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The FPPC said Thursday it would not pursue an enforcement action against Valero.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The Enforcement Division found insufficient evidence of a violation of the Political Reform Act,\" Galena West, the division's chief, wrote in a letter on Thursday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The company says it's not surprised by the FPPC's decision.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"It only highlights the greater concern that the Mayor and Vice Mayor consistently and inappropriately use their City Council leadership positions and our city resources to advance their agenda against our company,\" the refinery said in an open letter Thursday to the city's residents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero and five of its allies have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11700855/valero-backed-group-spends-heavily-to-sway-benicia-city-council-election\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">spent more than $165,000 on a political action committee\u003c/a> to influence the election, an amount that's close to three times as much as all of the candidates have raised combined.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"alignright\">\n\u003ch3>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11700855/valero-backed-group-spends-heavily-to-sway-benicia-city-council-election\">Valero-Backed Group Spends Heavily to Sway Benicia City Council Election\u003c/a>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11700855/valero-backed-group-spends-heavily-to-sway-benicia-city-council-election\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS5894_IMG_1993-1180x885.jpg\" alt=\"\">\u003c/a>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>The PAC is pushing to defeat Kari Birdseye, an environmentalist, and is backing Christina Strawbridge and Lionel Largaespada, to candidates the committee sees as Valero backers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The energy company claims that McLaughlin, Mayor Elizabeth Patterson and Vice Mayor Steve Young inappropriately used city money, time and energy to go after Valero in an effort that supports Birdseye.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The goal of these political antics is to provide the Mayor with a secure majority vote for a single minded agenda to negatively impact our refinery,\" Valero said. \"This is just the latest example of the Mayor using bully tactics against our company in her quest to shut down our business,\" the company said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Birdseye has been critical of the refinery and has expressed support for the mayor's proposed safety regulations that emerged after \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11681218/cpuc-probe-says-pge-mistakes-led-to-benicia-refinery-outage\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Valero's May 5, 2017 full-facility power outage\u003c/a> that led to a major release of toxic sulfur dioxide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That proposal, called an Industrial Safety Ordinance, failed at the City Council.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Strawbridge and Largaespada do not support the ordinance. The three candidates, along with a fourth candidate, William Emes, are running for two spots on the Council.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>McLaughlin, the city attorney, said the city was disappointed with the FPPC's decision but is still looking into the matter. In fact, city officials still have not been able to confirm what questions were used in the poll, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Thursday night, the Council directed McLaughlin to get a copy of the questions from the commission and Valero to determine if they violated the city's clean campaign laws.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the firms Valero hired to conduct the poll, EMC, has refused to hand the questions over.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gary Winuk, a lawyer representing EMC, argued that the poll was conducted in full compliance with federal, state and local laws. EMC does not engage in campaign advertising and the poll was not partisan, Winuk argued in a Oct. 9 letter to the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The poll's purpose was to gather feedback from local voters and the company is not obligated to hand over its questions, according to Winuk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Professional polling companies are under no obligation to provide you with the information you requested,\" he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mayor Patterson and Vice Mayor Young disagree.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We are seeking facts to determine if the polling was for or against candidates,\" Patterson said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We respect freedom of speech even for large, mega-billion-dollar fossil fuel corporations trying to bully and buy council seats.\" she said in an email.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"There is no reason why Valero or the polling company should not now agree to our repeated requests to provide a copy to the city,\" Young wrote, also in an email Friday.\u003c/p>\n\n",
"disqusIdentifier": "11703159 https://ww2.kqed.org/news/?p=11703159",
"disqusUrl": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2018/11/02/state-rejects-benicias-bid-to-have-political-watchdog-investigate-valero/",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 741,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 26
},
"modified": 1541257925,
"excerpt": "Benicia city officials had alleged that Valero may have commissioned a poll that advocated for certain City Council candidates the oil company sees as allies.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "Benicia city officials had alleged that Valero may have commissioned a poll that advocated for certain City Council candidates the oil company sees as allies.",
"title": "State Rejects Benicia's Bid to Have Political Watchdog Investigate Valero | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "State Rejects Benicia's Bid to Have Political Watchdog Investigate Valero",
"datePublished": "2018-11-02T15:19:58-07:00",
"dateModified": "2018-11-03T08:12:05-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "state-rejects-benicias-bid-to-have-political-watchdog-investigate-valero",
"status": "publish",
"path": "/news/11703159/state-rejects-benicias-bid-to-have-political-watchdog-investigate-valero",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>State campaign finance regulators have decided not to launch an investigation into one of the apparent tactics the Valero Energy Corp. may have used in order to influence the Benicia City Council election. The San Antonio-based oil company operates a refinery that's one of the Solano County city's largest employers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>City officials last month filed a complaint with the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) against the Valero refinery in connection with a series of phone calls made to Benicia residents about the election.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>City Attorney Heather McLaughlin alleged that Valero sponsored a so-called push poll that may have involved a questioner laying out negative statements about one of the council candidates the company opposes, and positive ones about two candidates the company sees as allies — but did not disclose it was behind the poll during the calls.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The FPPC said Thursday it would not pursue an enforcement action against Valero.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The Enforcement Division found insufficient evidence of a violation of the Political Reform Act,\" Galena West, the division's chief, wrote in a letter on Thursday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The company says it's not surprised by the FPPC's decision.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"It only highlights the greater concern that the Mayor and Vice Mayor consistently and inappropriately use their City Council leadership positions and our city resources to advance their agenda against our company,\" the refinery said in an open letter Thursday to the city's residents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero and five of its allies have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11700855/valero-backed-group-spends-heavily-to-sway-benicia-city-council-election\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">spent more than $165,000 on a political action committee\u003c/a> to influence the election, an amount that's close to three times as much as all of the candidates have raised combined.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"alignright\">\n\u003ch3>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11700855/valero-backed-group-spends-heavily-to-sway-benicia-city-council-election\">Valero-Backed Group Spends Heavily to Sway Benicia City Council Election\u003c/a>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11700855/valero-backed-group-spends-heavily-to-sway-benicia-city-council-election\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS5894_IMG_1993-1180x885.jpg\" alt=\"\">\u003c/a>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>The PAC is pushing to defeat Kari Birdseye, an environmentalist, and is backing Christina Strawbridge and Lionel Largaespada, to candidates the committee sees as Valero backers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The energy company claims that McLaughlin, Mayor Elizabeth Patterson and Vice Mayor Steve Young inappropriately used city money, time and energy to go after Valero in an effort that supports Birdseye.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The goal of these political antics is to provide the Mayor with a secure majority vote for a single minded agenda to negatively impact our refinery,\" Valero said. \"This is just the latest example of the Mayor using bully tactics against our company in her quest to shut down our business,\" the company said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Birdseye has been critical of the refinery and has expressed support for the mayor's proposed safety regulations that emerged after \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11681218/cpuc-probe-says-pge-mistakes-led-to-benicia-refinery-outage\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Valero's May 5, 2017 full-facility power outage\u003c/a> that led to a major release of toxic sulfur dioxide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That proposal, called an Industrial Safety Ordinance, failed at the City Council.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Strawbridge and Largaespada do not support the ordinance. The three candidates, along with a fourth candidate, William Emes, are running for two spots on the Council.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>McLaughlin, the city attorney, said the city was disappointed with the FPPC's decision but is still looking into the matter. In fact, city officials still have not been able to confirm what questions were used in the poll, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Thursday night, the Council directed McLaughlin to get a copy of the questions from the commission and Valero to determine if they violated the city's clean campaign laws.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the firms Valero hired to conduct the poll, EMC, has refused to hand the questions over.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gary Winuk, a lawyer representing EMC, argued that the poll was conducted in full compliance with federal, state and local laws. EMC does not engage in campaign advertising and the poll was not partisan, Winuk argued in a Oct. 9 letter to the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The poll's purpose was to gather feedback from local voters and the company is not obligated to hand over its questions, according to Winuk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Professional polling companies are under no obligation to provide you with the information you requested,\" he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mayor Patterson and Vice Mayor Young disagree.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We are seeking facts to determine if the polling was for or against candidates,\" Patterson said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We respect freedom of speech even for large, mega-billion-dollar fossil fuel corporations trying to bully and buy council seats.\" she said in an email.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"There is no reason why Valero or the polling company should not now agree to our repeated requests to provide a copy to the city,\" Young wrote, also in an email Friday.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/11703159/state-rejects-benicias-bid-to-have-political-watchdog-investigate-valero",
"authors": [
"258"
],
"categories": [
"news_19906",
"news_6188",
"news_8",
"news_13"
],
"tags": [
"news_20902",
"news_20191",
"news_19542",
"news_24446",
"news_20022",
"news_21030"
],
"featImg": "news_11703286",
"label": "news"
},
"news_11700855": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_11700855",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11700855",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1540931846000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news",
"term": 72
},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1540931846,
"format": "standard",
"disqusTitle": "Valero-Backed Group Spends Heavily to Sway Benicia City Council Election",
"title": "Valero-Backed Group Spends Heavily to Sway Benicia City Council Election",
"headTitle": "The California Report | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cp>The Valero Energy Corp. and several allies have spent more than $165,000 to influence the Benicia City Council election, an amount that's close to three times as much as all of the candidates have raised combined.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The San Antonio-based oil company, which operates a refinery that's one of the city's largest employers, has joined with five state and local labor organizations to donate to a political action committee formed to oppose an environmentalist candidate and back two others the group sees as friendly to the company.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The committee has funded ads and an aggressive telephone campaign to influence the city's 19,000-plus registered voters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Experts say the magnitude of the spending in a small municipal election is unusual but that the Benicia campaign is part of a trend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We're going to see a lot more of this spending,\" Jessica Levinson, a professor at Loyola Law School specializing in money in politics, said about corporate political contributions in local elections.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Even though they are closer to constituents than a gubernatorial or Senate race, voters tend to know less about them. A little bit of spending ... can make a difference,\" Levinson said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero's actions are reminiscent of an effort several years ago by Chevron to sway voters in Richmond, where it operates a massive refinery. In 2014 \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2014/11/05/361875792/chevron-spends-big-and-loses-big-in-a-city-council-race\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the company spent\u003c/a> millions in an unsuccessful attempt to elect a slate of its allies to the City Council.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some of the PAC's activities have led Benicia officials to call on the state's political watchdog to investigate claims that the committee has violated some of California's laws regulating campaign contributions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The company's political activities, first reported by the \u003ca href=\"https://www.timesheraldonline.com/2018/10/16/valero-spends-money-to-oppose-benicia-candidate-birdseye/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Vallejo Times-Herald\u003c/a> and Roger Straw, an activist and blogger with the \u003ca href=\"http://beniciaindependent.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Benicia Independent\u003c/a>, come 18 months after a major release of toxic sulfur dioxide caused by a power outage at the Valero refinery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The incident prompted calls for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11675407/in-wake-of-valero-refinery-incident-benicia-weighs-whether-to-pursue-safety-ordinance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">city regulation\u003c/a> of the refinery and deepened a divide between the city's mayor and the company.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>The Candidates\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The election involves four candidates vying for two open spots on the council.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 34-word name of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.ci.benicia.ca.us/vertical/sites/%7BF991A639-AAED-4E1A-9735-86EA195E2C8D%7D/uploads/PAC_Working_Families_for_Benicia_Form_460_Pre_Election_2.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">independent expenditure\u003c/a> Valero is helping to fund explains clearly who it wants to win. It's called \"Working Families for a Strong Benicia, A Coalition of Labor, Industrial Services Companies, Public Safety and Local Leaders Supporting Christina Strawbridge and Lionel Largaespada and Opposing Kari Birdseye for Benicia City Council 2018.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Valero-backed committee calls Birdseye \"a yes man\" for Mayor Patterson.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Birdseye is bad for Benicia,\" one of its ads says. \"We don't need another job killer.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://birdseyeforbenicia.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Birdseye\u003c/a> is a spokeswoman for the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental advocacy organization.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She refers to the company's executives as \"the suits from San Antonio\" who \"sully our election\" and are engaged in a \"smear campaign\" involving \"dirty ads with lies.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Benicia deserves better than to be bullied and bamboozled by big money like this,\" she said in an interview.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a member of the city's Planning Commission in 2016, Birdseye was among those who helped defeat a company plan to expand refinery operations to include crude oil shipped by rail. Birdseye is also a supporter of Mayor Elizabeth Patterson's failed 2017 proposal to create new local regulations for the refinery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said with the Trump administration pulling back from regulating the oil industry and California's goal of sharply reducing its dependence on carbon-based energy sources in the coming decades, local governments need to take action.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"It's up to the counties, cities and towns to plan for a clean energy future,\" Birdseye said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I don't want Valero to shut down tomorrow,\" she said. \"I drive a gas-powered car, and our economy still needs Valero in our community, but I do see the need for more transparency with our largest industrial neighbor.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Birdseye \u003ca href=\"https://www.ci.benicia.ca.us/vertical/sites/%7BF991A639-AAED-4E1A-9735-86EA195E2C8D%7D/uploads/Birdseye_Form_460_Pre_Election_2.pdf\">has raised about $20,000\u003c/a> for her campaign, nearly all from individual donors in Benicia and other Solano County communities, and none from businesses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pair Supported by Valero-Backed Group\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Strawbridge and Largaespada, the two candidates supported by the Valero-backed coalition, emphasize that they have no ties to the independent expenditure group and have worked hard to keep their campaigns positive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.votelionel.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Largaespada\u003c/a> chairs the city's economic development board and works as director of marketing and business development at F3 and Associates, a firm providing advanced surveying and visualization services to a wide variety of customers -- including some in the oil and gas industry. Among its clients is Valero.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Largaespada said Valero's involvement in the election has more to do with the company's frustration and its deteriorating relationship with Mayor Patterson.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"But that doesn't give Valero and its various associates permission to launch a negative campaign,\" Largaespada said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"When this all started to come out I went on record, rejecting all of it,\" he said. \"It's not the kind of campaign I support at all.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Largaespada said Valero has a responsibility to keep Benicia safe and that the city and the refinery need to improve communication.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said he opposed the mayor's proposal for city oversight of the company, noting that the ordinance was similar to regulations the state has already adopted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.ci.benicia.ca.us/vertical/sites/%7BF991A639-AAED-4E1A-9735-86EA195E2C8D%7D/uploads/Largaespada_Form_460_Pre_Election_2.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Largaespada has raised close to $21,000\u003c/a>, mostly from individuals. He said he returned more than $1,000 he had received from a local labor PAC.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Candidate \u003ca href=\"http://www.christinaforbeniciacouncil.com/teams/?u=CHRISTINAFORBENICIACOUNCIL&s=htosports\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Christina Strawbridge\u003c/a> served on the council from 2011 to 2016, owns a clothing boutique in downtown Benicia and has been involved with community groups for 30 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like Largaespada, she said she's wary of the support she's getting from the Valero-backed group.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I think they think they're helping me,\" Strawbridge said, stressing that she's not aligned with any group or other candidate. \"I'm an independent person, as I proved when I was on the City Council for five years.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Strawbridge notes that Valero's taxes account for a large part of Benicia's budget and have attracted businesses that support refinery operations to the city's Industrial Park. She said the company \"has always stepped up\" to help community groups and to do volunteer work in the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"That said, I believe there needs to be better communication between Valero and the city of Benicia. It has gotten to be at an all-time low in our relationship,\" Strawbridge said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While she likes certain parts of the mayor's Industrial Safety Ordinance proposal, including its push for more air monitors, she said Patterson brought it to the council without gathering enough input from others.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The public didn't get a chance to review it when it was introduced. Nor did city staff. They had less than a week,\" Strawbridge said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.ci.benicia.ca.us/vertical/sites/%7BF991A639-AAED-4E1A-9735-86EA195E2C8D%7D/uploads/Strawbridge_Form_460_Pre_Election_2.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Strawbridge has received close to $24,000 in donations\u003c/a> from a mix of individuals, businesses and political action committees. She said she returned more than $1,000 from political action committees associated with Valero's independent expenditure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Also in the Running\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fourth candidate running, \u003ca href=\"http://www.electwillemes.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">William Emes\u003c/a>, is a retired carpenter who has received no donations or endorsements.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The only endorsement that counts is your vote,\" his website states.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Emes said he has worked in refineries and has a direct understanding of \"what safety means.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an email he emphasized that he wants to be on a team that \"gets things done\" and that he places great value in being transparent and objective.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The manner in which the unions and Valero involved themselves in our election was completely unprincipled and contrary to any meaningful public discussion,\" Emes said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Valero's Stance and Labor Allies\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A Valero spokeswoman did not answer questions about the committee's involvement in the council election but instead pointed out the \u003ca href=\"https://www.timesheraldonline.com/2018/10/16/an-open-letter-from-valero-benicia-refinery/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">company's views\u003c/a> in an Oct. 16 letter to the Vallejo Times-Herald.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The letter, signed by refinery general manager Don Wilson, emphasized the refinery's long-standing presence in Benicia and its strong safety record. It also directly criticized Patterson.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Unfortunately, at City Hall, the mayor has decided to make our operations, employees' jobs and the city's tax revenue her target,\" Wilson wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The five unions that have donated to the super PAC are the Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Local 16, the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers Local 549, the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California, the California State Pipe Trades Council and the District Council of Iron Workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The groups who have contributed to the committee represent workers at various refineries, among other industries.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Donald Zampa, president of the Iron Workers District Council, which contributed $30,000 to the committee, said his organization's involvement in Benicia is aimed at saving jobs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Zampa said he was not familiar with Patterson's safety ordinance but believes she is putting the city's economic health at risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"If it was up to her, she would close down the number one job provider in Benicia,\" Zampa said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Push for Investigation into Valero-Backed Group\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mayor Patterson, who supports Birdseye, calls the oil refining sector \"a fading industry\" that Benicia should pivot away from.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Valero is trying to bully and buy its way into politics in Benicia,\" Patterson said. \"I had not seen it so vicious and ugly as it has been this year.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Heather McLaughlin, Benicia's city attorney, has filed a complaint with the Fair Political Practices Commission against the Valero refinery in connection with a series of phone calls made to Benicia residents about the election.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The so-called push poll involved a questioner laying out negative statements about Birdseye and positive ones about Largaespada and Strawbridge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In September McLaughlin emailed the firm believed to be behind the phone calls, Research America, warning them that the calls may appear to violate Benicia's municipal code requiring certain disclosures for campaign communications funded by independent expenditures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Oct. 18, McLaughlin requested an FPPC investigation, alleging that Valero sponsored the poll and \"did not disclose they were behind the poll during the telephone calls.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>FPPC spokesman Jay Wierenga said the commission is in the process of deciding whether to open an inquiry.\u003c/p>\n\n",
