KQED Live EventsPRX Podcast Garage EventsEvents Around the Bay AreaMember Benefits with KQED LiveVideos from KQED LiveWatch recordings of recent KQED Live events FeaturedThat's My WordAn ongoing exploration of Bay Area hip-hop history See Senior Director of TV Programming Meredith Speight’s recommendations from this month’s KQED 9 Watch recordings of recent KQED Live events Support KQED by using your donor-advised fund to make a charitable gift A fire at the Valero Oil Refinery in Benicia The fire comes just weeks after Valero executives announced they were considering closing the sprawling refinery by next April  (Bay Area Air District)Updated 4:23 p.m A blaze that ignited Monday morning at Valero’s Benicia refinery was brought under control after sending large plumes of black smoke into the air for over an hour which firefighters responded to around 8:45 a.m. had been “placed under control” at 10:38 a.m. and shelter-in-place orders for nearby residents and Robert Semple Elementary School were lifted “Emergency personnel will remain on scene for clean up,” the department said in a Facebook post “While there is particulate matter present all other air monitoring is below health hazard levels.” Vallejo and Contra Costa County firefighters also responded to the fire which was mainly confined to a single structure in the refinery Benicia Mayor Steve Young, speaking on KQED’s Forum on Monday about Valero’s recently announced plans to close the refinery said safety officials had instructed people who live nearby to stay indoors who lives in Benicia about 3 miles from the refinery when he first saw smoke “in the wrong place.” The wind was blowing a large black cloud directly toward town “That’s about when we got the shelter-in-place order,” he said “And that’s about when we decided to go have breakfast in Vallejo.” Fox said some neighbors with allergies or asthma told him their symptoms were kicking up “We know that stuff’s dangerous,” he said so we don’t want to breathe any of that stuff.” Air regulators and health officials are investigating the incident and using portable air monitors in the surrounding community to test for air pollution The Bay Area Air District issued an air quality advisory for smoke in southern Solano “specifically communities between I-80 and I-680 bridges (Martinez Concord and Port Chicago),” the agency said noting that communities as far south as Oakland could potentially feel the impact “Smoke from the fire contains fine particulate matter and other harmful pollutants even for short periods of time,” the agency said Although firefighters responded to the blaze within minutes and the Benicia Fire Department posted a shelter-in-place alert soon thereafter the county warning system didn’t alert residents until well after the fire had started because of a technical glitch a Benicia resident who lives miles away from the refinery said she didn’t receive any official text communications about the fire until about 10:30 a.m. even though she subscribes to various emergency alerts “We need much better notifications and information and especially when it’s happening,” said Toth who’s lived in the city for 25 years I saw people walking outside and I thought should I open my window and tell people to run home?’” County officials have not responded to a request for comment Three months ago, residents were similarly impacted by a major refinery fire in Martinez Contra Costa health officials said Monday that they were sending a hazardous materials team to Martinez to monitor for any potential impacts from the Benicia fire The Benicia Fire Department said it had also requested drone air monitoring from the Solano County Hazardous Materials Response Team Valero said in a statement that emergency crews responded and are monitoring for air quality issues “The safety of our workers and community is our priority and we are coordinating with state and local authorities,” the company said The fire comes just weeks after Valero executives announced they were considering closing the sprawling refinery by next April The refinery, which produces up to 145,000 barrels of crude oil a day, is the sixth largest in California, accounting for about 9% of the state’s total capacity the fire is another reason to be concerned about Valero’s safety record “I don’t think it’s acceptable,” Fox said “I think Valero has tried to portray themselves as being safe and they’ve proven time and time again that they’re not safe… They’re just trying to make money and cut corners.” KQED’s Julie Small contributed to this report To learn more about how we use your information, please read our privacy policy. The Benicia Fire Department said that the Benicia Valero Refinery was brought under control at 10:38 a.m prompting officials to lift a shelter-in-place order for nearby residents The Benicia Fire Department reported that the Fairfield Fire Department and Contra Costa County Fire are currently responding to the blaze Fire officials say that there are no injuries reported at this time Fire crews are responding to an active fire on Monday at the Benicia Valero Refinery Residents who can see or smell smoke are advised to stay indoors and keep doors and windows closed Officials urged the public not to call 911 unless they are experiencing an emergency The refinery has a capacity of 145,000 barrels per day, Reuters reported. Trump Administration Freezes Future Grants to Harvard FAIRFIELD — The Solano County Airport Land Use Commission on Thursday will consider whether the zoning amendments for the Benicia downtown mixed-use plan are compatible with the Travis Air Force Base Land Use Compatibility Plan The changes involve two Travis compatibility zones in the Board of Supervisors chamber on the first floor of the county government building Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Have the latest local news delivered every afternoon so you don't miss out on updates Receive occasional local offers from our website and its advertisers summary of the weather details and news of any severe weather We'll send breaking news and news alerts to you as they happen  Receive our newspaper electronically with the e-Edition email Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account A drone view of the Valero Benicia Refinery in Benicia on May 1 Safety officials issued a shelter-in-place order for residents and Contra Costa County health officials called on a hazardous materials team to investigate the impact of a fire that broke out Monday morning at the Valero Benicia Refinery Monday — BENICIA — Safety officials issued a shelter-in-place order for residents Black smoke from the fire could be seen as far away as Concord The Bay Area Air District confirmed news of the fire and said the potential impacts from it were in the immediate area of the refinery and downwind The refinery is located in the 3400 block of East Second Street It was unknown immediately if the fire caused any injuries Health officials with Contra Costa County said they were aware of the incident and were sending a hazmat team to Martinez to monitor for any potential impacts That city already endured a fire at the Martinez Reining Co in February that released 7,000 gallons of hydrocarbons into the air and required medical treatment for six workers The future of the 900-acre property that houses the refinery is murky after Valero Energy Corp has notified the state Energy Commission of its “intent to idle or cease refining operations” at the refinery Friends and family of Berryessa's Turtle Rock bar collected the money pined to the ceiling of the cafe to donate to UCSF and celebrate the 15-year 'cancerversary' of Elijah Leung Most of Napa’s River Park Shopping Center tenants cater to locals Now a handful of tenants have left the center The sheriff's office reported seizing 