Contra Costa District Attorney, Air District Reach $10M Settlement With Refinery For Violations

The Bay Area Air District and Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office announced Thursday they secured $10 million from the Martinez Refining Company following a joint prosecution for 163 violations of air quality regulations over four years.

The final judgment will require compliance improvements by the refinery, a $10 million penalty for violations between 2020 to 2024, and a $600,000 payment toward environmental projects in the community.

Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton said the case exemplified her office’s commitment to keep refineries in the area accountable for their violations. She said the final judgment will help mitigate future problems through a change to operating procedures and an enhancement to emissions monitoring equipment.

“Civil enforcement is a critical public safety tool,” said Becton. “It compels compliance, drives operational change and ensures the violations of environmental and public health laws carry real consequences.”

The Martinez Refining Company posted on Facebook its satisfaction with the final judgment.

“MRC recognizes that we must earn the right to operate in Martinez and that we have a responsibility to be involved in and to give back to the Martinez community,” the company wrote.

The case included a 2022 Thanksgiving Day release from the refinery that left parts of Martinez covered in spent catalyst, a toxic white ash-like substance that settled on property across the city.

Alexander Crockett is the general counsel for the Bay Area Air District and said proper enforcement of violations is important for the community’s health. He said violations like illegal flaring, fires, leaking tanks, and strong odors that caused a public nuisance should all be taken seriously.

“Many of these violations were not minor technical oversights,” said Crockett. “They involved repeated failures that impacted public health, environmental safety and community trust. When facilities violate their pollution laws, there are consequences.”

Crockett said comparing violations from the Martinez Refining Company to those of other refineries in the area is difficult because each case has differences. He said violations can occur because of improper operator training or outdated equipment, so each infraction requires due diligence.

The air district will receive $6.35 million that will be placed in a fund for community-led projects in Martinez. The District Attorney’s Office Environment Unit will receive $3.5 million for enforcement activities and for monitoring other violations in the area.

Contra Costa Health Services, the county’s public health department, will receive $100,000, while the California Department of Fish and Wildlife will be given $50,000.

Alongside the penalty, the Martinez Refining Company will pay $600,000 to environmental projects. The majority of the amount, $450,000, will be awarded to air filtration systems in public schools near the refinery.

The judgment was negotiated between both parties and signed by Contra Costa County Superior Court Judge Benjamin Reyes II. It cannot be appealed by the refinery and details of the negotiation process remain confidential.

However, the judgment does not include a fire at the refinery that injured six workers on Feb. 1, 2025. The District Attorney’s Office said the fire is under the early stages of review.