"disqusIdentifier": "11700855 https://ww2.kqed.org/news/?p=11700855",
"disqusUrl": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2018/10/30/valero-backed-group-spends-heavily-to-sway-benicia-city-council-election/",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 1711,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 65
},
"modified": 1541199040,
"excerpt": "Oil company and unions band together in effort to defeat environmentalist candidate who opposed refinery expansion.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "Oil company and unions band together in effort to defeat environmentalist candidate who opposed refinery expansion.",
"title": "Valero-Backed Group Spends Heavily to Sway Benicia City Council Election | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "Valero-Backed Group Spends Heavily to Sway Benicia City Council Election",
"datePublished": "2018-10-30T13:37:26-07:00",
"dateModified": "2018-11-02T15:50:40-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "valero-backed-group-spends-heavily-to-sway-benicia-city-council-election",
"status": "publish",
"path": "/news/11700855/valero-backed-group-spends-heavily-to-sway-benicia-city-council-election",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The Valero Energy Corp. and several allies have spent more than $165,000 to influence the Benicia City Council election, an amount that's close to three times as much as all of the candidates have raised combined.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The San Antonio-based oil company, which operates a refinery that's one of the city's largest employers, has joined with five state and local labor organizations to donate to a political action committee formed to oppose an environmentalist candidate and back two others the group sees as friendly to the company.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The committee has funded ads and an aggressive telephone campaign to influence the city's 19,000-plus registered voters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Experts say the magnitude of the spending in a small municipal election is unusual but that the Benicia campaign is part of a trend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We're going to see a lot more of this spending,\" Jessica Levinson, a professor at Loyola Law School specializing in money in politics, said about corporate political contributions in local elections.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Even though they are closer to constituents than a gubernatorial or Senate race, voters tend to know less about them. A little bit of spending ... can make a difference,\" Levinson said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero's actions are reminiscent of an effort several years ago by Chevron to sway voters in Richmond, where it operates a massive refinery. In 2014 \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2014/11/05/361875792/chevron-spends-big-and-loses-big-in-a-city-council-race\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the company spent\u003c/a> millions in an unsuccessful attempt to elect a slate of its allies to the City Council.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some of the PAC's activities have led Benicia officials to call on the state's political watchdog to investigate claims that the committee has violated some of California's laws regulating campaign contributions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The company's political activities, first reported by the \u003ca href=\"https://www.timesheraldonline.com/2018/10/16/valero-spends-money-to-oppose-benicia-candidate-birdseye/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Vallejo Times-Herald\u003c/a> and Roger Straw, an activist and blogger with the \u003ca href=\"http://beniciaindependent.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Benicia Independent\u003c/a>, come 18 months after a major release of toxic sulfur dioxide caused by a power outage at the Valero refinery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The incident prompted calls for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11675407/in-wake-of-valero-refinery-incident-benicia-weighs-whether-to-pursue-safety-ordinance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">city regulation\u003c/a> of the refinery and deepened a divide between the city's mayor and the company.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>The Candidates\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The election involves four candidates vying for two open spots on the council.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 34-word name of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.ci.benicia.ca.us/vertical/sites/%7BF991A639-AAED-4E1A-9735-86EA195E2C8D%7D/uploads/PAC_Working_Families_for_Benicia_Form_460_Pre_Election_2.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">independent expenditure\u003c/a> Valero is helping to fund explains clearly who it wants to win. It's called \"Working Families for a Strong Benicia, A Coalition of Labor, Industrial Services Companies, Public Safety and Local Leaders Supporting Christina Strawbridge and Lionel Largaespada and Opposing Kari Birdseye for Benicia City Council 2018.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Valero-backed committee calls Birdseye \"a yes man\" for Mayor Patterson.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Birdseye is bad for Benicia,\" one of its ads says. \"We don't need another job killer.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://birdseyeforbenicia.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Birdseye\u003c/a> is a spokeswoman for the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental advocacy organization.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She refers to the company's executives as \"the suits from San Antonio\" who \"sully our election\" and are engaged in a \"smear campaign\" involving \"dirty ads with lies.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Benicia deserves better than to be bullied and bamboozled by big money like this,\" she said in an interview.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a member of the city's Planning Commission in 2016, Birdseye was among those who helped defeat a company plan to expand refinery operations to include crude oil shipped by rail. Birdseye is also a supporter of Mayor Elizabeth Patterson's failed 2017 proposal to create new local regulations for the refinery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said with the Trump administration pulling back from regulating the oil industry and California's goal of sharply reducing its dependence on carbon-based energy sources in the coming decades, local governments need to take action.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"It's up to the counties, cities and towns to plan for a clean energy future,\" Birdseye said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I don't want Valero to shut down tomorrow,\" she said. \"I drive a gas-powered car, and our economy still needs Valero in our community, but I do see the need for more transparency with our largest industrial neighbor.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Birdseye \u003ca href=\"https://www.ci.benicia.ca.us/vertical/sites/%7BF991A639-AAED-4E1A-9735-86EA195E2C8D%7D/uploads/Birdseye_Form_460_Pre_Election_2.pdf\">has raised about $20,000\u003c/a> for her campaign, nearly all from individual donors in Benicia and other Solano County communities, and none from businesses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pair Supported by Valero-Backed Group\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Strawbridge and Largaespada, the two candidates supported by the Valero-backed coalition, emphasize that they have no ties to the independent expenditure group and have worked hard to keep their campaigns positive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.votelionel.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Largaespada\u003c/a> chairs the city's economic development board and works as director of marketing and business development at F3 and Associates, a firm providing advanced surveying and visualization services to a wide variety of customers -- including some in the oil and gas industry. Among its clients is Valero.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Largaespada said Valero's involvement in the election has more to do with the company's frustration and its deteriorating relationship with Mayor Patterson.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"But that doesn't give Valero and its various associates permission to launch a negative campaign,\" Largaespada said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"When this all started to come out I went on record, rejecting all of it,\" he said. \"It's not the kind of campaign I support at all.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Largaespada said Valero has a responsibility to keep Benicia safe and that the city and the refinery need to improve communication.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said he opposed the mayor's proposal for city oversight of the company, noting that the ordinance was similar to regulations the state has already adopted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.ci.benicia.ca.us/vertical/sites/%7BF991A639-AAED-4E1A-9735-86EA195E2C8D%7D/uploads/Largaespada_Form_460_Pre_Election_2.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Largaespada has raised close to $21,000\u003c/a>, mostly from individuals. He said he returned more than $1,000 he had received from a local labor PAC.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Candidate \u003ca href=\"http://www.christinaforbeniciacouncil.com/teams/?u=CHRISTINAFORBENICIACOUNCIL&s=htosports\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Christina Strawbridge\u003c/a> served on the council from 2011 to 2016, owns a clothing boutique in downtown Benicia and has been involved with community groups for 30 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like Largaespada, she said she's wary of the support she's getting from the Valero-backed group.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I think they think they're helping me,\" Strawbridge said, stressing that she's not aligned with any group or other candidate. \"I'm an independent person, as I proved when I was on the City Council for five years.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Strawbridge notes that Valero's taxes account for a large part of Benicia's budget and have attracted businesses that support refinery operations to the city's Industrial Park. She said the company \"has always stepped up\" to help community groups and to do volunteer work in the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"That said, I believe there needs to be better communication between Valero and the city of Benicia. It has gotten to be at an all-time low in our relationship,\" Strawbridge said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While she likes certain parts of the mayor's Industrial Safety Ordinance proposal, including its push for more air monitors, she said Patterson brought it to the council without gathering enough input from others.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The public didn't get a chance to review it when it was introduced. Nor did city staff. They had less than a week,\" Strawbridge said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.ci.benicia.ca.us/vertical/sites/%7BF991A639-AAED-4E1A-9735-86EA195E2C8D%7D/uploads/Strawbridge_Form_460_Pre_Election_2.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Strawbridge has received close to $24,000 in donations\u003c/a> from a mix of individuals, businesses and political action committees. She said she returned more than $1,000 from political action committees associated with Valero's independent expenditure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Also in the Running\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fourth candidate running, \u003ca href=\"http://www.electwillemes.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">William Emes\u003c/a>, is a retired carpenter who has received no donations or endorsements.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The only endorsement that counts is your vote,\" his website states.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Emes said he has worked in refineries and has a direct understanding of \"what safety means.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an email he emphasized that he wants to be on a team that \"gets things done\" and that he places great value in being transparent and objective.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The manner in which the unions and Valero involved themselves in our election was completely unprincipled and contrary to any meaningful public discussion,\" Emes said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Valero's Stance and Labor Allies\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A Valero spokeswoman did not answer questions about the committee's involvement in the council election but instead pointed out the \u003ca href=\"https://www.timesheraldonline.com/2018/10/16/an-open-letter-from-valero-benicia-refinery/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">company's views\u003c/a> in an Oct. 16 letter to the Vallejo Times-Herald.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The letter, signed by refinery general manager Don Wilson, emphasized the refinery's long-standing presence in Benicia and its strong safety record. It also directly criticized Patterson.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Unfortunately, at City Hall, the mayor has decided to make our operations, employees' jobs and the city's tax revenue her target,\" Wilson wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The five unions that have donated to the super PAC are the Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Local 16, the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers Local 549, the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California, the California State Pipe Trades Council and the District Council of Iron Workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The groups who have contributed to the committee represent workers at various refineries, among other industries.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Donald Zampa, president of the Iron Workers District Council, which contributed $30,000 to the committee, said his organization's involvement in Benicia is aimed at saving jobs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Zampa said he was not familiar with Patterson's safety ordinance but believes she is putting the city's economic health at risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"If it was up to her, she would close down the number one job provider in Benicia,\" Zampa said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Push for Investigation into Valero-Backed Group\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mayor Patterson, who supports Birdseye, calls the oil refining sector \"a fading industry\" that Benicia should pivot away from.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Valero is trying to bully and buy its way into politics in Benicia,\" Patterson said. \"I had not seen it so vicious and ugly as it has been this year.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Heather McLaughlin, Benicia's city attorney, has filed a complaint with the Fair Political Practices Commission against the Valero refinery in connection with a series of phone calls made to Benicia residents about the election.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The so-called push poll involved a questioner laying out negative statements about Birdseye and positive ones about Largaespada and Strawbridge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In September McLaughlin emailed the firm believed to be behind the phone calls, Research America, warning them that the calls may appear to violate Benicia's municipal code requiring certain disclosures for campaign communications funded by independent expenditures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Oct. 18, McLaughlin requested an FPPC investigation, alleging that Valero sponsored the poll and \"did not disclose they were behind the poll during the telephone calls.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>FPPC spokesman Jay Wierenga said the commission is in the process of deciding whether to open an inquiry.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/11700855/valero-backed-group-spends-heavily-to-sway-benicia-city-council-election",
"authors": [
"258"
],
"programs": [
"news_72"
],
"categories": [
"news_19906",
"news_8",
"news_13"
],
"tags": [
"news_20902",
"news_19905",
"news_20191",
"news_24446",
"news_20022"
],
"featImg": "news_11685771",
"label": "news_72"
},
"news_11681218": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_11681218",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11681218",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1532028342000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news",
"term": 72
},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1532028342,
"format": "audio",
"disqusTitle": "CPUC Probe Says PG&E Mistakes Led to Benicia Refinery Outage",
"title": "CPUC Probe Says PG&E Mistakes Led to Benicia Refinery Outage",
"headTitle": "The California Report | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cp>State regulators say that PG&E's inadequate training of operations personnel and its slow response to the failure of an electrical component led to a power outage at a Benicia oil refinery last year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 18-minute power failure early the morning of May 5, 2017, disrupted operations at the Valero refinery, triggered a major release of toxic sulfur dioxide and prompted emergency shelter-in-place orders.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fallout from the incident has included several government \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11450295/after-valero-refinery-outage-three-probes-and-rising-gas-prices\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">investigations\u003c/a>, a brief increase in gas prices, a push for Benicia to impose its own \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11675407/in-wake-of-valero-refinery-incident-benicia-weighs-whether-to-pursue-safety-ordinance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">oversight\u003c/a> of the refinery and a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11541168/valero-sues-pge-for-reckless-outage-at-benicia-refinery\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">lawsuit\u003c/a> filed by Valero against PG&E.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>PG&E says it rejects the conclusions of the California Public Utilities Commission investigation into the outage and maintains that the oil company is responsible for the incident.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/4613939/CPUC-PGE-Valero-Investigative-Report\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">CPUC investigative report\u003c/a>, completed in April and released to KQED after a California Public Records Act request, lays out the events that began the day before the power failure. The document also outlines the complex way the Valero refinery is tied into PG&E's electrical network -- and how workers' misunderstanding of the connection led to the outage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The report says the sequence of events that led to the outage began May 4, with a transformer failure at a substation adjacent to the refinery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CPUC report says that the PG&E operator who detected the problem reviewed company diagrams and documents and concluded the transformer issue would not affect a safety system designed to protect the refinery if it's disconnected from the utility's electrical network.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The safety system is necessary because the refinery generates part of the electricity it needs from an on-site power plant. The system, known as \"anti-islanding\" protection, is designed to prevent electricity from flowing out of the refinery. The protection scheme is designed to kick in if both of the major PG&E transmission lines to the utility's Benicia substation suffer major problems or are taken offline simultaneously.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Early the morning of May 5, the CPUC report says, PG&E operators at the substation de-energized one of the transmission lines as the first step in a long-planned maintenance operation. Cutting power to the transmission line, along with the previously discovered transformer failure, activated the anti-islanding system. Power to the entire Valero facility went down.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CPUC investigation incorporates findings from Exponent, an engineering firm PG&E hired to analyze the incident.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Exponent found that the PG&E operator who first noticed the transformer failure did not understand that it could play a part in triggering the anti-islanding system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The engineering firm noted that the PG&E's document describing the system \"is perceived by operators to be unclear on conditions necessary to activate the scheme, the instrumentation equipment ... that the scheme depends on\" and other key information.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Exponent recommended a series of safety measures -- including improved training and maintenance procedures and the use of warning devices to alert operators of potential problems with the anti-islanding system -- to prevent future incidents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CPUC's investigation concluded that PG&E violated a state regulation that requires electrical substations to be operated and maintained safely and in a manner to provide adequate service.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to failing to maintain the transformer involved in the incident, the CPUC said,\"PG&E did not provide adequate training, documents, or diagrams for its operators to fully understand the anti-islanding protection scheme. If the ... substation operators had sufficient training and documentation on the anti-islanding protection scheme, they would have properly identified and resolved the failed (transformer issue) and prevented the incident from occurring.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Wednesday, PG&E spokeswoman Deanna Contreras reiterated the company's earlier apologies for the outage, but said it does not agree withthe CPUC's findings. The utility has maintained the electrical failure was Valero's fault.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"PG&E denies the CPUC's specific allegations that we failed to maintain a type of transformer for its intended use and that we failed to provide adequate training, documents or diagrams to operators,\" Contreras said in an emailed statement. \"Additionally, PG&E maintains that the responsibility for the unplanned refinery shutdown rests with Valero.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Two previous probes, by Solano County and state workplace regulators, cleared Valero of wrongdoing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Contreras added that PG&E is adopting Exponent's safety recommendations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Steven Weissman, a lecturer at UC Berkeley's Goldman School of Public Policy and a former CPUC administrative law judge, said the company should aggressively implement those measures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"It's going to want to be responsive to this,\" Weissman said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A Valero spokeswoman declined to comment on the CPUC report, citing its pending litigation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But earlier this week, a Valero executive told the Benicia City Council that the refinery and PG&E are working out new rules aimed at preventing a repeat of the 2017 incident.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We want to limit the number of times PG&E is sticking a screwdriver into the wires that supply our refinery,” Rich Walsh, vice president of Valero’s regulatory and environmental law programs, told council members on Tuesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new protocols would require PG&E crews to consolidate their maintenance work on the electricity lines that serve the refinery into shorter time periods and allow Valero to inspect PG&E equipment before those jobs, among other changes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Read the CPUC report \u003ca href=\"https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/4613939/CPUC-PGE-Valero-Investigative-Report.pdf\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here\u003c/a> and below.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[documentcloud url=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4613939-CPUC-PGE-Valero-Investigative-Report\"]\u003c/p>\n\n",