13 roosters from a Carneros site where it said the birds were altered and trained to fight other male birds Take a ride around Napa on these motorized ADA-compliant scooters made to look like various critters and creatures Young denied a bid by Alan Jazeel Martinez to dismiss a second-degree murder charge for the death of 17-year-old Monica Flores after a fentanyl overdose in 2022 Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device 2025 at 1:55 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}A video of a massive black plume of smoke coming off the refinery was posted on X by user Brotha Doug around 9 a.m (Brotha Doug/@AutomailDougie via X)BENICIA CA — Firefighters responded Monday morning to a blaze at the Valero Benicia Refinery A video of a massive black plume of smoke coming off the refinery was posted on X by user Brotha Doug around 9 a.m The fire was under control as of about 10:40 a.m and the shelter-in-place directive was lifted which said particulate matter was present but all other air monitoring was below health hazard levels "All personnel are accounted for and there are no injuries," Valero spokesperson Lillian Riojas said in an email around 1 p.m "The cause of the incident is under investigation The safety of our workers and community is our priority and we will continue to coordinate with state and local authorities." It has over 400 employees and has the capacity to process 170,000 barrels of oil per day Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. BENICIA — The City Council will hold a budget study session Tuesday for fiscal years 2025-26 and 2026-27 The potential impacts from the announced closure of the Valero refinery will certainly be part of the discussion The session is part of the regular council meeting Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker The Valero refinery in Benicia on Sept. 21, 2023. The potential closure of the massive Benicia oil refinery by next April would have a huge impact on both the city’s economy and the state’s oil supply.  (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)A week after Valero announced plans to “idle restructure or cease” operations at its massive Benicia oil refinery by next April company executives said that while the plant’s closure was more than likely In an earnings call Thursday Valero executives left open the possibility of a Hail Mary saying they had plans to meet with state and local officials to discuss potential options “I do think there’s a genuine interest in California to avoid the closure,” Richard Walsh “Our current intent right now is to close the refinery.” Valero CEO Lane Riggs cited California’s tough “regulatory and enforcement environment” as the main driver behind the company’s intent to cease operations at the sprawling North Bay facility. The sixth-largest refinery in the state, it currently produces up to 145,000 barrels of crude oil a day, accounting for about 9% of the state’s production “California has been pursuing policies to move away from fossil fuels for really the past 20 years,” Riggs said calling the state’s regulations “the most stringent and difficult of anywhere else in North America.” Benicia Mayor Steve Young doesn’t disagree with the assessment but said he wishes the company had provided more lead time “We need to get moving on this quickly because 12 months is not a long time given the severity of the economic impact,” said Young noting that nearly 20% of Benicia’s $60 million budget comes from the refinery “I think that’s part of my frustration is how little time we have to try to plan for some kind of an alternative.” would also be a major blow to the hundreds of residents who work there hotels and other businesses that provide services to those workers in this city of some 27,000 residents The Valero refinery is also the exclusive supplier of jet fuel to nearby Travis Air Force Base which it delivers through a direct pipeline what does that mean to the base?” Young said “Travis uses an amazing amount of fuel to fly all their planes So I think that this becomes a matter of real concern to the Defense Department and it’s potentially a national security issue.” “I suspect that compared to other refinery operators they’re a pretty good business operator But they’ve also had a pretty bad track record on public safety,” said Terry Mollica who leads a group of residents that pushed for the city’s new safety rules to increase oversight of the refinery But Mollica said that he doesn’t think anybody in his group is particularly excited about the possibility of the facility closing altogether “There would be long-term and short-term impacts on the community,” he said None of us want to see that happen particularly.” Valero has owned and operated the Benicia refinery since 2000 The refinery was originally built in 1968 for Humble Oil hinted that they may also soon consider “strategic alternatives” for the company’s only other California refinery which accounts for more than 5% of the state’s crude oil supply “California is phasing out its gasoline consumption and refiners see that coming,” said Severin Borenstein “We should be seriously concerned about how all that gasoline supply is going to get replaced.” California has dramatically reduced its reliance on fossil fuels in recent decades but most residents still drive gas-powered cars and will continue to do so for years to come even though the state already has some of the highest gas prices in the nation Gov. Gavin Newsom underscored that sense of urgency this week in a letter (PDF) to California Energy Commission Vice Chair Siva Gunda He urged the commission to “redouble” its efforts to ensure refiners “continue to see the value in serving the California market even as demand for fossil fuels continues its gradual decline over the coming decades.” “I am directing you … to reinforce the State’s openness to a collaborative relationship and our firm belief that Californians can be protected from price spikes and refiners can profitably operate in California — a market where demand for gasoline will still exist for years to come,” Newsom wrote Almost immediately after Valero’s announcement Newsom was lambasted by state Assembly Republicans who said the potential closure was among the growing number of “real-world consequences” of [his] war on California energy producers that was “becoming clearer by the day.” Newsom defended two different laws he signed in the last two years that give the state more oversight of the oil industry and regulate backup supply when refineries go offline in order to prevent market irregularities He also asked state energy and environmental officials to produce a report by July 1 on “any changes in the State’s approach that are needed to ensure adequate supply during this transition.” “The California Energy Commission continues to be committed to working with stakeholders to explore options to ensure an affordable and safe transportation fuel supply,” Sandy Louey said in an email in response to Newsom’s letter whose city has long felt the health impacts of the refinery’s toxic releases said he understands the motivation behind California’s ambitious regulations “I think certainly [California’s] done them for lots of good environmental reasons and that obviously climate change is a real thing and burning fossil fuels is a direct contributor to it,” he said But it certainly has created an environment where oil companies feel that either they’ve been unfairly targeted or they are just seeing this as perhaps a way to negotiate some rollbacks of some of those things.” Young acknowledged that the refinery’s closure would yield some “net benefit” to the health and safety of his community “And so from an environmental point of view it’s certainly possible to look at it as a silver lining,” he said I’m certainly not celebrating it by any means.” KRON4 KRON4's Lindsey Ford reports: https://www.kron4.com/?p=2158697&preview=true Made in the Bay Area and being shown on the big screen local filmmakers discuss being featured at SFFilm Festival this year Video shows aftermath of tree crushing San Francisco parklet One man is in jail and another was hospitalized after a seemingly random attack in the Castro on Easter Three people are dead and three more are hospitalized with serious injuries after a Volkswagen Tiguan hit a tree on San Geronimo Valley Road just west of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard shortly before 7:30 p.m San Francisco Fire Department firefighters rescued an injured dog and an uninjured person from a cliffside along Mile Rock Trail in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area Thursday afternoon Bay Area photographer Lani Tinio shared a timelapse of the Moon rising over the Bay Bridge on Sunday with KRON4 and there is no shortage of activities going on around the Bay Area KRON4 Chief Meteorologist Lawrence Karnow has 4 Fun Things going on this weekend 2023. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)Last month Oil Giant Valero announced it would “restructure or cease operations” at its Benicia refinery by the end of April 2026 as California transitions away from fossil fuels workers and residents scrambling to figure out what to do next Valero is the city’s largest employer and a significant taxpayer but also a source of pollution.  We talk about the possible closure and what it means for our region professor at UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business and a faculty director of The Energy Institute at Haas The views expressed here are the author's own An Evening of Deadhead Poetry @ Alibi Bookshop You're Dead Forever Paperbackby Hercules Publishing (Author) a global cadre of deadhead poets send us on spiritual Deadheads from around the world are included in these pages whether they fell in love with a few albums or dedicated their life to being die-hard loyal fans trekking across the country in a nomadic musical pilgrimage letting the experience transform them again and again and Asia as well as from over two dozen states in the United States are all included in these pages showcasing the wide reach of the Dead’s music...' LangOver 80 poets from around the world explore their personal histories and connections with the psychedelic rock and roll band Grateful Dead through the decades and all of the band's many incarnations Special event featuring poetry by California contributors: Copies of the book will be available for purchase at the event Please support Alibi Bookshop.Order online here: https://bookshop.org/p/books/p... https://www.facebook.com/event... Saturday, 8:00 amNapa Valley, CA You don’t have to know opera to LOVE opera You’ll hear showstopping highlights from opera’s greatest hits — La Traviata and a powerhouse cast of soloists.Whether you’re a longtime opera lover or just opera-curious Opera LOVE is your chance to feel it all — the passion Stay for the heart.Featuring:Urs Leonhardt Steiner you can get a great deal to attend a Toastmasters conference being held online and in Vallejo Diane has been a franchise consultant for over 17 years You do not have to be a Toastmaster to attend Register using the QR code in the picture or at https://d57tm.org/event/new-beginnings-district-57-2025-annual-conference Join us for this momentous day at the California Maritime Academy in Vallejo or in the comfort of your own home you don’t want to miss this.We begin with the District Evaluation Contest and end with the District International Speech Contest In between is an experience packed day of recognition of clubs and of networking with other District members and leaders This high energy event also has a silent auction This is a once-a-year opportunity to see old friends and learn/experience great toastmasters’ education.--Location: California Maritime Academy--200 Maritime Academy Drive--Vallejo ### Lunch Options for in-person attendance On Sale Online attendance early bird price=$25.It may go up to $50 Valero Energy Corporation announced that its subsidiary has submitted notice to the California Energy Commission of its current intent to idle or cease refining operations at Valero’s Benicia Refinery by the end of April 2026 Valero continues to evaluate strategic alternatives for its remaining operations in California “We understand the impact that this may have on our employees and will continue to work with them through this period,” said Lane Riggs In connection with the evaluation of strategic alternatives for Valero’s operations in California a combined pre-tax impairment charge of $1.1 billion was recorded for the Benicia and Wilmington refineries and is expected to be treated as a special item and excluded from first quarter 2025 adjusted earnings Also included in this amount is the recognition of expected asset retirement obligations of $337 million as of March 31 BENICIA - Valero announced this week that it will close its refinery in Benicia by mid-2026 following the city’s adoption of an ordinance regulating businesses like the refinery Valero Energy Corporation said in a press release this week that it has submitted notice to the California Energy Commission of its intent to idle restructure or cease refining operations at the Benicia Refinery by April 2026.  president and chairman Lane Riggs acknowledged that the refinery’s closure heavily impacts the region and will continue to work with them through this period,” Riggs said in a statement Wednesday Benicia city officials said that they will work with the company during its operational changes and inform the community about any potential economic impacts and challenges Valero currently pays $331,320 annually to the city as part of a cooperative agreement Benicia Mayor Steve Young said that the news impacts the entire community as Valero has long been part of the city’s identity.  “While this potential transition raises many questions, I want to reassure our residents that the city is committed to transparency, collaboration, and careful planning,” Young said in a statement Wednesday. “We will be working with Valero and state agencies to better understand the path ahead.”  “This is a moment of significant transition for our city and community.”  Benicia has shown time and again that we are resilient,” Giluiani said we've faced tough budget challenges and worked hard to strengthen our economic foundation — and we will continue to move forward together.”  Valero Energy Corporation has owned and operated the Benicia Refinery since 2000 before which the facility operated as Humble Oil or Exxon The Benicia City Council recently approved an Industrial Health and Safety Ordinance regulating businesses producing hazardous materials, after years of study and pushback from Valero A Valero spokesperson did not comment when asked if this policy had anything to do with the decision to close the Benicia refinery.  It’s expensive to produce the kind of high-quality journalism we do at the Vallejo Sun And we rely on reader support so we can keep publishing chip in so we can keep doing this work and bringing you the journalism you rely on The Vallejo Sun is an independent news publication owned and operated by journalists illuminating Solano County About the Vallejo Sun Our mission & FAQ Contact the Vallejo Sun Privacy policy Editorial policies © 2025 The Vallejo Sun - All rights reserved 2023. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)Last week the oil giant Valero announced that it will “idle or cease operations” at its Benicia refinery that employs more than 400 workers KQED’s Julie Small tells us how officials are reacting and why many view this decision as a response to state and local regulations Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild American Federation of Television and Radio Artists Ericka Cruz Guevarra [00:01:24] Before we get into the latest news here remind folks about the Valero refinery in Benicia Where is it exactly and what goes on there it’s right on the Carquinez Strait in Benicia.Built in 1968 for Humble Oil I got to tour the facility about 10 years ago They also employ 400 workers and lots of contractors people who come in to help with specific operations like ironworks it’s a major employer in the San Francisco Bay Area Ericka Cruz Guevarra [00:02:34] And what can you tell us about Valero but they have refineries all over the country They also operate a second refinery in Southern California and it produces a little less than the one up here Ericka Cruz Guevarra [00:03:03] And I imagine plays a big role in the city of Benicia what role does Valero as a company play in the City Julie Small [00:03:18] It’s the major economic engine of the city of Benicia They pay taxes that make up about 10 to 12% of the City budget It’s also a big client for a lot of local businesses that supply services and they lend financial support for Benicia’s school district very deeply involved in the community in all those good ways and some not so great ways Ericka Cruz Guevarra [00:03:48] How would you describe the relationship between Valero and the city of Benicia It’s interesting how people are very quick to praise the company but also quick to criticize the company and the refinery specifically and the operations there Air regulators just last year fined the company a record $82 million for exceeding toxic emissions standards They are even those people in Benicia who were always supportive of the refinery sort of this love-hate relationship that I feel like you kind of see in refinery towns all over the Bay Area that rely on the jobs but that also bear the brunt of the environmental impact There was one woman who spoke at a city council meeting and she said it’s great that Valero is helping the school district but what good does it do if all of our kids have asthma And asthma has been a big issue in Benicia And according to state health data from 2020 nearly 15% of the people in the county of Solano which is about 70% higher than the statewide average Ericka Cruz Guevarra [00:05:22] Okay Julie so I mean we’re talking because Valero actually made a really surprising announcement last week Julie Small [00:05:33] That the company is going to idle or cease operations at its Benicia refinery by the end of April the CEO and president of Valero said that they understand the impact that it may have on employees and they’ll continue to work with them through this period And it sounds like no clear decision has necessarily been made quite yet but it sounds something is going to change Julie Small [00:06:20] They could pause their operations and wait to see if the Trump administration takes action against some of our environmental standards either California is gonna make life easier for refineries or deal with the sudden loss of them has Valero said anything about why they are doing this either in the announcement or in interviews with the media Julie Small [00:06:47] Valero didn’t say this in their press release but Valero has been signaling that they’re pretty unhappy with California as an environment to do business California is committed to reducing our use of fossil fuels and we are passing laws and creating a climate where we’re moving towards that goal and refineries don’t like it That got particularly worse in the last year because California regulators accused Valero of price gouging There were some words exchanged with the California Energy Commission that basically said Your gas in California is more expensive because of all the regulations you’ve put on it And there have been some other laws passed very recently that really get into the nitty gritty of how the They described it as a hostile environment that California has created towards refineries Severin Borenstein [00:07:57] It is a harbinger of the larger issues that California faces Julie Small [00:08:02] I talked with Severin Borenstein he’s with the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and an economics and energy expert Severin Borenstein [00:08:11] California is phasing out its gasoline consumption and refiner see that coming the very product you’re making is actually shrinking and the idea is that we will not be reliant on that fuel anymore in the future Severin Borenstein [00:08:30] This refinery in Benicia has had a lot of production problems and emissions problems that make it look like they’re going to have to make some significant investments in order to maintain production and still obey environmental rules Phillips 66 decided to close their refinery in Southern California That’s gonna close at the end of this year how locals are reacting to Valero’s announcement Ericka Cruz Guevarra [00:09:29] Whatever happens What have you heard locally from people in the city I think they felt like they were still in dialogue with Valero about how to make things better it’s like the nuclear option they were most afraid of Julie Small [00:10:03] I talked to city council member She is one of the people who was really pushed for increased oversight and accountability at Valero my thoughts go to our local workers and other small businesses that will be impacted by this news Julie Small [00:10:26] I think the big concern in Benicia is how do you replace an economic powerhouse like a refinery and Birdseye talked about possibilities of like getting involved in some offshore wind projects but it’s really clear they don’t have a plan in place They’re not ready for this to happen so quickly Kari Birdseye [00:10:46] We will be resilient and we will figure out who we want to bring to our town and you know make sure that whoever comes to town isn’t going to increase our asthma rates Ericka Cruz Guevarra [00:11:00] I feel like she really kind of captures this tension of this just transition in California away from oil refineries which is that a lot of people rely on these refinerys for work There’s a lot people who could possibly lose their job if Valero ceases operation in Benicia 400 employees at the refinery itself and then hundreds of union contract workers who cycle through the refineries every year Danny Bernardini [00:11:35] You’re hopeful but you’re also realistic that it’s California Julie Small [00:11:39] Danny Bernardini with the Napa-Solano Building and Construction Trade Council He says anyone who’s been paying attention knows that the future of refining in California is dim He’d just been talking to Valero about renewing contracts for his members He was excited and then he wakes up to the news that there may be no contracts Danny Bernardini [00:12:00] We have state and local governments that are not fond of refinery those people drive cars and they have reliance on oil but they also you know there’s a lot of laws and ordinances that have a path that make it hard to do business and so this is the other side of that coin this announcement last week was a pretty big shock so I guess what happens in between now and then are saying they’re going to be looking for new industry partners and trying to develop a plan They expect they’ll be losing $8 million a year if Valero closes They’re going turn to the state to ask for help They’re gonna ask other cities that were refinery towns how they’ve made the transition Gavin Newsom [00:13:04] Just briefly on that respecting the importance of that question I guess he was contacted the night before the news came out and the morning after we’re all hands on deck dealing with this and we’re gonna make sure that this doesn’t disrupt the markets and you know doesn’t hurt anything and we are on it Gavin Newsom [00:13:28] Beginning last night we had all hands and we’re in the process of addressing any anxiety that may be created or any market disruption that may be created by that announcement Julie Small [00:13:39] The other thing that could happen is that the Trump administration could roll back some of the environmental regulations and standards that California has fought so hard to get we’ve talked on this show about the various refineries around the Bay Area in cities like Benicia and Richmond and Martinez and Rodeo And I know each one of these cities is very different but do you think this story tells us anything about the future of oil refinerys here in the Bay area I thought immediately of the fact that Phillips 66 had announced that they were closing in Southern California it’s kind of like the writing on the wall Refineries are having to convert or close their operations It just may be happening faster than places like Venetia are prepared for or even faster than the states prepared for You’re planning to break up with someone or you get fired from a job while you’re still looking for a new one California’s decided we want to head in this other direction Refineries aren’t waiting for that day to arrive They’re making their decisions based on a bottom line Energy giant Valero on Wednesday announced plans to cease operations at its Benicia oil refinery which has been consistently hindered by malfunctions and unintended toxic releases in recent years The Texas-based company said it had submitted notice of its intent to the California Energy Commission to “idle or cease operations” at the refinery by the end of April 2026 “We woke up to a big surprise this morning It is some shocking news,” said Benicia Councilmember Kari Birdseye who spearheaded the new safety regulations “The timing is unfortunate because we just passed the local ordinance a couple of weeks ago But I don’t think that the decision is related,” she said Valero has long been one of the city’s biggest employers: More than 400 people work at the Benicia refinery, which is the sixth largest in the state and can process as much as 170,000 barrels of oil a day “We understand the impact that this may have on our employees and will continue to work with them through this period,” Valero CEO Lane Riggs said in a statement which stands to take a major financial hit from the possible refinery closure said it intended to work with the company to “seek clarity around the timeline and scope” of the proposed changes and pledged to keep residents informed about any “potential economic impacts and challenges this may present.” concern for what it means to the community and a dedication to try to get through this in terms of trying to deal with the impacts it’s going to have on our city,” Benicia Mayor Steve Young told KQED regional partners and state agencies “to better understand the path ahead,” with the hope that a deal can be reached with the company to keep the refinery in the city “It would certainly be preferable to them leaving altogether That that serves nobody’s interest,” he said Beyond the significant economic hit to the city’s tax base he said the closure would have a major impact on the community including the hundreds of residents who work there and the many local businesses that depend on those workers “I’m not going to sugarcoat it and say that we’re just going to power through and it won’t have any effect,” he said “It’s going to have an effect for sure.” a spokesperson for the Bay Area Air District told KQED in an email that the agency would work with the refinery on any closure plans “to ensure that emissions are minimized and that air quality and public health are protected during this process.” The facility’s imminent closure would mark a dramatic transition that the city will be “working on for years to come,” Birdseye said planned to seek advice from other former refinery towns that have experienced similar situations and would also be working with the state to figure out “how we can be part of the clean energy future.” Birdseye noted that the closure announcement comes with a bright silver lining Solano County has some of the highest respiratory disease rates in California. Nearly 15% of residents suffer from asthma, a rate roughly 70% higher than the statewide average, according to state health data from 2020 “So we will be resilient and we will figure out who we want to bring to our town,” she said “and make sure that whoever comes isn’t going to increase our asthma rates.” said Valero’s announcement suggests the company has been reading the tea leaves “California is phasing out its gasoline consumption and refiners see that coming,” Borenstein said noting that the Benicia refinery’s many production and emissions problems would likely require significant “So I think they looked at that and said ‘Is it worth making that investment?’ and decided it probably isn’t,” he said which owns another refinery in Southern California may also have calculated that shuttering production at its Benicia facility would raise gasoline prices statewide helping its other refinery make more money “I think it is a harbinger of the larger issues that California faces,” Borenstein said The state Assembly Republican Caucus on Wednesday was quick to blame Gov Gavin Newsom for the planned closure of the Benicia refinery saying in a statement that the “real-world consequences” of [his] war on California energy producers are becoming clearer by the day.” business manager for the Napa-Solano Building & Construction Trades Council said he was in Benicia just last night talking to city officials about a labor agreement “We had good news coming out of Benicia at 8 o’clock at night and then bad news at 8 in the morning,” said Bernardini whose council represents hundreds of boilermakers plumbers and steamfitters who work on call at the refinery “We always knew this was a possibility but to have it kind of just dropped in your lap in the morning Bernardini said he’s still holding out a glimmer of hope that a deal might be reached to keep the refinery operating “We have state and local governments that are not fond of refineries,” he said noting that in its effort to limit oil production the state still hasn’t created enough alternatives “There’s a lot of laws and ordinances that have been passed that make it hard to do business,” he added “So this is the other side of that coin.” KQED’s Julie Small and Natalia Navarro contributed to this report with the Benicia refinery being one of two the company operates in California Benicia's City Council gave preliminary approval to an ordinance that could create a citizen's oversight panel and allow the city to issue fines for safety and air-quality violations. (Craig Miller/KQED)The Benicia City Council plans to vote on a controversial industrial safety ordinance next month despite fierce opposition from oil giant Valero and other industrial businesses that operate in the city employees and residents packed a City Council meeting Tuesday to weigh in on the proposal which would create a citizens’ oversight commission boost community air quality monitoring and empower city officials to issue fines for safety and air quality violations The new law would replace an existing agreement with Benicia Valero has threatened to sue the city if it moves ahead with the ordinance “It’s a governmental overreach significant governmental overreach — even in California!” Lauren Bird general manager and vice president of the Benicia refinery He touted the facility’s track record of responding to and containing plant malfunctions “ We work hard every day to maintain a safe operation,” Bird said Dozens of refinery employees and company supporters praised Valero for financial contributions to the community and warned