"disqusIdentifier": "11681218 https://ww2.kqed.org/news/?p=11681218",
"disqusUrl": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2018/07/19/cpuc-probe-says-pge-mistakes-led-to-benicia-refinery-outage/",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 932,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 29
},
"modified": 1532134148,
"excerpt": "State regulators say training and maintenance issues led to power failure at Valero's North Bay refinery -- an incident that triggered a major release of toxic sulfur dioxide. ",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "State regulators say training and maintenance issues led to power failure at Valero's North Bay refinery -- an incident that triggered a major release of toxic sulfur dioxide. ",
"title": "CPUC Probe Says PG&E Mistakes Led to Benicia Refinery Outage | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "CPUC Probe Says PG&E Mistakes Led to Benicia Refinery Outage",
"datePublished": "2018-07-19T12:25:42-07:00",
"dateModified": "2018-07-20T17:49:08-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "cpuc-probe-says-pge-mistakes-led-to-benicia-refinery-outage",
"status": "publish",
"audioUrl": "https://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/radio/RDnews/2018/07/GoldbergCPUCBeniciaRefinery.mp3",
"path": "/news/11681218/cpuc-probe-says-pge-mistakes-led-to-benicia-refinery-outage",
"audioDuration": 232000,
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>State regulators say that PG&E's inadequate training of operations personnel and its slow response to the failure of an electrical component led to a power outage at a Benicia oil refinery last year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 18-minute power failure early the morning of May 5, 2017, disrupted operations at the Valero refinery, triggered a major release of toxic sulfur dioxide and prompted emergency shelter-in-place orders.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fallout from the incident has included several government \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11450295/after-valero-refinery-outage-three-probes-and-rising-gas-prices\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">investigations\u003c/a>, a brief increase in gas prices, a push for Benicia to impose its own \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11675407/in-wake-of-valero-refinery-incident-benicia-weighs-whether-to-pursue-safety-ordinance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">oversight\u003c/a> of the refinery and a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11541168/valero-sues-pge-for-reckless-outage-at-benicia-refinery\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">lawsuit\u003c/a> filed by Valero against PG&E.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>PG&E says it rejects the conclusions of the California Public Utilities Commission investigation into the outage and maintains that the oil company is responsible for the incident.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/4613939/CPUC-PGE-Valero-Investigative-Report\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">CPUC investigative report\u003c/a>, completed in April and released to KQED after a California Public Records Act request, lays out the events that began the day before the power failure. The document also outlines the complex way the Valero refinery is tied into PG&E's electrical network -- and how workers' misunderstanding of the connection led to the outage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The report says the sequence of events that led to the outage began May 4, with a transformer failure at a substation adjacent to the refinery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CPUC report says that the PG&E operator who detected the problem reviewed company diagrams and documents and concluded the transformer issue would not affect a safety system designed to protect the refinery if it's disconnected from the utility's electrical network.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The safety system is necessary because the refinery generates part of the electricity it needs from an on-site power plant. The system, known as \"anti-islanding\" protection, is designed to prevent electricity from flowing out of the refinery. The protection scheme is designed to kick in if both of the major PG&E transmission lines to the utility's Benicia substation suffer major problems or are taken offline simultaneously.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Early the morning of May 5, the CPUC report says, PG&E operators at the substation de-energized one of the transmission lines as the first step in a long-planned maintenance operation. Cutting power to the transmission line, along with the previously discovered transformer failure, activated the anti-islanding system. Power to the entire Valero facility went down.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CPUC investigation incorporates findings from Exponent, an engineering firm PG&E hired to analyze the incident.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Exponent found that the PG&E operator who first noticed the transformer failure did not understand that it could play a part in triggering the anti-islanding system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The engineering firm noted that the PG&E's document describing the system \"is perceived by operators to be unclear on conditions necessary to activate the scheme, the instrumentation equipment ... that the scheme depends on\" and other key information.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Exponent recommended a series of safety measures -- including improved training and maintenance procedures and the use of warning devices to alert operators of potential problems with the anti-islanding system -- to prevent future incidents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CPUC's investigation concluded that PG&E violated a state regulation that requires electrical substations to be operated and maintained safely and in a manner to provide adequate service.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to failing to maintain the transformer involved in the incident, the CPUC said,\"PG&E did not provide adequate training, documents, or diagrams for its operators to fully understand the anti-islanding protection scheme. If the ... substation operators had sufficient training and documentation on the anti-islanding protection scheme, they would have properly identified and resolved the failed (transformer issue) and prevented the incident from occurring.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Wednesday, PG&E spokeswoman Deanna Contreras reiterated the company's earlier apologies for the outage, but said it does not agree withthe CPUC's findings. The utility has maintained the electrical failure was Valero's fault.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"PG&E denies the CPUC's specific allegations that we failed to maintain a type of transformer for its intended use and that we failed to provide adequate training, documents or diagrams to operators,\" Contreras said in an emailed statement. \"Additionally, PG&E maintains that the responsibility for the unplanned refinery shutdown rests with Valero.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Two previous probes, by Solano County and state workplace regulators, cleared Valero of wrongdoing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Contreras added that PG&E is adopting Exponent's safety recommendations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Steven Weissman, a lecturer at UC Berkeley's Goldman School of Public Policy and a former CPUC administrative law judge, said the company should aggressively implement those measures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"It's going to want to be responsive to this,\" Weissman said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A Valero spokeswoman declined to comment on the CPUC report, citing its pending litigation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But earlier this week, a Valero executive told the Benicia City Council that the refinery and PG&E are working out new rules aimed at preventing a repeat of the 2017 incident.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We want to limit the number of times PG&E is sticking a screwdriver into the wires that supply our refinery,” Rich Walsh, vice president of Valero’s regulatory and environmental law programs, told council members on Tuesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new protocols would require PG&E crews to consolidate their maintenance work on the electricity lines that serve the refinery into shorter time periods and allow Valero to inspect PG&E equipment before those jobs, among other changes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Read the CPUC report \u003ca href=\"https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/4613939/CPUC-PGE-Valero-Investigative-Report.pdf\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here\u003c/a> and below.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "documentcloud",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"url": "https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4613939-CPUC-PGE-Valero-Investigative-Report",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/11681218/cpuc-probe-says-pge-mistakes-led-to-benicia-refinery-outage",
"authors": [
"258"
],
"programs": [
"news_72"
],
"categories": [
"news_19906",
"news_8",
"news_356"
],
"tags": [
"news_2036",
"news_20902",
"news_19179",
"news_140",
"news_20022"
],
"featImg": "news_11505717",
"label": "news_72"
},
"news_11675407": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_11675407",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11675407",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1529530311000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news",
"term": 72
},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1529530311,
"format": "audio",
"disqusTitle": "Benicia Rejects Safety Ordinance Proposed After Last Year's Valero Outage",
"title": "Benicia Rejects Safety Ordinance Proposed After Last Year's Valero Outage",
"headTitle": "The California Report | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>Updated 2:20 p.m. Wednesday, June 20\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Benicia city leaders voted early Wednesday morning not to move forward with a proposal that could have given city officials more oversight of the Valero refinery, more than a year after a power outage at the facility triggered a major pollution release.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Instead, the City Council voted 3-2 to monitor Solano County's implementation of state refinery safety regulations adopted last October and to require Valero to install air monitors along its fence line within six months.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Original Post\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thirteen months after \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11441696/benicia-refinery-power-outage-triggers-evacuations\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a major air pollution incident\u003c/a> at Valero Energy Corp.'s Benicia refinery, city leaders will decide whether to assume more oversight of the facility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Tuesday, the City Council plans to decide whether to direct staff to begin developing an industrial safety ordinance that would require Valero to pay for a set of air monitors, submit a safety plan to the city and provide Benicia with reports on serious refinery malfunctions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[audio src=\"https://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/radio/thebay/2018/06/BeniciaAirMIXMASTER.mp3\" title=\"When Oil Refineries Flare, What Happens To The Air?\" program=\"The Bay\" image=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/06/TheBay_iTunes_3000x3000-672x372.jpg\"]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The issue is the latest to pit Benicia Mayor Elizabeth Patterson, other city officials, environmentalists and some residents against the San Antonio-based energy company, which is the city's largest employer and taxpayer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Patterson \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11471818/valero-outage-prompts-benicia-to-consider-industrial-safety-ordinance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">began pushing for the reforms\u003c/a> in the weeks following the May 5, 2017, refinery \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11450295/after-valero-refinery-outage-three-probes-and-rising-gas-prices\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">power outage\u003c/a> that triggered the release of more than 80,000 pounds of sulfur dioxide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The space for the city is to be at the table and not be kept in the dark,\" said Patterson.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The outage sent flames and black smoke into the sky, leading to shelter-in-place and evacuation orders. At least a dozen people sought medical attention for breathing difficulties. It took weeks for the refinery to return to full operations, and analysts said the incident prompted a rise in the state's gasoline prices.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"alignright\">\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11630350/benicia-still-looking-for-answers-from-valero-six-months-after-refinery-outage\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Benicia Still Looking for Answers From Valero Six Months After Refinery Outage\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11621464/solano-county-probe-finds-no-violations-in-valero-refinery-outage\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Solano County Probe Finds No Violations in Valero Refinery Outage\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11541168/valero-sues-pge-for-reckless-outage-at-benicia-refinery\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Valero Sues PG&E for 'Reckless' Outage at Benicia Refinery\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11500307/valero-outage-sent-37-tons-of-toxic-gas-into-air-over-two-weeks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Valero's Benicia Refinery Outage Triggered 'Huge' Release of Pollution\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11465002/more-of-the-bay-area-may-be-vulnerable-to-refinery-mishaps-than-was-thought\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">More of Bay Area May Be Vulnerable to Refinery Mishaps Than Previously Believed\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11446718/benicia-mayor-calls-for-key-emergency-improvements-after-valero-refinery-outage-and-flaring\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Benicia Mayor Calls For Key Emergency Improvements After Valero Refinery Outage and Flaring\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>Patterson says that since the outage, neither Valero nor regulators have given the city detailed information about the incident.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For instance, city officials learned from KQED, not from Solano County, that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11621464/solano-county-probe-finds-no-violations-in-valero-refinery-outage\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">county environmental health investigators\u003c/a> concluded late last year Valero did not violate state regulations in connection with the accident.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We don't get those reports,\" said Patterson in an interview last week. \"We never did get a presentation by any state or regional agency, let alone Valero, about what had happened.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The public has a right to know,\" she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero has consistently opposed a city safety ordinance, which would be modeled after those used in Richmond for the Chevron refinery and in the rest of Contra Costa County for the Shell, Phillips 66 and Andeavor (formerly Tesoro) facilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We believe you will see there will be no need to pursue a duplicative and divisive Benicia Industrial Safety Ordinance,\" Donald Cuffel, the refinery's director of health, safety, environmental and regulator affairs, wrote in a letter to the City Council late last month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cuffel argued state and county agencies, as well as the local air district, already have similar regulations in place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last October, California officials approved \u003ca href=\"https://calepa.ca.gov/new-regulations-improve-safety-at-oil-refineries/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">rules\u003c/a> similar to Contra Costa County's ordinance for refineries statewide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That prompted Solano County's Department of Resource Management to spend close to 500 hours inspecting, reviewing and documenting the Valero refinery, according to Benicia city staff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Currently, neither the Bay Area Air Quality Management District nor Benicia have air monitors in place to measure air quality after refinery accidents. Air district officials say they rely on monitors in nearby cities to gauge Benicia's air quality.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Patterson's proposal calls for Valero to pay for monitors to be placed throughout Benicia's residential and industrial areas, as well as on the refinery's fence line. Data from those devices would be placed on a website.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last week the regional air district approved a fenceline air monitoring plan by Valero, according to agency spokesman Tom Flannigan. The refinery has one year to install the devices.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The district is in the initial phases of looking for a location for a community air monitor, said Flannigan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Iron Workers Local 378, which represents some of the refinery's workers, is also opposed to the safety ordinance, calling it a \"duplicative, outdated, go-it-alone strategy.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"A local ISO won't make our workers, trainees or this community any safer,\" Jeff McEuen, the union's business manager, financial secretary and treasurer, wrote in a letter to the City Council last week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But a group brought together after last year's refinery outage to develop safety reforms says the law is needed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"This is a signature moment for Benicia, as it will signal whether the City Council puts the health and safety of Benicia, its citizens and community members over the Valero refinery's 'just trust us' stance to its industrial safety record,\" said Constance Beutel, a member of the Benicia ISO Working Group.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At least one other member of the council sees the proposed ordinance as a way for the city to get information more quickly when the next refinery accident takes place.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">\u003cspan style=\"font-size: x-large\">'\u003cstrong>This is a signature moment for Benicia,\u003c/strong> as it will signal whether the City Council puts the health and safety of Benicia, its citizens and community members over the Valero refinery's 'just trust us' stance...'\u003c/span>\u003ccite>Constance Beutel,\u003cbr>\nBenicia's Industrial Safety Ordinance Working Group\u003c/cite>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>\"There is a problem with getting sufficient information out in a timely manner,\" said Vice Mayor Steve Young. \"There is a need for greater transparency.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Young noted that the conflict over an industrial safety ordinance is the biggest between city leaders and Valero since the council rejected the company's \u003ca href=\"https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2016/09/21/benicia-valero-crude-oil-by-rail-facility-rejected-by-city-council/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">oil-by-rail proposal\u003c/a> in 2016.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Council members could either direct city staff to draft an ordinance that the council would vote on in the coming months, or the city could continue to rely on Solano County's work in employing the new state regulations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, the California Public Utilities Commission expects to complete its investigation of the refinery outage this summer, according to Garrett Toy, a CPUC lawyer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero sued Pacific Gas and Electric after the incident, seeking $75 million for damage to refinery equipment and lost revenue. The company blames PG&E for the episode and claims it \"shut off all electricity\" to the refinery the day of the outage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>PG&E hired a third-party engineering firm, Exponent, to review the outage. The company submitted its report to the CPUC. Both PG&E and the commission have declined to release that report.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero's lawsuit is expected to go to trial next year.\u003c/p>\n\n",
"disqusIdentifier": "11675407 https://ww2.kqed.org/news/?p=11675407",
"disqusUrl": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2018/06/20/in-wake-of-valero-refinery-incident-benicia-weighs-whether-to-pursue-safety-ordinance/",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": true,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 1205,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 37
},
"modified": 1529596362,
"excerpt": "Instead, the City Council voted 3-2 to monitor Solano County's implementation of state refinery safety regulations adopted last October and to require Valero to install air monitors along its fence line within six months.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "Instead, the City Council voted 3-2 to monitor Solano County's implementation of state refinery safety regulations adopted last October and to require Valero to install air monitors along its fence line within six months.",
"title": "Benicia Rejects Safety Ordinance Proposed After Last Year's Valero Outage | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "Benicia Rejects Safety Ordinance Proposed After Last Year's Valero Outage",
"datePublished": "2018-06-20T14:31:51-07:00",
"dateModified": "2018-06-21T08:52:42-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "in-wake-of-valero-refinery-incident-benicia-weighs-whether-to-pursue-safety-ordinance",
"status": "publish",
"audioUrl": "https://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/radio/RDnews/2018/06/goldbergwatt20180621.mp3",
"path": "/news/11675407/in-wake-of-valero-refinery-incident-benicia-weighs-whether-to-pursue-safety-ordinance",
"audioDuration": 180000,
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>Updated 2:20 p.m. Wednesday, June 20\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Benicia city leaders voted early Wednesday morning not to move forward with a proposal that could have given city officials more oversight of the Valero refinery, more than a year after a power outage at the facility triggered a major pollution release.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Instead, the City Council voted 3-2 to monitor Solano County's implementation of state refinery safety regulations adopted last October and to require Valero to install air monitors along its fence line within six months.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Original Post\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thirteen months after \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11441696/benicia-refinery-power-outage-triggers-evacuations\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a major air pollution incident\u003c/a> at Valero Energy Corp.'s Benicia refinery, city leaders will decide whether to assume more oversight of the facility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Tuesday, the City Council plans to decide whether to direct staff to begin developing an industrial safety ordinance that would require Valero to pay for a set of air monitors, submit a safety plan to the city and provide Benicia with reports on serious refinery malfunctions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "audio",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"src": "https://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/radio/thebay/2018/06/BeniciaAirMIXMASTER.mp3",
"title": "When Oil Refineries Flare, What Happens To The Air?",
"program": "The Bay",
"image": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/06/TheBay_iTunes_3000x3000-672x372.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The issue is the latest to pit Benicia Mayor Elizabeth Patterson, other city officials, environmentalists and some residents against the San Antonio-based energy company, which is the city's largest employer and taxpayer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Patterson \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11471818/valero-outage-prompts-benicia-to-consider-industrial-safety-ordinance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">began pushing for the reforms\u003c/a> in the weeks following the May 5, 2017, refinery \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11450295/after-valero-refinery-outage-three-probes-and-rising-gas-prices\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">power outage\u003c/a> that triggered the release of more than 80,000 pounds of sulfur dioxide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The space for the city is to be at the table and not be kept in the dark,\" said Patterson.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The outage sent flames and black smoke into the sky, leading to shelter-in-place and evacuation orders. At least a dozen people sought medical attention for breathing difficulties. It took weeks for the refinery to return to full operations, and analysts said the incident prompted a rise in the state's gasoline prices.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"alignright\">\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11630350/benicia-still-looking-for-answers-from-valero-six-months-after-refinery-outage\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Benicia Still Looking for Answers From Valero Six Months After Refinery Outage\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11621464/solano-county-probe-finds-no-violations-in-valero-refinery-outage\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Solano County Probe Finds No Violations in Valero Refinery Outage\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11541168/valero-sues-pge-for-reckless-outage-at-benicia-refinery\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Valero Sues PG&E for 'Reckless' Outage at Benicia Refinery\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11500307/valero-outage-sent-37-tons-of-toxic-gas-into-air-over-two-weeks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Valero's Benicia Refinery Outage Triggered 'Huge' Release of Pollution\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11465002/more-of-the-bay-area-may-be-vulnerable-to-refinery-mishaps-than-was-thought\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">More of Bay Area May Be Vulnerable to Refinery Mishaps Than Previously Believed\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11446718/benicia-mayor-calls-for-key-emergency-improvements-after-valero-refinery-outage-and-flaring\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Benicia Mayor Calls For Key Emergency Improvements After Valero Refinery Outage and Flaring\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>Patterson says that since the outage, neither Valero nor regulators have given the city detailed information about the incident.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For instance, city officials learned from KQED, not from Solano County, that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11621464/solano-county-probe-finds-no-violations-in-valero-refinery-outage\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">county environmental health investigators\u003c/a> concluded late last year Valero did not violate state regulations in connection with the accident.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We don't get those reports,\" said Patterson in an interview last week. \"We never did get a presentation by any state or regional agency, let alone Valero, about what had happened.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The public has a right to know,\" she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero has consistently opposed a city safety ordinance, which would be modeled after those used in Richmond for the Chevron refinery and in the rest of Contra Costa County for the Shell, Phillips 66 and Andeavor (formerly Tesoro) facilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We believe you will see there will be no need to pursue a duplicative and divisive Benicia Industrial Safety Ordinance,\" Donald Cuffel, the refinery's director of health, safety, environmental and regulator affairs, wrote in a letter to the City Council late last month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cuffel argued state and county agencies, as well as the local air district, already have similar regulations in place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last October, California officials approved \u003ca href=\"https://calepa.ca.gov/new-regulations-improve-safety-at-oil-refineries/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">rules\u003c/a> similar to Contra Costa County's ordinance for refineries statewide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That prompted Solano County's Department of Resource Management to spend close to 500 hours inspecting, reviewing and documenting the Valero refinery, according to Benicia city staff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Currently, neither the Bay Area Air Quality Management District nor Benicia have air monitors in place to measure air quality after refinery accidents. Air district officials say they rely on monitors in nearby cities to gauge Benicia's air quality.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Patterson's proposal calls for Valero to pay for monitors to be placed throughout Benicia's residential and industrial areas, as well as on the refinery's fence line. Data from those devices would be placed on a website.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last week the regional air district approved a fenceline air monitoring plan by Valero, according to agency spokesman Tom Flannigan. The refinery has one year to install the devices.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The district is in the initial phases of looking for a location for a community air monitor, said Flannigan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Iron Workers Local 378, which represents some of the refinery's workers, is also opposed to the safety ordinance, calling it a \"duplicative, outdated, go-it-alone strategy.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"A local ISO won't make our workers, trainees or this community any safer,\" Jeff McEuen, the union's business manager, financial secretary and treasurer, wrote in a letter to the City Council last week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But a group brought together after last year's refinery outage to develop safety reforms says the law is needed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"This is a signature moment for Benicia, as it will signal whether the City Council puts the health and safety of Benicia, its citizens and community members over the Valero refinery's 'just trust us' stance to its industrial safety record,\" said Constance Beutel, a member of the Benicia ISO Working Group.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At least one other member of the council sees the proposed ordinance as a way for the city to get information more quickly when the next refinery accident takes place.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">\u003cspan style=\"font-size: x-large\">'\u003cstrong>This is a signature moment for Benicia,\u003c/strong> as it will signal whether the City Council puts the health and safety of Benicia, its citizens and community members over the Valero refinery's 'just trust us' stance...'\u003c/span>\u003ccite>Constance Beutel,\u003cbr>\nBenicia's Industrial Safety Ordinance Working Group\u003c/cite>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>\"There is a problem with getting sufficient information out in a timely manner,\" said Vice Mayor Steve Young. \"There is a need for greater transparency.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Young noted that the conflict over an industrial safety ordinance is the biggest between city leaders and Valero since the council rejected the company's \u003ca href=\"https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2016/09/21/benicia-valero-crude-oil-by-rail-facility-rejected-by-city-council/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">oil-by-rail proposal\u003c/a> in 2016.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Council members could either direct city staff to draft an ordinance that the council would vote on in the coming months, or the city could continue to rely on Solano County's work in employing the new state regulations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, the California Public Utilities Commission expects to complete its investigation of the refinery outage this summer, according to Garrett Toy, a CPUC lawyer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero sued Pacific Gas and Electric after the incident, seeking $75 million for damage to refinery equipment and lost revenue. The company blames PG&E for the episode and claims it \"shut off all electricity\" to the refinery the day of the outage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>PG&E hired a third-party engineering firm, Exponent, to review the outage. The company submitted its report to the CPUC. Both PG&E and the commission have declined to release that report.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero's lawsuit is expected to go to trial next year.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/11675407/in-wake-of-valero-refinery-incident-benicia-weighs-whether-to-pursue-safety-ordinance",
"authors": [
"258"
],
"programs": [
"news_72"
],
"categories": [
"news_19906",
"news_8",
"news_13",
"news_356"
],
"tags": [
"news_20628",
"news_20902",
"news_20022"
],
"featImg": "news_11505717",
"label": "news_72"
},
"news_11675741": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_11675741",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11675741",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1529402415000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1529402415,
"format": "audio",
"title": "When Oil Refineries Flare, What Happens To The Air?",
"headTitle": "When Oil Refineries Flare, What Happens To The Air? | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>On May 5th, 2017 the power went out at the Valero oil refinery in Benicia. Above the refinery, flares blazed and released thick clouds of black smoke. The surrounding areas were evacuated and nearby schools were ordered to shelter-in-place. In the days and weeks that followed, the flares released more than 80,000 pounds of sulfur dioxide. Tonight, the Benicia City Council will consider whether to add more air monitors and regulations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Guest: Ted Goldberg, morning editor for KQED\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Subscribe to The Bay:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bay/id1350043452?mt=2\">Apple Podcasts\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"https://play.google.com/music/m/I4n2qepiu5z3mcloidj7ajqluoi?t=The_Bay\">Google Play Music\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-bay\">Stitcher\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"https://tunein.com/podcasts/Local-News/The-Bay-p1101507/\">TuneIn\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"https://radiopublic.com/the-bay-Wa2Jpb\">Radio Public\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 97,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 6
},
"modified": 1700700838,
"excerpt": null,
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "On May 5th, 2017 the power went out at the Valero oil refinery in Benicia. Above the refinery, flares blazed and released thick clouds of black smoke. The surrounding areas were evacuated and nearby schools were ordered to shelter-in-place. In the days and weeks that followed, the flares released more than 80,000 pounds of sulfur",
"title": "When Oil Refineries Flare, What Happens To The Air? | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "When Oil Refineries Flare, What Happens To The Air?",
"datePublished": "2018-06-19T03:00:15-07:00",
"dateModified": "2023-11-22T16:53:58-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "when-oil-refineries-flare-what-happens-to-the-air",
"status": "publish",
"sourceUrl": "https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/the-bay",
"audioUrl": "https://od1.kqed.org/anon.kqed/radio/thebay/2018/06/BeniciaAirMIXMASTER.mp3",
"audioTrackLength": 524,
"source": "The Bay",
"path": "/news/11675741/when-oil-refineries-flare-what-happens-to-the-air",
"audioDuration": 524000,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>On May 5th, 2017 the power went out at the Valero oil refinery in Benicia. Above the refinery, flares blazed and released thick clouds of black smoke. The surrounding areas were evacuated and nearby schools were ordered to shelter-in-place. In the days and weeks that followed, the flares released more than 80,000 pounds of sulfur dioxide. Tonight, the Benicia City Council will consider whether to add more air monitors and regulations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Guest: Ted Goldberg, morning editor for KQED\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Subscribe to The Bay:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bay/id1350043452?mt=2\">Apple Podcasts\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"https://play.google.com/music/m/I4n2qepiu5z3mcloidj7ajqluoi?t=The_Bay\">Google Play Music\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-bay\">Stitcher\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"https://tunein.com/podcasts/Local-News/The-Bay-p1101507/\">TuneIn\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"https://radiopublic.com/the-bay-Wa2Jpb\">Radio Public\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/11675741/when-oil-refineries-flare-what-happens-to-the-air",
"authors": [
"8606"
],
"programs": [
"news_28779"
],
"categories": [
"news_8",
"news_33520"
],
"tags": [
"news_20902",
"news_22598",
"news_20022"
],
"featImg": "news_11505717",
"label": "source_news_11675741"
},
"news_11656859": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_11656859",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11656859",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1521753330000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news",
"term": 72
},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1521753330,
"format": "standard",
"disqusTitle": "Richmond, Benicia Mayors Say Refinery Penalty Bill Not Strong Enough",
"title": "Richmond, Benicia Mayors Say Refinery Penalty Bill Not Strong Enough",
"headTitle": "The California Report | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cp>The mayors of Richmond and Benicia, home to the Chevron and Valero refineries, say a bill that could triple penalties for oil companies that violate air quality laws needs to be tougher.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last month, state Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, introduced \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11649505/state-senate-bill-would-triple-penalties-for-refinery-air-violations\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">legislation\u003c/a> that would raise penalties local air districts can levy against refinery operators when they violate emissions rules.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Currently, air regulators can slap oil companies with fines up to $10,000 a day for the most common infractions -- essentially any time a refinery releases pollutants that violate existing state or regional air-quality standards or operating permits. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dodd's \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB1144\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">bill\u003c/a> would increase those penalties to as much as $30,000 a day. For less common violations, including those found to be due to negligence or those due to \"willful and intentional\" acts by refinery operators, penalties range as high as $250,000 a day. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dodd has said the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11630350/benicia-still-looking-for-answers-from-valero-six-months-after-refinery-outage\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">release of more than 80,000 pounds of sulfur dioxide\u003c/a> from Valero's Benicia refinery last May is one of the main reasons he proposed the the bill. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Benicia Mayor Elizabeth Patterson believes the bill is not strong enough.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"It's weak in many areas,\" Patterson said in an interview. \"I don't think it's an effective measure to prevent these incidents that are public health threats and traumatizing.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The fines as proposed are still the cost of doing business,\" Patterson said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said air district fines should lead to refinery reforms aimed at preventing repeated malfunctions, and communities affected by incidents that lead to shelter-in-place orders should be compensated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Why are we even considering a bill to increase fines that result in absolutely no guarantee of a change of behavior?\" Patterson asked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Patterson says she hopes Dodd includes amendments to the bill that give it more teeth in the coming weeks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Patterson's comments came hours before the Benicia City Council was scheduled to vote on a \u003ca href=\"https://legistarweb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/attachment/pdf/162927/Staff_Report_-_Support_of_SB_1144.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">resolution\u003c/a> endorsing the bill.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, the council decided Tuesday night to postpone the vote, in part, because of the mayor's concerns.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Richmond Mayor Tom Butt, a longtime critic of the city's Chevron refinery, agrees that the air district fines are currently too small and says the new proposal to increase them does not go far enough.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"What Dodd is proposing might help, but it's still way too small,\" Butt said in an email.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Malfunctions at the Chevron refinery have led to a number of shelter-in-place orders over the years. Typically, such orders can affect thousands of Richmond residents, according to Butt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"A shelter-in-place alert is not much different than home detention,\" Butt said. \"It is difficult to place a dollar cost on this.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dodd's office has yet to respond to the mayors' criticism.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Western State Petroleum Association, which has lobbied against previous efforts to increase refinery fines, is opposed to the bill.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The\u003ca href=\"http://senv.senate.ca.gov/agenda\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> state Senate's Environmental Quality Committee\u003c/a> is scheduled to consider the legislation on April 4.\u003c/p>\n\n",
"disqusIdentifier": "11656859 https://ww2.kqed.org/news/?p=11656859",
"disqusUrl": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2018/03/22/richmond-benicia-mayors-say-refinery-penalty-bill-not-strong-enough/",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 502,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 22
},
"modified": 1521753330,
"excerpt": "City leaders say bill should include dramatically higher penalties for refinery operators and compensation for communities affected by major pollution incidents. ",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "City leaders say bill should include dramatically higher penalties for refinery operators and compensation for communities affected by major pollution incidents. ",
"title": "Richmond, Benicia Mayors Say Refinery Penalty Bill Not Strong Enough | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "Richmond, Benicia Mayors Say Refinery Penalty Bill Not Strong Enough",
"datePublished": "2018-03-22T14:15:30-07:00",
"dateModified": "2018-03-22T14:15:30-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "richmond-benicia-mayors-say-refinery-penalty-bill-not-strong-enough",
"status": "publish",
"path": "/news/11656859/richmond-benicia-mayors-say-refinery-penalty-bill-not-strong-enough",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The mayors of Richmond and Benicia, home to the Chevron and Valero refineries, say a bill that could triple penalties for oil companies that violate air quality laws needs to be tougher.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last month, state Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, introduced \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11649505/state-senate-bill-would-triple-penalties-for-refinery-air-violations\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">legislation\u003c/a> that would raise penalties local air districts can levy against refinery operators when they violate emissions rules.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Currently, air regulators can slap oil companies with fines up to $10,000 a day for the most common infractions -- essentially any time a refinery releases pollutants that violate existing state or regional air-quality standards or operating permits. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dodd's \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB1144\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">bill\u003c/a> would increase those penalties to as much as $30,000 a day. For less common violations, including those found to be due to negligence or those due to \"willful and intentional\" acts by refinery operators, penalties range as high as $250,000 a day. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dodd has said the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11630350/benicia-still-looking-for-answers-from-valero-six-months-after-refinery-outage\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">release of more than 80,000 pounds of sulfur dioxide\u003c/a> from Valero's Benicia refinery last May is one of the main reasons he proposed the the bill. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Benicia Mayor Elizabeth Patterson believes the bill is not strong enough.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"It's weak in many areas,\" Patterson said in an interview. \"I don't think it's an effective measure to prevent these incidents that are public health threats and traumatizing.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The fines as proposed are still the cost of doing business,\" Patterson said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said air district fines should lead to refinery reforms aimed at preventing repeated malfunctions, and communities affected by incidents that lead to shelter-in-place orders should be compensated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Why are we even considering a bill to increase fines that result in absolutely no guarantee of a change of behavior?\" Patterson asked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Patterson says she hopes Dodd includes amendments to the bill that give it more teeth in the coming weeks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Patterson's comments came hours before the Benicia City Council was scheduled to vote on a \u003ca href=\"https://legistarweb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/attachment/pdf/162927/Staff_Report_-_Support_of_SB_1144.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">resolution\u003c/a> endorsing the bill.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, the council decided Tuesday night to postpone the vote, in part, because of the mayor's concerns.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Richmond Mayor Tom Butt, a longtime critic of the city's Chevron refinery, agrees that the air district fines are currently too small and says the new proposal to increase them does not go far enough.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"What Dodd is proposing might help, but it's still way too small,\" Butt said in an email.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Malfunctions at the Chevron refinery have led to a number of shelter-in-place orders over the years. Typically, such orders can affect thousands of Richmond residents, according to Butt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"A shelter-in-place alert is not much different than home detention,\" Butt said. \"It is difficult to place a dollar cost on this.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dodd's office has yet to respond to the mayors' criticism.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Western State Petroleum Association, which has lobbied against previous efforts to increase refinery fines, is opposed to the bill.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The\u003ca href=\"http://senv.senate.ca.gov/agenda\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> state Senate's Environmental Quality Committee\u003c/a> is scheduled to consider the legislation on April 4.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/11656859/richmond-benicia-mayors-say-refinery-penalty-bill-not-strong-enough",