against alienating the town’s largest taxpayer “ If you keep poking that golden goose one day it’s going to fly away,” said Mark Hughes that’s not any inside information I have about Valero It’s just the likely outcome of a company that constantly feels that it’s being pushed away.” But Anthony Bernasconi said residents like him are paying too high a price for Valero’s community investments “Valero can build baseball fields and donate to the schools “But Valero is also a multibillion-dollar corporation that can spill poison into our air.” Last year, the regional air district fined the company $82 million for failing to report excess toxic emissions at the Benicia refinery. Those releases occurred between 2003 and 2019 and were not disclosed to the public until 2022 “More important than the amount of money involved was the number of years that the problems had been ignored,” said ordinance proponent Terry Mollica “Sixteen years of just sweeping the problem under the rug That’s what people want the ISO to address.” “Benicia showed up tonight,” said Councilmember Kari Birdseye along with Councilmember Terry Scott and Benicia Fire Chief Josh Chadwick refined the industrial safety ordinance over 14 months and held dozens of meetings with stakeholders “Whether they were for or against it all of the testimony was very impactful and meaningful to our final decision and I am over the moon with the 5–0 vote,” Birdseye said “It showed that our council takes the health and safety of Benicia very seriously.”  Supporters of the ordinance held sunflowers while the dozens who came to speak against the ordinance sported Valero’s dark blue uniforms and T-shirts Parents on both sides brought their children “I just want to keep my family safe.” His daughter Charlotte also addressed the council and I’ve lived in Benicia all my life — it’s all I know,” she said and I would like to say that I am also in favor of the ISO.” March 6: An earlier version of this story said Mayor Steve Young was part of the work to refine the industrial safety ordinance It has been updated to replace Young with Councilmember Terry Scott Open Vallejo The City of Benicia announced Wednesday that Valero Energy Corporation has submitted notice of its intent to “idle, restructure, or cease operations” operations at its Benicia refinery by April 2026 — a development that comes just months after the facility was hit with an unprecedented $82 million fine for long-standing air quality violations was the largest ever issued by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District It stemmed from a 2019 inspection that found the refinery had been emitting cancer-linked pollutants — including benzene and xylene — without proper reporting or mitigation A complaint filed jointly by state and federal regulators alleged the company knew about the emissions since at least 2003 “This is a moment of significant transition for our city and community,” Benicia City Manager Mario Giuliani wrote in a statement. The refinery currently employs over 400 people “Valero has long been a part of Benicia’s identity and economy and today’s news is deeply impactful for our entire community,” wrote Mayor Steve Young “While this potential transition raises many questions I want to reassure our residents that the City is committed to transparency Benicia Public Information Officer Colette Schow said Valero’s move was “a long time coming,” and that there is no indication that it was a result of the historic penalty imposed on the company “It seems to be more of an overall strategic move that they’re making across all the refineries.” A spokesperson for Valero did not respond to a request for comment Subscribe to our free newsletterGet our award-winning journalism delivered straight to your inbox The proposed closure fits within a pattern of oil refinery closures across California over the past several years, including the 2023 closure of the Phillips 66 refinery in Santa Maria the 2024 conversion of its Rodeo refinery to a renewable facility and the 2023 conversion of the Marathon Martinez refinery to a renewable facility The 2024 settlement agreement mandated that Valero must implement stricter emissions controls and fund local air quality improvement projects with more than $64 million of the penalties the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and California Air Resources Board confirmed that Valero has paid the fine for its air quality violations and satisfied the terms of the settlement.   and both children and adults have sought emergency-room care for asthma at rates higher than the rest of California.  The Valero facility in Benicia is one of four refineries currently in operation near Vallejo.  The proposed closure comes two weeks after the city of Benicia unanimously adopted an ordinance to increase safeguards against pollution including by expanding air quality monitoring in the region The ordinance was spearheaded by city councilmember Kari Birdseye “We really don’t know what Valero’s plans are just yet,” Councilmember Birdseye wrote in an emailed statement to Open Vallejo we hope to better understand their intentions.” Until April 2026 just as other local businesses that handle hazardous materials,” will have to comply with the local ordinance Open Vallejo is the city’s only nonprofit newsroom Your support allows us to provide accurate and impactful reporting in the public interest Sarah Hopkins is an investigative reporter with Open Vallejo A generous gift in any amount helps us continue to bring you this service nonpartisan newsroom serving the public interest We are a project of the Informed California Foundation wire service and press association that produces and supports impactful local accountability journalism in communities across the state Open Vallejo is a project of the Informed California Foundation,a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization Our Tax ID is 84-4618329.All donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law BENICIA — The Benicia community is still coming to terms with the announcement that the city's largest employer could close the Benicia Refinery by the end of April 2026 The refinery has been part of the Benicia community for more than 50 years Mark Felsoci has operated cranes at the facility "This is like my heart and soul," said Felsoci "I'm very passionate about what's going on here There's good people who are going to lose their jobs." Click here for the full story via CBS Bay Area CBS Local Digital Media personalizes the global reach of CBS-owned and operated television and radio stations with a local perspective BENICIA - Benicia officials expressed support for an ordinance that would regulate businesses like the Valero Refinery at a meeting Tuesday despite concerns about possible legal challenges from Valero The latest draft of a proposed Industrial Health and Safety Ordinance that would monitor and audit “high hazard facilities” like the refinery was presented to Benicia City Council on Tuesday night.  Numerous public commenters expressed strong support for the ordinance which the council expects to take up for a vote in a few weeks The council made a few last tweaks to the ordinance that has been developed over more than a year Councilmember Kari Birdseye suggested that city staff make two revisions: to mention all agencies by name that the ordinance might affect and add language requiring transparency of how much the city has paid using collected fines from all relevant businesses Staff will bring the ordinance back at a future meeting the ordinance would apply to at least 12 facilities in the city such as Interstate Batteries at 535 Getty Court and the Benicia Water Treatment Plant at 100 Water Way Public interest in better regulating Valero was particularly pronounced on the heels of an incident Saturday at the Martinez refinery in Contra Costa County A hydrocarbon material leak at the Martinez Refining Company caused a fire that injured six people and triggered a health advisory Mayor Steve Young said he doesn’t consider Valero worse than other large oil refineries in the Bay Area.  as we just saw across the river,” Young said referring to the Martinez Refining Company but they obviously have some safety issues that we are trying to address.” Benicia fire Chief Josh Chadwick said in a report to the council Tuesday that Benicia as the only Bay Area city without an industrial safety ordinance needs a program to better audit businesses producing potential health risks to nearby communities.  Chadwick said that recent incidents at “high-hazard facilities” showed the need for additional oversight “Especially given what happened over the last weekend it’s really essential for the public to understand that no regulation is going to completely eliminate the risk of industrial incidents,” Chadwick said The ordinance’s third draft specifically requires that following an incident at one of these facilities and the company must issue an Incident Notification Report within 72 hours The city would then be able to publish the final investigation report on its website with the ability to issue consequences such as fines or other penalties if a business refuses to comply But enacting the ordinance may jeopardize a revenue source for the cash-strapped city Valero currently pays $331,320 annually to the city requiring an independent consultant to help the city create a new fee schedule And Valero will likely sue over the ordinance if passed which is why he’s concerned about passing it without an agreement in hand.  Councilmember Lionel Largaespada said he believes the city is entitled to strong regulations over industries working within its limits but he advocated for tightening its language to be very specific about businesses and fees collected from them “Wherever we can be crystal clear about something I think it only makes this ordinance better,” he said.  saying the city has spent more than a year on the ordinance draft and Valero has already responded to it in “a fairly threatening manner.”  “I think we can give them the opportunity in the next several weeks to send us another letter Why do we have to go to them and establish another session to review the document with them?” Birdseye also disagreed over whether to allow Valero to sit in on the independent auditing authority as a business owner given the potential conflict of interest She opposed allowing Valero to have any influence Benicia officials have already heard lots of feedback from the public about the matter including from 178 people who responded to surveys between March 25 and May 19 with most pleading with the city to pass the new version of the ordinance.  Some mentioned the potential for cancer and other health impacts which could result from toxic gas releases while others pointed out how much stronger a safety ordinance can make local authorities seeking to protect and notify people as quickly as possible “This has been an issue that’s so important to Benicia,” resident Kathy Bennett said.  She added that the Martinez incident Saturday reflected the importance of having a safety ordinance in place.  “Because of there being an ISO in place in Contra Costa County it did improve prevention and protection and responses notifications and advisories to the community,” Bennett said “And as we’ve also seen in the recent Los Angeles fires an entire community can be destroyed in a single horrific event.” “The big elephant in the room is Valero,” resident Diana Smith said “But it’s been brought up that you have at least 12 facilities here that need that oversight And Valero likes to come along and threaten us How many millions of dollars would it take … to clean up that refinery?” It is not yet clear when staff will bring the revised ordinance back to the council for a vote Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify that no vote was scheduled for Tuesday's meeting which was for informational purposes and to correct Diana Smith's name This latest hit comes after Chevron Oil Company announced move to Houston and Phillips 66 will shut down Los Angeles refinery by October 2025 By Katy Grimes California Democrats’ war on the oil and gas industry is working In another blow to California’s oil and gas industry, and the state’s fuel; supply, Valero Energy Corporation announced Wednesday it will shut down its Benicia Refinery in April 2026 This latest hit comes after Chevron Oil Company announced in August their corporate relocation to Houston Texas from the Bay Area and Phillips 66 announced that its Los Angeles refinery will shut down by October 2025 “Valero’s announcement that it will shut down its Benicia refinery in April 2026 is yet another blow to California’s already fragile fuel supply system,” the California Fuels & Convenience Alliance said “The decision reflects the growing impact of California’s increasingly aggressive energy policies which have made it more difficult for in-state refineries to continue operating this closure will leave the state with just seven remaining in-state refineries capable of producing California’s uniquely formulated gasoline—a dangerously low number for a state of nearly 40 million residents.” Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher weighed in on X: “Good morning CA: another gas refinery is closing and our prices will shoot up even more! Totally predictable and you can thank @GavinNewsom and the Democratic politicians for their flawed policies.” “The Valero Refining Company-California has submitted notice to the California Energy Commission of its current intent to idle The oil and gas industry has taken one political hit after another with California’s Democrat Governor and Democrat supermajority in the State Legislature The California Energy Commission disagreed with the governor at the time showing that gas price spikes occurred in the last few years because of refineries temporally going out of commission because not enough oil was getting to them But even as California’s own Chevron Oil Company announced in August their corporate relocation to Houston Texas from the Bay Area where the company has been based since 1879 Newsom was pushing legislation which would clearly result in even higher gas prices at the pump Chevron is just the latest big business to flee the Golden State Chevron’s President Andy Walz said in a letter to the Legislature that of the 36 states in which they work only California has the highest gas prices California Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) introduced a bill in February to hold “Big Oil” responsible for natural disasters in California You read that right – Senator Wiener is blaming the oil and gas industry for natural disasters or disasters that should have been mitigated by the State of California Wiener’s SB 222 stalled in the Judiciary Committee this month but was allowed reconsideration and will be heard again Newsom has been agitating for some time against “Big Oil” and their “windfall profits,” but always leaves out his and Democrats’ important role in escalating oil and gas prices in California through regulations Gov. Newsom signed a package of “sweeping legislation” in September 2022 to achieve statewide carbon neutrality as soon as possible by establishing an 85% emissions reduction target making it impossible to increase refining capacity and entirely phasing out oil and gas starting in two years That “sweeping set of laws” Newsom touted was 40 new climate change bills regulating California businesses and its people As oil expert Dave Noerr told the Globe last year “The growing difference between the price of crude oil and the