"authors": [
"258"
],
"programs": [
"news_72"
],
"categories": [
"news_457",
"news_8",
"news_13"
],
"tags": [
"news_20902",
"news_424",
"news_579",
"news_18897",
"news_20022"
],
"featImg": "news_120958",
"label": "news_72"
},
"news_11630350": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_11630350",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11630350",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1510647000000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news",
"term": 6944
},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1510647000,
"format": "standard",
"disqusTitle": "Benicia Still Looking for Answers From Valero Six Months After Refinery Outage",
"title": "Benicia Still Looking for Answers From Valero Six Months After Refinery Outage",
"headTitle": "News Fix | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cp>When a massive refinery \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2017/05/10/after-valero-refinery-outage-three-probes-and-rising-gas-prices/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">outage \u003c/a>sent flames, black smoke and toxic gas shooting into the sky from Valero's Benicia plant in May, the city's mayor said the local government had little information about what was going on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Days later, Mayor Elizabeth Patterson called for the city to develop regulations that would give Benicia more oversight over the oil giant it hosts. She proposed \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2017/05/23/valero-outage-prompts-benicia-to-consider-industrial-safety-ordinance/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">regulations \u003c/a>similar to those in Contra Costa County, home to several refineries, that require oil refining facilities to undergo safety audits and share their risk management plans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those rules would be part of an Industrial Safety Ordinance (ISO) that would require Valero to provide Benicia with more data about its plant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But six months after one of the Bay Area's worst refinery malfunctions in the last five years, the refinery oversight measure has not moved through the City Council. And according to Mayor Patterson and Councilman Steve Young, Valero has not provided the city with enough information.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[contextly_sidebar id=\"fZbVsiaeEkDeTHZLLBtT60TOBvOw87uK\"]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"They have given the council nothing. They have given the public nothing,\" said Patterson.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The City has still not received a report from Valero and has instead had to rely on media reports from KQED and others,\" Young said in an email. \"Significant questions remain unanswered.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero rejects the notion that it has not been forthcoming.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We find Mayor Patterson's statements puzzling,\" said company spokeswoman Lillian Riojas in an email. \"We've been very up front and open with the city as well as other regulators about what we know.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The May 5 outage led to shelter-in-place and evacuation orders throughout the city, and at least a dozen people sought medical treatment for breathing difficulties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The refinery \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2017/08/23/epa-demands-answers-from-valero-months-after-massive-benicia-refinery-outage/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">released \u003c/a>more than 80,00 pounds of \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2017/06/12/valero-outage-sent-37-tons-of-toxic-gas-into-air-over-two-weeks/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sulfur dioxide\u003c/a> on the day of the outage and in the weeks afterward.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Two investigations, one by California's Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) and another by the \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2017/10/23/solano-county-probe-finds-no-violations-in-valero-refinery-outage/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Solano County\u003c/a> Environmental Health Division, cleared Valero of wrongdoing. Another probe, by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, is yet to be completed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>City officials became aware of the county's investigative findings only after KQED obtained them and asked for a comment, according to Patterson.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[contextly_sidebar id=\"rJwBRQr4mTwFnYwTMiDM8ZuJuzBxgVbe\"]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The mayor says an industrial safety ordinance would get the city that kind of information directly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Patterson and a coalition of local environmental and community groups want the city to move forward on an industrial safety ordinance. A \u003ca href=\"http://beniciaindependent.com/iso/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">town hall\u003c/a> meeting to educate the public on the proposal is scheduled for Tuesday night (Nov. 14).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The ordinance would allow Benicia to audit Valero's safety plans and take part in inspections of its refinery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero is lobbying against the proposal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"A local ISO would not have prevented this power outage,\" Don Wilson, the refinery's vice president and general manager, wrote the City Council in a letter in June. \"A local ISO will be costly and duplicative of existing state and local programs.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The company has blamed Pacific Gas and Electric and has \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2017/06/30/valero-sues-pge-for-reckless-outage-at-benicia-refinery/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sued \u003c/a>the San Francisco-based utility, seeking $75 million in damages and lost revenue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Let's remember, PG&E abruptly shut off all power to the refinery without any notice,\" said Riojas, the Valero spokeswoman.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[contextly_sidebar id=\"DEYGj9hLl1JvfQF7uKjdXVkFJdWNLTKQ\"]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>PG&E hired a third party to investigate the outage. That report has been submitted to the California Public Utilities Commission.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In October California adopted \u003ca href=\"https://calepa.ca.gov/new-regulations-improve-safety-at-oil-refineries/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">new statewide refinery oversight regulations\u003c/a>. Refineries are now required to adopt safety designs and systems, conduct periodic workplace safety culture assessments and investigate causes of serious refinery malfunctions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Councilman Young, Councilman Tom Campbell and Terry Schmidtbauer, assistant director of Solano County's Department of Resource Management, which conducts audits on the refinery, say they're unclear on whether a city ordinance would add anything that the state's new rules don't already cover.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"An ISO may be a great idea but I don't want it to somehow get in the road of other already existing state and federal regulations,\" said Campbell in an email.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"My only hesitation revolves around my desire not to have an ordinance that overlaps with recent Cal-OSHA requirements,\" said Young.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mayor Patterson says a local ordinance would go further: It would require Valero to report information directly to the city about a refinery malfunction and the company's proposed actions to prevent a similar incident.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The ISO would give us a seat at the table,\" Patterson said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Tuesday's town hall meeting takes place at the Benicia Public Library at 7 p.m.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
"disqusIdentifier": "11630350 https://ww2.kqed.org/news/?p=11630350",
"disqusUrl": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2017/11/14/benicia-still-looking-for-answers-from-valero-six-months-after-refinery-outage/",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 770,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 32
},
"modified": 1510703610,
"excerpt": "'They have given the council nothing. They have given the public nothing,' said Benicia Mayor Elizabeth Patterson of Valero. ",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "'They have given the council nothing. They have given the public nothing,' said Benicia Mayor Elizabeth Patterson of Valero. ",
"title": "Benicia Still Looking for Answers From Valero Six Months After Refinery Outage | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "Benicia Still Looking for Answers From Valero Six Months After Refinery Outage",
"datePublished": "2017-11-14T00:10:00-08:00",
"dateModified": "2017-11-14T15:53:30-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "benicia-still-looking-for-answers-from-valero-six-months-after-refinery-outage",
"status": "publish",
"path": "/news/11630350/benicia-still-looking-for-answers-from-valero-six-months-after-refinery-outage",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>When a massive refinery \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2017/05/10/after-valero-refinery-outage-three-probes-and-rising-gas-prices/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">outage \u003c/a>sent flames, black smoke and toxic gas shooting into the sky from Valero's Benicia plant in May, the city's mayor said the local government had little information about what was going on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Days later, Mayor Elizabeth Patterson called for the city to develop regulations that would give Benicia more oversight over the oil giant it hosts. She proposed \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2017/05/23/valero-outage-prompts-benicia-to-consider-industrial-safety-ordinance/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">regulations \u003c/a>similar to those in Contra Costa County, home to several refineries, that require oil refining facilities to undergo safety audits and share their risk management plans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those rules would be part of an Industrial Safety Ordinance (ISO) that would require Valero to provide Benicia with more data about its plant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But six months after one of the Bay Area's worst refinery malfunctions in the last five years, the refinery oversight measure has not moved through the City Council. And according to Mayor Patterson and Councilman Steve Young, Valero has not provided the city with enough information.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"They have given the council nothing. They have given the public nothing,\" said Patterson.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The City has still not received a report from Valero and has instead had to rely on media reports from KQED and others,\" Young said in an email. \"Significant questions remain unanswered.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero rejects the notion that it has not been forthcoming.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We find Mayor Patterson's statements puzzling,\" said company spokeswoman Lillian Riojas in an email. \"We've been very up front and open with the city as well as other regulators about what we know.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The May 5 outage led to shelter-in-place and evacuation orders throughout the city, and at least a dozen people sought medical treatment for breathing difficulties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The refinery \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2017/08/23/epa-demands-answers-from-valero-months-after-massive-benicia-refinery-outage/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">released \u003c/a>more than 80,00 pounds of \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2017/06/12/valero-outage-sent-37-tons-of-toxic-gas-into-air-over-two-weeks/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sulfur dioxide\u003c/a> on the day of the outage and in the weeks afterward.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Two investigations, one by California's Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) and another by the \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2017/10/23/solano-county-probe-finds-no-violations-in-valero-refinery-outage/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Solano County\u003c/a> Environmental Health Division, cleared Valero of wrongdoing. Another probe, by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, is yet to be completed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>City officials became aware of the county's investigative findings only after KQED obtained them and asked for a comment, according to Patterson.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The mayor says an industrial safety ordinance would get the city that kind of information directly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Patterson and a coalition of local environmental and community groups want the city to move forward on an industrial safety ordinance. A \u003ca href=\"http://beniciaindependent.com/iso/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">town hall\u003c/a> meeting to educate the public on the proposal is scheduled for Tuesday night (Nov. 14).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The ordinance would allow Benicia to audit Valero's safety plans and take part in inspections of its refinery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero is lobbying against the proposal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"A local ISO would not have prevented this power outage,\" Don Wilson, the refinery's vice president and general manager, wrote the City Council in a letter in June. \"A local ISO will be costly and duplicative of existing state and local programs.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The company has blamed Pacific Gas and Electric and has \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2017/06/30/valero-sues-pge-for-reckless-outage-at-benicia-refinery/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sued \u003c/a>the San Francisco-based utility, seeking $75 million in damages and lost revenue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Let's remember, PG&E abruptly shut off all power to the refinery without any notice,\" said Riojas, the Valero spokeswoman.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>PG&E hired a third party to investigate the outage. That report has been submitted to the California Public Utilities Commission.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In October California adopted \u003ca href=\"https://calepa.ca.gov/new-regulations-improve-safety-at-oil-refineries/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">new statewide refinery oversight regulations\u003c/a>. Refineries are now required to adopt safety designs and systems, conduct periodic workplace safety culture assessments and investigate causes of serious refinery malfunctions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Councilman Young, Councilman Tom Campbell and Terry Schmidtbauer, assistant director of Solano County's Department of Resource Management, which conducts audits on the refinery, say they're unclear on whether a city ordinance would add anything that the state's new rules don't already cover.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"An ISO may be a great idea but I don't want it to somehow get in the road of other already existing state and federal regulations,\" said Campbell in an email.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"My only hesitation revolves around my desire not to have an ordinance that overlaps with recent Cal-OSHA requirements,\" said Young.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mayor Patterson says a local ordinance would go further: It would require Valero to report information directly to the city about a refinery malfunction and the company's proposed actions to prevent a similar incident.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The ISO would give us a seat at the table,\" Patterson said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Tuesday's town hall meeting takes place at the Benicia Public Library at 7 p.m.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/11630350/benicia-still-looking-for-answers-from-valero-six-months-after-refinery-outage",
"authors": [
"258"
],
"programs": [
"news_6944"
],
"categories": [
"news_19906",
"news_457",
"news_8"
],
"tags": [
"news_20902",
"news_21107",
"news_20022"
],
"featImg": "news_11505717",
"label": "news_6944"
},
"news_11621464": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_11621464",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11621464",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1508804490000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news",
"term": 72
},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1508804490,
"format": "standard",
"disqusTitle": "Solano County Probe Finds No Violations in Valero Refinery Outage",
"title": "Solano County Probe Finds No Violations in Valero Refinery Outage",
"headTitle": "The California Report | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This post was updated 10/24/17 at 6 a.m. to include comments from a PG&E representative.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Valero oil company did not violate state regulations in connection with the massive power outage that led to the release of tens of thousands of pounds of toxic gas from its Benicia refinery this spring, Solano County environmental health investigators have concluded.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Solano County Environmental Health Division quietly completed its initial probe of the outage in late August. It reviewed the circumstances surrounding the shutdown, the resulting flares that sent flames and black smoke into the sky and two refinery unit malfunctions that took place over the following week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We did not find any deficiencies or issue any violations,\" said Terry Schmidtbauer, the department's assistant director, in an interview.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That means that two of the three government probes into the shutdown -- tied to Pacific Gas & Electric Co. lines -- have led to no penalties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California's Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) inspected the refinery shortly after the incident, closed its investigation the same month and decided not to issue any violations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The lack of punitive action outraged Benicia's mayor and environmentalists.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"No violations of existing rules does not mean we are safe,\" Mayor Elizabeth Patterson said in an email. \"Sleeping on inadequate protection does not make us safer -- doing nothing to correct these deficiencies does not extinguish the risk.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Patterson has been calling for the City Council to develop regulations that would give Benicia more oversight of the refinery, a \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2017/05/23/valero-outage-prompts-benicia-to-consider-industrial-safety-ordinance/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">proposal \u003c/a>Valero opposes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"This report raises disturbing questions about how unprepared Bay Area refineries and PG&E are for electrical outages that can lead to dangerous air pollution,\" said Maya Golden-Krasner, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Regulators seem reluctant to hold anyone truly accountable for this massive release of pollutants, but what else will prevent something like this from happening again?\" Golden-Krasner said. \"It's a systemic failure to protect the air we breathe, and it shows why we need to move away from dirty fossil fuels.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The energy giant expressed optimism about the state of the investigations into the outage and reiterated its blame of the entire episode on PG&E, which it has \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2017/06/30/valero-sues-pge-for-reckless-outage-at-benicia-refinery/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sued\u003c/a>, seeking at least $75 million in damages and lost revenue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We are pleased that Cal/OSHA concluded there were no violations by Valero arising from the May 5 PG&E power outage nor has Solano County issued any violations to date,\" said Lillian Riojas, a company spokeswoman, in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"PG&E caused this outage and significant damages. Valero, like others, is waiting on answers from PG&E, which are still not forthcoming,\" Riojas said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>PG&E hired Exponent, a third party engineering firm, to conduct a view of the outage. A utility spokeswoman said Tuesday that Exponent's report on the incident has been completed and sent to the California Public Utilities Commission.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The safety of our customers, employees and the general public is always our top priority,\" said PG&E's Deanna Contreras in an email. \"We continue to partner with Valero and the City of Benicia to prevent similar power disruptions,\" Contreras said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another agency, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, issued several notices of violation due to the flaring in the days after the outage. Its investigation into the incident is ongoing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The refinery has two power sources, both operated by PG&E. When the utility put both of those sources offline on May 5, it caused an \"immediate and full shutdown of the facility,\" the Solano County report states.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero also has a cogeneration plant, but it does not provide enough power to fully supply the facility. County investigators point out that the plant must maintain a line to PG&E's power circuit to remain online.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That's a problem, according to Eric Smith, associate director of the Tulane Energy Institute, who read the county's report and specializes in oil and gas production.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The on-site emergency power supply could have been robust enough to allow for an orderly shutdown,\" Smith said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The outage led to pressure inside the refinery that had to be relieved by the use of its flaring system. But, the loss of power shut the facility's steam boilers and cooling tower down. That meant the flaring did not operate normally, which led to flames and black smoke shooting out of the refinery, according to the report.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Their system got overwhelmed,\" Schmidtbauer said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Firefighters were brought in. \"The dump stack ignited and was extinguished during the first hour of the incident,\" the report said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The city's fire department imposed shelter-in-place and evacuation orders for parts of the city. At least a dozen people sought medical treatment for breathing difficulties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Three days after the initial outage, the refinery underwent \u003ca href=\"https://w3.calema.ca.gov/operational/malhaz.nsf/f1841a103c102734882563e200760c4a/06878c352dab1bac8825811a005d51f7?OpenDocument&Highlight=0,valero\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">another malfunction\u003c/a> as it slowly restarted the facility, causing more flaring, this one lasting more than five hours.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero initially thought the May 8 problem was tied to the wrong refinery unit, according to county investigators. It turned out the malfunction was connected to its Coker unit, which makes gasoline through the use of high temperatures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A week later the same unit malfunctioned, leading to yet another round of \u003ca href=\"https://w3.calema.ca.gov/operational/malhaz.nsf/f1841a103c102734882563e200760c4a/a15f930b05dcf6148825811e00801d35?OpenDocument&Highlight=0,valero\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">flaring\u003c/a>. This time, it covered cars near MRC Global, a company on Bayshore Road close to the refinery, with an \"oil-based\" substance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That second problem was caused by trapped moisture in the piping system as a result of the unit being shut down because of the initial outage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The refinery could have done a better job of minimizing subsequent releases that occurred during the restart,\" Smith said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The outage led to an increase in the \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2017/05/10/after-valero-refinery-outage-three-probes-and-rising-gas-prices/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">state's gasoline prices,\u003c/a> hurt the company's bottom line and damaged one of the refinery's flares.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Recently it has prompted extra \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2017/08/23/epa-demands-answers-from-valero-months-after-massive-benicia-refinery-outage/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">scrutiny from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency\u003c/a> into the power issues at the Benicia facility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The refinery released more than 80,000 pounds of sulfur dioxide on the day of the outage and in the weeks afterward.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Schmidtbauer says Valero is still working on its root-cause analysis of the incident. Once that's completed, the county may end up issuing recommendations to Valero to avoid another similar shutdown.\u003c/p>\n\n",
"disqusIdentifier": "11621464 https://ww2.kqed.org/news/?p=11621464",
"disqusUrl": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2017/10/23/solano-county-probe-finds-no-violations-in-valero-refinery-outage/",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 1075,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 36
},
"modified": 1508849594,
"excerpt": "\"No violations of existing rules does not mean we are safe,\" said Benicia Mayor Elizabeth Patterson.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": ""No violations of existing rules does not mean we are safe," said Benicia Mayor Elizabeth Patterson.",
"title": "Solano County Probe Finds No Violations in Valero Refinery Outage | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "Solano County Probe Finds No Violations in Valero Refinery Outage",
"datePublished": "2017-10-23T17:21:30-07:00",
"dateModified": "2017-10-24T05:53:14-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "solano-county-probe-finds-no-violations-in-valero-refinery-outage",
"status": "publish",
"path": "/news/11621464/solano-county-probe-finds-no-violations-in-valero-refinery-outage",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This post was updated 10/24/17 at 6 a.m. to include comments from a PG&E representative.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Valero oil company did not violate state regulations in connection with the massive power outage that led to the release of tens of thousands of pounds of toxic gas from its Benicia refinery this spring, Solano County environmental health investigators have concluded.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Solano County Environmental Health Division quietly completed its initial probe of the outage in late August. It reviewed the circumstances surrounding the shutdown, the resulting flares that sent flames and black smoke into the sky and two refinery unit malfunctions that took place over the following week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We did not find any deficiencies or issue any violations,\" said Terry Schmidtbauer, the department's assistant director, in an interview.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That means that two of the three government probes into the shutdown -- tied to Pacific Gas & Electric Co. lines -- have led to no penalties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California's Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) inspected the refinery shortly after the incident, closed its investigation the same month and decided not to issue any violations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The lack of punitive action outraged Benicia's mayor and environmentalists.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"No violations of existing rules does not mean we are safe,\" Mayor Elizabeth Patterson said in an email. \"Sleeping on inadequate protection does not make us safer -- doing nothing to correct these deficiencies does not extinguish the risk.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Patterson has been calling for the City Council to develop regulations that would give Benicia more oversight of the refinery, a \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2017/05/23/valero-outage-prompts-benicia-to-consider-industrial-safety-ordinance/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">proposal \u003c/a>Valero opposes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"This report raises disturbing questions about how unprepared Bay Area refineries and PG&E are for electrical outages that can lead to dangerous air pollution,\" said Maya Golden-Krasner, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Regulators seem reluctant to hold anyone truly accountable for this massive release of pollutants, but what else will prevent something like this from happening again?\" Golden-Krasner said. \"It's a systemic failure to protect the air we breathe, and it shows why we need to move away from dirty fossil fuels.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The energy giant expressed optimism about the state of the investigations into the outage and reiterated its blame of the entire episode on PG&E, which it has \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2017/06/30/valero-sues-pge-for-reckless-outage-at-benicia-refinery/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sued\u003c/a>, seeking at least $75 million in damages and lost revenue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We are pleased that Cal/OSHA concluded there were no violations by Valero arising from the May 5 PG&E power outage nor has Solano County issued any violations to date,\" said Lillian Riojas, a company spokeswoman, in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"PG&E caused this outage and significant damages. Valero, like others, is waiting on answers from PG&E, which are still not forthcoming,\" Riojas said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>PG&E hired Exponent, a third party engineering firm, to conduct a view of the outage. A utility spokeswoman said Tuesday that Exponent's report on the incident has been completed and sent to the California Public Utilities Commission.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The safety of our customers, employees and the general public is always our top priority,\" said PG&E's Deanna Contreras in an email. \"We continue to partner with Valero and the City of Benicia to prevent similar power disruptions,\" Contreras said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another agency, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, issued several notices of violation due to the flaring in the days after the outage. Its investigation into the incident is ongoing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The refinery has two power sources, both operated by PG&E. When the utility put both of those sources offline on May 5, it caused an \"immediate and full shutdown of the facility,\" the Solano County report states.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero also has a cogeneration plant, but it does not provide enough power to fully supply the facility. County investigators point out that the plant must maintain a line to PG&E's power circuit to remain online.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That's a problem, according to Eric Smith, associate director of the Tulane Energy Institute, who read the county's report and specializes in oil and gas production.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The on-site emergency power supply could have been robust enough to allow for an orderly shutdown,\" Smith said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The outage led to pressure inside the refinery that had to be relieved by the use of its flaring system. But, the loss of power shut the facility's steam boilers and cooling tower down. That meant the flaring did not operate normally, which led to flames and black smoke shooting out of the refinery, according to the report.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Their system got overwhelmed,\" Schmidtbauer said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Firefighters were brought in. \"The dump stack ignited and was extinguished during the first hour of the incident,\" the report said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The city's fire department imposed shelter-in-place and evacuation orders for parts of the city. At least a dozen people sought medical treatment for breathing difficulties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Three days after the initial outage, the refinery underwent \u003ca href=\"https://w3.calema.ca.gov/operational/malhaz.nsf/f1841a103c102734882563e200760c4a/06878c352dab1bac8825811a005d51f7?OpenDocument&Highlight=0,valero\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">another malfunction\u003c/a> as it slowly restarted the facility, causing more flaring, this one lasting more than five hours.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero initially thought the May 8 problem was tied to the wrong refinery unit, according to county investigators. It turned out the malfunction was connected to its Coker unit, which makes gasoline through the use of high temperatures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A week later the same unit malfunctioned, leading to yet another round of \u003ca href=\"https://w3.calema.ca.gov/operational/malhaz.nsf/f1841a103c102734882563e200760c4a/a15f930b05dcf6148825811e00801d35?OpenDocument&Highlight=0,valero\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">flaring\u003c/a>. This time, it covered cars near MRC Global, a company on Bayshore Road close to the refinery, with an \"oil-based\" substance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That second problem was caused by trapped moisture in the piping system as a result of the unit being shut down because of the initial outage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The refinery could have done a better job of minimizing subsequent releases that occurred during the restart,\" Smith said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The outage led to an increase in the \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2017/05/10/after-valero-refinery-outage-three-probes-and-rising-gas-prices/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">state's gasoline prices,\u003c/a> hurt the company's bottom line and damaged one of the refinery's flares.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Recently it has prompted extra \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2017/08/23/epa-demands-answers-from-valero-months-after-massive-benicia-refinery-outage/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">scrutiny from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency\u003c/a> into the power issues at the Benicia facility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The refinery released more than 80,000 pounds of sulfur dioxide on the day of the outage and in the weeks afterward.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Schmidtbauer says Valero is still working on its root-cause analysis of the incident. Once that's completed, the county may end up issuing recommendations to Valero to avoid another similar shutdown.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/11621464/solano-county-probe-finds-no-violations-in-valero-refinery-outage",
"authors": [
"258"
],
"programs": [
"news_6944",
"news_72"
],
"categories": [
"news_19906",
"news_457",
"news_8",
"news_356",
"news_1397"
],
"tags": [
"news_21826",
"news_20022"
],
"featImg": "news_11505839",
"label": "news_72"
}
},
"podcastsReducer": {
"isFetching": false,
"fetchFailed": false,
"hasFetched": false,
"podcasts": {}
},
"radioProgramsReducer": {
"isFetching": false,
"fetchFailed": false,
"hasFetched": false,
"radioPrograms": {}
},
"programsReducer": {
"all-things-considered": {
"id": "all-things-considered",
"title": "All Things Considered",
"info": "Every weekday, \u003cem>All Things Considered\u003c/em> hosts Robert Siegel, Audie Cornish, Ari Shapiro, and Kelly McEvers present the program's trademark mix of news, interviews, commentaries, reviews, and offbeat features. Michel Martin hosts on the weekends.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 1pm-2pm, 4:30pm-6:30pm\u003cbr />SAT-SUN 5pm-6pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/All-Things-Considered-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/all-things-considered/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/all-things-considered"
},
"american-suburb-podcast": {
"id": "american-suburb-podcast",
"title": "American Suburb: The Podcast",
"tagline": "The flip side of gentrification, told through one town",
"info": "Gentrification is changing cities across America, forcing people from neighborhoods they have long called home. Call them the displaced. Now those priced out of the Bay Area are looking for a better life in an unlikely place. American Suburb follows this migration to one California town along the Delta, 45 miles from San Francisco. But is this once sleepy suburb ready for them?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/American-Suburb-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/news/series/american-suburb-podcast",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 19
},
"link": "/news/series/american-suburb-podcast/",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/RBrW",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?mt=2&id=1287748328",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/American-Suburb-p1086805/",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/series/american-suburb-podcast/feed/podcast",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkMzMDExODgxNjA5"
}
},
"baycurious": {
"id": "baycurious",
"title": "Bay Curious",
"tagline": "Exploring the Bay Area, one question at a time",
"info": "KQED’s new podcast, Bay Curious, gets to the bottom of the mysteries — both profound and peculiar — that give the Bay Area its unique identity. And we’ll do it with your help! You ask the questions. You decide what Bay Curious investigates. And you join us on the journey to find the answers.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Bay-Curious-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Bay Curious",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/news/series/baycurious",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 3
},
"link": "/podcasts/baycurious",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bay-curious/id1172473406",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/500557090/bay-curious",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/category/bay-curious-podcast/feed/podcast",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9a90d476-aa04-455d-9a4c-0871ed6216d4/bay-curious",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/bay-curious",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/6O76IdmhixfijmhTZLIJ8k"
}
},
"bbc-world-service": {
"id": "bbc-world-service",
"title": "BBC World Service",
"info": "The day's top stories from BBC News compiled twice daily in the week, once at weekends.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9pm-10pm, TUE-FRI 1am-2am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/BBC-World-Service-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_world_service",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "BBC World Service"
},
"link": "/radio/program/bbc-world-service",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/global-news-podcast/id135067274?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/BBC-World-Service-p455581/",
"rss": "https://podcasts.files.bbci.co.uk/p02nq0gn.rss"
}
},
"californiareport": {
"id": "californiareport",
"title": "The California Report",
"tagline": "California, day by day",
"info": "KQED’s statewide radio news program providing daily coverage of issues, trends and public policy decisions.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-California-Report-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The California Report",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareport",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 8
},
"link": "/californiareport",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kqeds-the-california-report/id79681292",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/26099305-72af-4542-9dde-ac1807fe36d5/kqed-s-the-california-report",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432285393/the-california-report",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqedfm-kqeds-the-california-report-podcast-8838",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/tcram/feed/podcast"
}
},
"californiareportmagazine": {
"id": "californiareportmagazine",
"title": "The California Report Magazine",
"tagline": "Your state, your stories",
"info": "Every week, The California Report Magazine takes you on a road trip for the ears: to visit the places and meet the people who make California unique. The in-depth storytelling podcast from the California Report.",
"airtime": "FRI 4:30pm-5pm, 6:30pm-7pm, 11pm-11:30pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-California-Report-Magazine-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The California Report Magazine",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareportmagazine",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 10
},
"link": "/californiareportmagazine",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-california-report-magazine/id1314750545",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM3NjkwNjk1OTAz",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/564733126/the-california-report-magazine",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-california-report-magazine",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/tcrmag/feed/podcast"
}
},
"city-arts": {
"id": "city-arts",
"title": "City Arts & Lectures",
"info": "A one-hour radio program to hear celebrated writers, artists and thinkers address contemporary ideas and values, often discussing the creative process. Please note: tapes or transcripts are not available",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/cityartsandlecture-300x300.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.cityarts.net/",
"airtime": "SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
"subscribe": {
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/City-Arts-and-Lectures-p692/",
"rss": "https://www.cityarts.net/feed/"
}
},
"closealltabs": {
"id": "closealltabs",
"title": "Close All Tabs",
"tagline": "Your irreverent guide to the trends redefining our world",
"info": "Close All Tabs breaks down how digital culture shapes our world through thoughtful insights and irreverent humor.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/CAT_2_Tile-scaled.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Close All Tabs",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 1
},
"link": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/close-all-tabs/id214663465",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC6993880386",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/92d9d4ac-67a3-4eed-b10a-fb45d45b1ef2/close-all-tabs",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/6LAJFHnGK1pYXYzv6SIol6?si=deb0cae19813417c"
}
},
"code-switch-life-kit": {
"id": "code-switch-life-kit",
"title": "Code Switch / Life Kit",
"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
"airtime": "SUN 9pm-10pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Code-Switch-Life-Kit-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/code-switch-life-kit",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/1112190608?mt=2&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnByLm9yZy9yc3MvcG9kY2FzdC5waHA_aWQ9NTEwMzEy",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/3bExJ9JQpkwNhoHvaIIuyV",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510312/podcast.xml"
}
},
"commonwealth-club": {
"id": "commonwealth-club",
"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
"airtime": "THU 10pm, FRI 1am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Commonwealth-Club-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.commonwealthclub.org/podcasts",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
"link": "/radio/program/commonwealth-club",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/commonwealth-club-of-california-podcast/id976334034?mt=2",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Commonwealth-Club-of-California-p1060/"
}
},
"forum": {
"id": "forum",
"title": "Forum",
"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
"info": "KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9am-11am, 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Forum with Mina Kim and Alexis Madrigal",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/forum",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 9
},
"link": "/forum",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kqeds-forum/id73329719",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5NTU3MzgxNjMz",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432307980/forum",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqedfm-kqeds-forum-podcast",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC9557381633"
}
},
"freakonomics-radio": {
"id": "freakonomics-radio",
"title": "Freakonomics Radio",
"info": "Freakonomics Radio is a one-hour award-winning podcast and public-radio project hosted by Stephen Dubner, with co-author Steve Levitt as a regular guest. It is produced in partnership with WNYC.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/freakonomicsRadio.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://freakonomics.com/",
"airtime": "SUN 1am-2am, SAT 3pm-4pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/freakonomics-radio",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/4s8b",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/Freakonomics-Radio-p272293/",
"rss": "https://feeds.feedburner.com/freakonomicsradio"
}
},
"fresh-air": {
"id": "fresh-air",
"title": "Fresh Air",
"info": "Hosted by Terry Gross, \u003cem>Fresh Air from WHYY\u003c/em> is the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues. One of public radio's most popular programs, Fresh Air features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 7pm-8pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Fresh-Air-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/fresh-air/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/fresh-air",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/4s8b",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Fresh-Air-p17/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/381444908/podcast.xml"
}
},
"here-and-now": {
"id": "here-and-now",
"title": "Here & Now",
"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
"airtime": "MON-THU 11am-12pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Here-And-Now-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://www.wbur.org/hereandnow",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/here-and-now",
"subsdcribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?mt=2&id=426698661",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Here--Now-p211/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510051/podcast.xml"
}
},
"hidden-brain": {
"id": "hidden-brain",
"title": "Hidden Brain",
"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/hiddenbrain.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/series/423302056/hidden-brain",
"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "NPR"
},
"link": "/radio/program/hidden-brain",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hidden-brain/id1028908750?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Science-Podcasts/Hidden-Brain-p787503/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510308/podcast.xml"
}
},
"how-i-built-this": {
"id": "how-i-built-this",
"title": "How I Built This with Guy Raz",
"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/howIBuiltThis.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this",
"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/how-i-built-this",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/3zxy",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/How-I-Built-This-p910896/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510313/podcast.xml"
}
},
"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
"title": "Hyphenación",
"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"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. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Hyphenacion_FinalAssets_PodcastTile.png",
"imageAlt": "KQED Hyphenación",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 15
},
"link": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hyphenaci%C3%B3n/id1191591838",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/2p3Fifq96nw9BPcmFdIq0o?si=39209f7b25774f38",
"youtube": "https://www.youtube.com/c/kqedarts",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/6c3dd23c-93fb-4aab-97ba-1725fa6315f1/hyphenaci%C3%B3n",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC2275451163"
}
},
"jerrybrown": {
"id": "jerrybrown",
"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"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. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Political-Mind-of-Jerry-Brown-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 18
},
"link": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/790253322/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1492194549",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/series/jerrybrown/feed/podcast/",
"tuneIn": "http://tun.in/pjGcK",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/54C1dmuyFyKMFttY6X2j6r?si=K8SgRCoISNK6ZbjpXrX5-w",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/44420f75-3b0e-4301-ab3b-16da6b09e543/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown"
}
},
"latino-usa": {
"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/xtTd",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Latino-USA-p621/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
}
},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"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",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=201853034&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/APM-Marketplace-p88/",
"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
}
},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Masters-of-Scale-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "http://mastersofscale.app.link/",
"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"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>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mindshift-podcast/id1078765985",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/464615685/mind-shift-podcast",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/stories-teachers-share",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/0MxSpNYZKNprFLCl7eEtyx"
}
},
"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
"title": "Morning Edition",
"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.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3am-9am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Morning-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/morning-edition"
},
"onourwatch": {
"id": "onourwatch",
"title": "On Our Watch",
"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?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/On-Our-Watch-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "On Our Watch from NPR and KQED",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 11
},
"link": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1567098962",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw",
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/onourwatch",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/0OLWoyizopu6tY1XiuX70x",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-Our-Watch-p1436229/",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/show/on-our-watch",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510360/podcast.xml"
}
},
"on-the-media": {
"id": "on-the-media",
"title": "On The Media",
"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm-3pm, MON 12am-1am",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/onTheMedia.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/otm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "wnyc"
},
"link": "/radio/program/on-the-media",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-media/id73330715?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-the-Media-p69/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/onthemedia"
}
},
"pbs-newshour": {
"id": "pbs-newshour",
"title": "PBS NewsHour",
"info": "Analysis, background reports and updates from the PBS NewsHour putting today's news in context.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PBS-News-Hour-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "pbs"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pbs-newshour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pbs-newshour-full-show/id394432287?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/PBS-NewsHour---Full-Show-p425698/",
"rss": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/feeds/rss/podcasts/show"
}
},
"perspectives": {
"id": "perspectives",
"title": "Perspectives",
"tagline": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991",
"info": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Perspectives_Tile_Final.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Perspectives",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/perspectives/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 14
},
"link": "/perspectives",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id73801135",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432309616/perspectives",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/perspectives/category/perspectives/feed/",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93dzIua3FlZC5vcmcvcGVyc3BlY3RpdmVzL2NhdGVnb3J5L3BlcnNwZWN0aXZlcy9mZWVkLw"
}
},
"planet-money": {
"id": "planet-money",
"title": "Planet Money",
"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.",
"airtime": "SUN 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/planetmoney.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/sections/money/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/planet-money",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/M4f5",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/planet-money/id290783428?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Business--Economics-Podcasts/Planet-Money-p164680/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510289/podcast.xml"
}
},
"politicalbreakdown": {
"id": "politicalbreakdown",
"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",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Political-Breakdown-2024-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Political Breakdown",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/politicalbreakdown",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 5
},
"link": "/podcasts/politicalbreakdown",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/political-breakdown/id1327641087",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/e0c2d153-ad36-4c8d-901d-f1da6a724824/political-breakdown",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/572155894/political-breakdown",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/political-breakdown",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/07RVyIjIdk2WDuVehvBMoN",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/political-breakdown/feed/podcast"
}
},
"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/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "Possible"
},
"link": "/radio/program/possible",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/possible/id1677184070",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/730YpdUSNlMyPQwNnyjp4k"
}
},
"pri-the-world": {
"id": "pri-the-world",
"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",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.pri.org/programs/the-world",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "PRI"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pri-the-world",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pris-the-world-latest-edition/id278196007?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/News--Politics-Podcasts/PRIs-The-World-p24/",
"rss": "http://feeds.feedburner.com/pri/theworld"
}
},
"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.",
"airtime": "SUN 12am-1am, SAT 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/radiolab1400.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/radiolab/",
"meta": {
"site": "science",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/radiolab",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/radiolab/id152249110?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/RadioLab-p68032/",
"rss": "https://feeds.wnyc.org/radiolab"
}
},
"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",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/reveal300px.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.revealnews.org/episodes/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/reveal",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/reveal/id886009669",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Reveal-p679597/",
"rss": "http://feeds.revealradio.org/revealpodcast"
}
},
"rightnowish": {
"id": "rightnowish",
"title": "Rightnowish",
"tagline": "Art is where you find it",
"info": "Rightnowish digs into life in the Bay Area right now… ish. Journalist Pendarvis Harshaw takes us to galleries painted on the sides of liquor stores in West Oakland. We'll dance in warehouses in the Bayview, make smoothies with kids in South Berkeley, and listen to classical music in a 1984 Cutlass Supreme in Richmond. Every week, Pen talks to movers and shakers about how the Bay Area shapes what they create, and how they shape the place we call home.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Rightnowish-Podcast-Tile-500x500-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Rightnowish with Pendarvis Harshaw",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/rightnowish",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 16
},
"link": "/podcasts/rightnowish",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/721590300/rightnowish",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/programs/rightnowish/feed/podcast",
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rightnowish/id1482187648",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/rightnowish",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkMxMjU5MTY3NDc4",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/7kEJuafTzTVan7B78ttz1I"
}
},
"science-friday": {
"id": "science-friday",
"title": "Science Friday",
"info": "Science Friday is a weekly science talk show, broadcast live over public radio stations nationwide. Each week, the show focuses on science topics that are in the news and tries to bring an educated, balanced discussion to bear on the scientific issues at hand. Panels of expert guests join host Ira Flatow, a veteran science journalist, to discuss science and to take questions from listeners during the call-in portion of the program.",
"airtime": "FRI 11am-1pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Science-Friday-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/science-friday",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/science-friday",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=73329284&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Science-Friday-p394/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/science-friday"
}
},
"snap-judgment": {
"id": "snap-judgment",
"title": "Snap Judgment",
"tagline": "Real stories with killer beats",
"info": "The Snap Judgment radio show and podcast mixes real stories with killer beats to produce cinematic, dramatic radio. Snap's musical brand of storytelling dares listeners to see the world through the eyes of another. This is storytelling... with a BEAT!! Snap first aired on public radio stations nationwide in July 2010. Today, Snap Judgment airs on over 450 public radio stations and is brought to the airwaves by KQED & PRX.",
"airtime": "SAT 1pm-2pm, 9pm-10pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Snap-Judgment-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Snap Judgment",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://snapjudgment.org",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 4
},
"link": "https://snapjudgment.org",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/snap-judgment/id283657561",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/449018144/snap-judgment",
"stitcher": "https://www.pandora.com/podcast/snap-judgment/PC:241?source=stitcher-sunset",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/3Cct7ZWmxHNAtLgBTqjC5v",
"rss": "https://snap.feed.snapjudgment.org/"
}
},
"soldout": {
"id": "soldout",
"title": "SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America",
"tagline": "A new future for housing",
"info": "Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Sold-Out-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/soldout",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 13
},
"link": "/podcasts/soldout",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/911586047/s-o-l-d-o-u-t-a-new-future-for-housing",
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/introducing-sold-out-rethinking-housing-in-america/id1531354937",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/soldout",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/38dTBSk2ISFoPiyYNoKn1X",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/sold-out-rethinking-housing-in-america",
"tunein": "https://tunein.com/radio/SOLD-OUT-Rethinking-Housing-in-America-p1365871/"
}
},
"spooked": {
"id": "spooked",
"title": "Spooked",
"tagline": "True-life supernatural stories",
"info": "",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Spooked-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Spooked",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://spookedpodcast.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 7
},
"link": "https://spookedpodcast.org/",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spooked/id1279361017",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/549547848/snap-judgment-presents-spooked",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/76571Rfl3m7PLJQZKQIGCT",
"rss": "https://feeds.simplecast.com/TBotaapn"
}
},
"tech-nation": {
"id": "tech-nation",
"title": "Tech Nation Radio Podcast",
"info": "Tech Nation is a weekly public radio program, hosted by Dr. Moira Gunn. Founded in 1993, it has grown from a simple interview show to a multi-faceted production, featuring conversations with noted technology and science leaders, and a weekly science and technology-related commentary.",
"airtime": "FRI 10pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Tech-Nation-Radio-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://technation.podomatic.com/",
"meta": {
"site": "science",
"source": "Tech Nation Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/tech-nation",
"subscribe": {
"rss": "https://technation.podomatic.com/rss2.xml"
}
},
"ted-radio-hour": {
"id": "ted-radio-hour",
"title": "TED Radio Hour",
"info": "The TED Radio Hour is a journey through fascinating ideas, astonishing inventions, fresh approaches to old problems, and new ways to think and create.",
"airtime": "SUN 3pm-4pm, SAT 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/tedRadioHour.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/ted-radio-hour/?showDate=2018-06-22",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/ted-radio-hour",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/8vsS",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=523121474&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/TED-Radio-Hour-p418021/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510298/podcast.xml"
}
},
"thebay": {
"id": "thebay",
"title": "The Bay",
"tagline": "Local news to keep you rooted",
"info": "Host Devin Katayama walks you through the biggest story of the day with reporters and newsmakers.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Bay-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Bay",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/thebay",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 2
},
"link": "/podcasts/thebay",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bay/id1350043452",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/d800ea4c-7a2c-42f2-b861-edaf78a5db0b/the-bay",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/586725995/the-bay",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-bay",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/4BIKBKIujizLHlIlBNaAqQ",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC8259786327"
}
},
"thelatest": {
"id": "thelatest",
"title": "The Latest",
"tagline": "Trusted local news in real time",
"info": "",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/The-Latest-2025-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Latest",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/thelatest",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 6
},
"link": "/thelatest",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-latest-from-kqed/id1197721799",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/1257949365/the-latest-from-k-q-e-d",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/5KIIXMgM9GTi5AepwOYvIZ?si=bd3053fec7244dba",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC9137121918"
}
},
"theleap": {
"id": "theleap",
"title": "The Leap",
"tagline": "What if you closed your eyes, and jumped?",
"info": "Stories about people making dramatic, risky changes, told by award-winning public radio reporter Judy Campbell.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Leap-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Leap",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/theleap",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 17
},
"link": "/podcasts/theleap",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-leap/id1046668171",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/447248267/the-leap",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-leap",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/3sSlVHHzU0ytLwuGs1SD1U",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/programs/the-leap/feed/podcast"
}
},
"the-moth-radio-hour": {
"id": "the-moth-radio-hour",
"title": "The Moth Radio Hour",
"info": "Since its launch in 1997, The Moth has presented thousands of true stories, told live and without notes, to standing-room-only crowds worldwide. Moth storytellers stand alone, under a spotlight, with only a microphone and a roomful of strangers. The storyteller and the audience embark on a high-wire act of shared experience which is both terrifying and exhilarating. Since 2008, The Moth podcast has featured many of our favorite stories told live on Moth stages around the country. For information on all of our programs and live events, visit themoth.org.",
"airtime": "SAT 8pm-9pm and SUN 11am-12pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/theMoth.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://themoth.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "prx"
},
"link": "/radio/program/the-moth-radio-hour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-moth-podcast/id275699983?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/The-Moth-p273888/",
"rss": "http://feeds.themoth.org/themothpodcast"
}
},
"the-new-yorker-radio-hour": {
"id": "the-new-yorker-radio-hour",
"title": "The New Yorker Radio Hour",
"info": "The New Yorker Radio Hour is a weekly program presented by the magazine's editor, David Remnick, and produced by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker. Each episode features a diverse mix of interviews, profiles, storytelling, and an occasional burst of humor inspired by the magazine, and shaped by its writers, artists, and editors. This isn't a radio version of a magazine, but something all its own, reflecting the rich possibilities of audio storytelling and conversation. Theme music for the show was composed and performed by Merrill Garbus of tUnE-YArDs.",
"airtime": "SAT 10am-11am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-New-Yorker-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/tnyradiohour",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/the-new-yorker-radio-hour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1050430296",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/New-Yorker-Radio-Hour-p803804/",
"rss": "https://feeds.feedburner.com/newyorkerradiohour"
}
},
"the-sam-sanders-show": {
"id": "the-sam-sanders-show",
"title": "The Sam Sanders Show",
"info": "One of public radio's most dynamic voices, Sam Sanders helped launch The NPR Politics Podcast and hosted NPR's hit show It's Been A Minute. Now, the award-winning host returns with something brand new, The Sam Sanders Show. Every week, Sam Sanders and friends dig into the culture that shapes our lives: what's driving the biggest trends, how artists really think, and even the memes you can't stop scrolling past. Sam is beloved for his way of unpacking the world and bringing you up close to fresh currents and engaging conversations. The Sam Sanders Show is smart, funny and always a good time.",
"airtime": "FRI 12-1pm AND SAT 11am-12pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/The-Sam-Sanders-Show-Podcast-Tile-400x400-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.kcrw.com/shows/the-sam-sanders-show/latest",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "KCRW"
},
"link": "https://www.kcrw.com/shows/the-sam-sanders-show/latest",
"subscribe": {
"rss": "https://feed.cdnstream1.com/zjb/feed/download/ac/28/59/ac28594c-e1d0-4231-8728-61865cdc80e8.xml"
}
},
"the-splendid-table": {
"id": "the-splendid-table",
"title": "The Splendid Table",
"info": "\u003cem>The Splendid Table\u003c/em> hosts our nation's conversations about cooking, sustainability and food culture.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Splendid-Table-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.splendidtable.org/",
"airtime": "SUN 10-11 pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/the-splendid-table"
},
"this-american-life": {
"id": "this-american-life",
"title": "This American Life",
"info": "This American Life is a weekly public radio show, heard by 2.2 million people on more than 500 stations. Another 2.5 million people download the weekly podcast. It is hosted by Ira Glass, produced in collaboration with Chicago Public Media, delivered to stations by PRX The Public Radio Exchange, and has won all of the major broadcasting awards.",
"airtime": "SAT 12pm-1pm, 7pm-8pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/thisAmericanLife.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.thisamericanlife.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "wbez"
},
"link": "/radio/program/this-american-life",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=201671138&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"rss": "https://www.thisamericanlife.org/podcast/rss.xml"
}
},
"tinydeskradio": {
"id": "tinydeskradio",
"title": "Tiny Desk Radio",
"info": "We're bringing the best of Tiny Desk to the airwaves, only on public radio.",
"airtime": "SUN 8pm and SAT 9pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/300x300-For-Member-Station-Logo-Tiny-Desk-Radio-@2x.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/series/g-s1-52030/tiny-desk-radio",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/tinydeskradio",
"subscribe": {
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/g-s1-52030/rss.xml"
}
},
"wait-wait-dont-tell-me": {
"id": "wait-wait-dont-tell-me",
"title": "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!",
"info": "Peter Sagal and Bill Kurtis host the weekly NPR News quiz show alongside some of the best and brightest news and entertainment personalities.",
"airtime": "SUN 10am-11am, SAT 11am-12pm, SAT 6pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Wait-Wait-Podcast-Tile-300x300-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/wait-wait-dont-tell-me/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/wait-wait-dont-tell-me",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/Xogv",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=121493804&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Wait-Wait-Dont-Tell-Me-p46/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/344098539/podcast.xml"
}
},
"weekend-edition-saturday": {
"id": "weekend-edition-saturday",
"title": "Weekend Edition Saturday",
"info": "Weekend Edition Saturday wraps up the week's news and offers a mix of analysis and features on a wide range of topics, including arts, sports, entertainment, and human interest stories. The two-hour program is hosted by NPR's Peabody Award-winning Scott Simon.",
"airtime": "SAT 5am-10am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Weekend-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-edition-saturday/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/weekend-edition-saturday"
},
"weekend-edition-sunday": {
"id": "weekend-edition-sunday",
"title": "Weekend Edition Sunday",
"info": "Weekend Edition Sunday features interviews with newsmakers, artists, scientists, politicians, musicians, writers, theologians and historians. The program has covered news events from Nelson Mandela's 1990 release from a South African prison to the capture of Saddam Hussein.",
"airtime": "SUN 5am-10am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Weekend-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-edition-sunday/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/weekend-edition-sunday"
}
},
"racesReducer": {},
"racesGenElectionReducer": {},
"racesGenElection2026Reducer": {},
"radioSchedulesReducer": {},
"listsReducer": {
"posts/news?tag=valero": {
"isFetching": false,
"latestQuery": {
"from": 24,
"size": 12
},
"vitalsOnly": false,
"totalRequested": 12,
"isLoading": false,
"isLoadingMore": true,
"total": {
"value": 44,
"relation": "eq"
},
"items": [
"news_11735237",
"news_11735065",
"news_11733145",
"news_11704576",
"news_11703159",
"news_11700855",
"news_11681218",
"news_11675407",
"news_11675741",
"news_11656859",
"news_11630350",
"news_11621464"
],
"complete": true
}
},
"recallGuideReducer": {
"intros": {},
"policy": {},
"candidates": {}
},
"savedArticleReducer": {
"articles": [],
"status": {}
},
"newslettersReducer": {
"isFetching": false,
"fetchFailed": false,
"hasFetched": false,
"newsletters": {},
"isSubscribing": false,
"isUnsubscribing": false,
"subscribedNewsletters": {}
},
"termsReducer": {
"about": {
"name": "About",
"type": "terms",
"id": "about",
"slug": "about",
"link": "/about",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"arts": {
"name": "Arts & Culture",
"grouping": [
"arts",
"pop",
"trulyca"
],
"description": "KQED Arts provides daily in-depth coverage of the Bay Area's music, art, film, performing arts, literature and arts news, as well as cultural commentary and criticism.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts",
"slug": "arts",
"link": "/arts",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"artschool": {
"name": "Art School",
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "artschool",
"slug": "artschool",
"link": "/artschool",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"bayareabites": {
"name": "KQED food",
"grouping": [
"food",
"bayareabites",
"checkplease"
],
"parent": "food",
"type": "terms",
"id": "bayareabites",
"slug": "bayareabites",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"bayareahiphop": {
"name": "Bay Area Hiphop",
"type": "terms",
"id": "bayareahiphop",
"slug": "bayareahiphop",
"link": "/bayareahiphop",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"campaign21": {
"name": "Campaign 21",
"type": "terms",
"id": "campaign21",
"slug": "campaign21",
"link": "/campaign21",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"careers": {
"name": "Careers",
"type": "terms",
"id": "careers",
"slug": "careers",
"link": "/careers",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"checkplease": {
"name": "KQED food",
"grouping": [
"food",
"bayareabites",
"checkplease"
],
"parent": "food",
"type": "terms",
"id": "checkplease",
"slug": "checkplease",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"education": {
"name": "Education",
"grouping": [
"education"
],
"type": "terms",
"id": "education",
"slug": "education",
"link": "/education",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"elections": {
"name": "Elections",
"type": "terms",
"id": "elections",
"slug": "elections",
"link": "/elections",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"events": {
"name": "Events",
"type": "terms",
"id": "events",
"slug": "events",
"link": "/events",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"event": {
"name": "Event",
"alias": "events",
"type": "terms",
"id": "event",
"slug": "event",
"link": "/event",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"filmschoolshorts": {
"name": "Film School Shorts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "filmschoolshorts",
"slug": "filmschoolshorts",
"link": "/filmschoolshorts",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"food": {
"name": "KQED food",
"grouping": [
"food",
"bayareabites",
"checkplease"
],
"type": "terms",
"id": "food",
"slug": "food",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"forum": {
"name": "Forum",
"relatedContentQuery": "posts/forum?",
"parent": "news",
"type": "terms",
"id": "forum",
"slug": "forum",
"link": "/forum",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"futureofyou": {
"name": "Future of You",
"grouping": [
"science",
"futureofyou"
],
"parent": "science",
"type": "terms",
"id": "futureofyou",
"slug": "futureofyou",
"link": "/futureofyou",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"jpepinheart": {
"name": "KQED food",
"relatedContentQuery": "posts/food,bayareabites,checkplease",
"parent": "food",
"type": "terms",
"id": "jpepinheart",
"slug": "jpepinheart",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"liveblog": {
"name": "Live Blog",
"type": "terms",
"id": "liveblog",
"slug": "liveblog",
"link": "/liveblog",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"livetv": {
"name": "Live TV",
"parent": "tv",
"type": "terms",
"id": "livetv",
"slug": "livetv",
"link": "/livetv",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"lowdown": {
"name": "The Lowdown",
"relatedContentQuery": "posts/lowdown?",
"parent": "news",
"type": "terms",
"id": "lowdown",
"slug": "lowdown",
"link": "/lowdown",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"mindshift": {
"name": "Mindshift",
"parent": "news",
"description": "MindShift explores the future of education by highlighting the innovative – and sometimes counterintuitive – ways educators and parents are helping all children succeed.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift",
"slug": "mindshift",
"link": "/mindshift",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"news": {
"name": "News",
"grouping": [
"news",
"forum"
],
"type": "terms",
"id": "news",
"slug": "news",
"link": "/news",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"newsletters": {
"name": "newsletters",
"type": "terms",
"id": "newsletters",
"slug": "newsletters",
"link": "/newsletters",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"perspectives": {
"name": "Perspectives",
"parent": "radio",
"type": "terms",
"id": "perspectives",
"slug": "perspectives",
"link": "/perspectives",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"podcasts": {
"name": "Podcasts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "podcasts",
"slug": "podcasts",
"link": "/podcasts",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"pop": {
"name": "Pop",
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "pop",
"slug": "pop",
"link": "/pop",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"pressroom": {
"name": "Pressroom",
"type": "terms",
"id": "pressroom",
"slug": "pressroom",
"link": "/pressroom",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"quest": {
"name": "Quest",
"parent": "science",
"type": "terms",
"id": "quest",
"slug": "quest",
"link": "/quest",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"radio": {
"name": "Radio",
"grouping": [
"forum",
"perspectives"
],
"description": "Listen to KQED Public Radio – home of Forum and The California Report – on 88.5 FM in San Francisco, 89.3 FM in Sacramento, 88.3 FM in Santa Rosa and 88.1 FM in Martinez.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "radio",
"slug": "radio",
"link": "/radio",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"root": {
"name": "KQED",
"image": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"imageWidth": 1200,
"imageHeight": 630,
"headData": {
"title": "KQED | News, Radio, Podcasts, TV | Public Media for Northern California",
"description": "KQED provides public radio, television, and independent reporting on issues that matter to the Bay Area. We’re the NPR and PBS member station for Northern California."
},
"type": "terms",
"id": "root",
"slug": "root",
"link": "/root",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"science": {
"name": "Science",
"grouping": [
"science",
"futureofyou"
],
"description": "KQED Science brings you award-winning science and environment coverage from the Bay Area and beyond.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "science",
"slug": "science",
"link": "/science",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"stateofhealth": {
"name": "State of Health",
"parent": "science",
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth",
"slug": "stateofhealth",
"link": "/stateofhealth",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"support": {
"name": "Support",
"type": "terms",
"id": "support",
"slug": "support",
"link": "/support",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"thedolist": {
"name": "The Do List",
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "thedolist",
"slug": "thedolist",
"link": "/thedolist",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"trulyca": {
"name": "Truly CA",
"grouping": [
"arts",
"pop",
"trulyca"
],
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "trulyca",
"slug": "trulyca",
"link": "/trulyca",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"tv": {
"name": "TV",
"type": "terms",
"id": "tv",
"slug": "tv",
"link": "/tv",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"voterguide": {
"name": "Voter Guide",
"parent": "elections",
"alias": "elections",
"type": "terms",
"id": "voterguide",
"slug": "voterguide",
"link": "/voterguide",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"guiaelectoral": {
"name": "Guia Electoral",
"parent": "elections",
"alias": "elections",
"type": "terms",
"id": "guiaelectoral",
"slug": "guiaelectoral",
"link": "/guiaelectoral",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"news_tag_valero": {
"isLoading": true
},
"news_20022": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_20022",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "20022",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Valero",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Valero Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 20039,
"slug": "valero",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/valero"
},
"source_news_11675741": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_news_11675741",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "The Bay",
"link": "https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/the-bay",
"isLoading": false
},
"news_72": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_72",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "72",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2014/10/TCR-2-Logo-Web-Banners-03.png",
"name": "The California Report",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "program",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "The California Report Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 6969,
"slug": "the-california-report",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/program/the-california-report"
},
"news_19906": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_19906",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "19906",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Environment",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Environment Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 19923,
"slug": "environment",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/environment"
},
"news_8": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_8",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "8",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "News",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "News Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 8,
"slug": "news",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/news"
},
"news_356": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_356",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "356",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Science",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Science Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 364,
"slug": "science",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/science"
},
"news_2036": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_2036",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "2036",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "air pollution",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "air pollution Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 2051,
"slug": "air-pollution",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/air-pollution"
},
"news_20902": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_20902",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "20902",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Benicia",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Benicia Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 20919,
"slug": "benicia",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/benicia"
},
"news_21107": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_21107",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "21107",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "oil refineries",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "oil refineries Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 21124,
"slug": "oil-refineries",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/oil-refineries"
},
"news_21826": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_21826",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "21826",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Benicia Refinery",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Benicia Refinery Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 21843,
"slug": "benicia-refinery",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/benicia-refinery"
},
"news_2920": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_2920",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "2920",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "pollution",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "pollution Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 2938,
"slug": "pollution",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/pollution"
},
"news_2919": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_2919",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "2919",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "refinery",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "refinery Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 2937,
"slug": "refinery",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/refinery"
},
"news_23938": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_23938",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "23938",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Solano County",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Solano County Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 23955,
"slug": "solano-county",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/solano-county"
},
"news_13": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_13",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "13",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "Politics",
"slug": "politics",
"taxonomy": "category",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "Politics | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 13,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/politics"
},
"news_20191": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_20191",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "20191",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "election 2018",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "election 2018 Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 20208,
"slug": "election-2018",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/election-2018"
},
"news_24446": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_24446",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "24446",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "local 2018",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "local 2018 Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 24463,
"slug": "local-2018",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/local-2018"
},
"news_3111": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_3111",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "3111",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "oil",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "oil Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 3129,
"slug": "oil",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/oil"
},
"news_6188": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_6188",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "6188",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Law and Justice",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Law and Justice Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 6212,
"slug": "law-and-justice",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/law-and-justice"
},
"news_19542": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_19542",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "19542",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "featured",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "featured Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 19559,
"slug": "featured",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/featured"
},
"news_21030": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_21030",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "21030",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Valero Refinery",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Valero Refinery Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 21047,
"slug": "valero-refinery",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/valero-refinery"
},
"news_19905": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_19905",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "19905",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "campaign finance",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "campaign finance Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 19922,
"slug": "campaign-finance",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/campaign-finance"
},
"news_19179": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_19179",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "19179",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "CPUC",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "CPUC Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 19196,
"slug": "cpuc",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/cpuc"
},
"news_140": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_140",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "140",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "PG&E",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "PG&E Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 144,
"slug": "pge",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/pge"
},
"news_20628": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_20628",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "20628",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Bay Area Air Quality Management District",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Bay Area Air Quality Management District Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 20645,
"slug": "bay-area-air-quality-management-district",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/bay-area-air-quality-management-district"
},
"news_28779": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_28779",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "28779",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "The Bay",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "program",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": "The Bay is a daily news and culture program from KQED that covers the latest headlines, trends, and stories that matter to the Bay Area.",
"title": "The Bay Area Archives | KQED",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 28796,
"slug": "the-bay",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/program/the-bay"
},
"news_33520": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33520",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33520",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Podcast",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Podcast Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33537,
"slug": "podcast",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/podcast"
},
"news_22598": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_22598",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "22598",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "The Bay",
"description": "\u003cimg class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-11638190\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/02/TheBay_1200x6301.png\" alt=\"\" />\r\n\u003cbr/>\r\n\r\nEvery good story starts local. So that’s where we start. \u003ci>The Bay\u003c/i> is storytelling for daily news. KQED host Devin Katayama talks with reporters to help us make sense of what’s happening in the Bay Area. One story. One conversation. One idea.\r\n\r\n\u003cstrong>Subscribe to The Bay:\u003c/strong>\r\n\r\n\u003ca href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bay/id1350043452?mt=2\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/Listen_on_Apple_Podcasts_sRGB_US-e1515635079510.png\" />\u003c/a>",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": "Every good story starts local. So that’s where we start. The Bay is storytelling for daily news. KQED host Devin Katayama talks with reporters to help us make sense of what’s happening in the Bay Area. One story. One conversation. One idea. Subscribe to The Bay:",
"title": "The Bay Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 22615,
"slug": "the-bay",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/the-bay"
},
"news_457": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_457",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "457",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Health",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Health Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 16998,
"slug": "health",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/health"
},
"news_424": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_424",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "424",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Chevron",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Chevron Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 433,
"slug": "chevron",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/chevron"
},
"news_579": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_579",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "579",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Richmond",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Richmond Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 2717,
"slug": "richmond",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/richmond"
},
"news_18897": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_18897",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "18897",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Tom Butt",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Tom Butt Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 18914,
"slug": "tom-butt",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/tom-butt"
},
"news_6944": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_6944",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "6944",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2014/10/News-Fix-Logo-Web-Banners-04.png",
"name": "News Fix",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "program",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": "The News Fix is a daily news podcast from KQED that breaks down the latest headlines and provides in-depth analysis of the stories that matter to the Bay Area.",
"title": "News Fix - Daily Dose of Bay Area News | KQED",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 6968,
"slug": "news-fix",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/program/news-fix"
},
"news_1397": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_1397",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "1397",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Transportation",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Transportation Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1409,
"slug": "transportation",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/transportation"
}
},
"userPermissionsReducer": {
"wpLoggedIn": false
},
"eventsReducer": {},
"fssReducer": {},
"tvDailyScheduleReducer": {},
"tvWeeklyScheduleReducer": {},
"tvPrimetimeScheduleReducer": {},
"tvMonthlyScheduleReducer": {},
"userAccountReducer": {
"user": {
"email": null,
"emailStatus": "EMAIL_UNVALIDATED",
"loggedStatus": "LOGGED_OUT",
"loggingChecked": false,
"articles": [],
"firstName": null,
"lastName": null,
"phoneNumber": null,
"fetchingMembership": false,
"membershipError": false,
"memberships": [
{
"id": null,
"startDate": null,
"firstName": null,
"lastName": null,
"familyNumber": null,
"memberNumber": null,
"memberSince": null,
"expirationDate": null,
"pfsEligible": false,
"isSustaining": false,
"membershipLevel": "Prospect",
"membershipStatus": "Non Member",
"lastGiftDate": null,
"renewalDate": null,
"lastDonationAmount": null
}
]
},
"authModal": {
"isOpen": false,
"view": "LANDING_VIEW"
},
"error": null
},
"youthMediaReducer": {},
"checkPleaseReducer": {
"filterData": {
"region": {
"key": "Restaurant Region",
"filters": [
"Any Region"
]
},
"cuisine": {
"key": "Restaurant Cuisine",
"filters": [
"Any Cuisine"
]
}
},
"restaurantDataById": {},
"restaurantIdsSorted": [],
"error": null
},
"userAgentReducer": {
"userAgent": "Mozilla/5.0 AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko; compatible; ClaudeBot/1.0; +claudebot@anthropic.com)",
"isBot": true
}
}