retail cost of gas and diesel as well as the additional cost Californians pay compared to every bordering state and the rest of the U.S you are paying the same or less for the crude oil contained in a gallon of gas or diesel You are just paying a lot more for government.” This is going to have implications beyond just California Nevada and Arizona should sue the state for the damage the Dems have done to the energy supply for their states You can’t beat Newsom and the Democrats for running businesses out of the state Extra props for putting the state on the verge of an energy crisis in the process “Dismantling California one refinery at a time” Gavin “Hair-gel Hitler” Newsom and the criminal Democrat thug mafia that controls California seem to be intentionally driving the oil and gas industry out of the state They’re probably hoping that petroleum products will be so expensive and in such short supply that many Californians will have switch to EVs (made by Newsom’s CCP cronies in China) or be forced to ride dangerous public transit where criminals and mentally ill homeless are allowed free reign by Democrats As one of the few still living who participated in the construction and commissioning of the Benicia refinery California’s politicians want to force compliance with their all renewable objectives even though the technology is not available at scale; certainly not in their mandated time frame Perhaps better to have it occur now when recovery might be feasible than further in the future when recovery might not be technically or financially possible Tell Valero to clean-up their pollution San Francisco Bay The taxpayer should not have clean-up after them Please share your “make believe” sources for the “fabricated” claims that you “made up.” Having lived in the Bay Area for many decades I immediately recognized what you wrote for what it was I’ve been hearing these kind of lies for decade but yet when you actually go digging for hard data to back up any of these statements its always leads back to some “study” Done by some math illiterates with eco degrees Usually working for some eco NGO full of stupid rich white kids Which are even more littered with very basic math and science errors The certainty of any conclusions stated never every match the data provided In fact most of these studies would fail Stats 101 The same with the $82M fine of the Benicia plant by CARB When you dig through the data it turned out that any “toxins” would not have escaped the perimeter of the plant and were always the result of safety device tripping Almost all “infractions” were purely procedural Which if you look at the current state oil refining capacity means that the state no longer has any spare capacity So next time there ia any problem at the few remaining refineries in the state Just watch the long gas lines within a few days And the deliver trucks (even to Whole Food) stop soon after Not only stupid but maliciously sanctimonious a situation they caused will be all “Big Oils” fault A mythical beast that has not existed since the 1970’s The one upside is that as the very oil rich state of California joins the very oil rich state of Venezuela as a somewhere with huge oil reserves but no gas the days of the CARB dictatorships may be numbered And CARB’s 50 year catastrophic incompetence comes to an end Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id" "a9bbf396e5d9eaa4feb5643eb7fe0ec9" );document.getElementById("b0150800dd").setAttribute( "id" The Bay Area Air Quality Management District and the California Air Resources Board have fined a Valero refinery in Benicia nearly $82 million for “significant” air pollution violations — the largest penalty in the regional agency’s history Valero Refinery Co. did not respond to a request for comment, instead directing Open Vallejo to the settlement agreement. The company “does not admit or necessarily agree with the allegations,” according to the settlement.  A joint complaint by the state and federal air quality agencies alleged that refinery management had known since at least 2003 that the facility’s emissions contained harmful chemicals but they did not report it or take any steps to reduce the pollution Air quality officials estimated that Valero released 8,400 tons of these organic compounds during the last two decades or an average of 2.7 tons daily — more than 360 times the legal limit Subsequent investigations revealed other problems involving the facility’s hydrogen system such as the company’s alleged failures to decrease emissions and inspect for leaks “This penalty sends a strong message: adherence to air quality standards is both necessary and expected and failure to do so can lead to significant fines,” said Benicia Mayor Steve Young a member of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District board of directors “Benicia residents need to know that air quality violations are taken seriously.” More than $64 million of the penalties will fund local projects aimed at reducing exposure to air pollution and improving public health in the areas around the refinery according to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District The remaining funds will be used to create clean air projects elsewhere in the Bay Area and offset the cost of the investigation.  Valero must reconfigure its Benicia refinery’s main hydrogen vents to limit the release of emissions implement an air quality training program for staff and provide regulators with quarterly progress reports The settlement against Valero is the third major fine the air quality agency issued against a Bay Area refinery this year It announced a $20 million penalty against the Chevron refinery in Richmond in February and a $5 million fine against the Marathon refinery in Martinez last month “These significant penalties should put the refineries and other industrial operations on notice,” said the agency’s general counsel Alexander Crockett in the release “If you violate our regulations and pollute our air we will hold you accountable to the maximum extent provided for by law.” The Benicia facility employs more than 400 people and processes about 165,000 barrels of crude oil per day Vanessa Arredondo is a former investigative reporter at Open Vallejo BENICIA – Benicia Mayor Steve Young appeared to be heading to an easy re-election victory on Tuesday as voters appeared to split on taxes for the city supporting a second sales tax hike this year but rejecting an effort to raise the city’s property transfer taxes who was first elected to the City Council in 2016 and as mayor in 2020 taking a commanding 66.7% lead over hardware store showroom manager and political newcomer Kevin Kirby according to preliminary results released on Tuesday night Kirby acknowledged Young's apparent victory and congratulated him in a Facebook post on Wednesday but I am proud of my efforts and I am very thankful to my family friends and supporters throughout these last few months," he said Now that I have an idea as to what it takes Young said in a Facebook post on Thursday evening that he felt confident his victory was secured after the latest round of results "My deep gratitude to all who supported me and my bled to all to focus on the multiple challenges that confront us in the next four years," he said incumbent City Councilmember Trevor Macenski and former Councilmember Lionel Largaespada were leading two challengers for two open City Council seats Macenski and Largaespada took an early lead over Benicia LGBTQIA Network founder Christina Gilpin-Hayes and engineer Franz Rosenthal With two seats up in the at-large election who had the support of Young and three other current members of the council remained within a few percentage points of Largaespada in early returns but he widened his lead as the night went on Rosenthal lagged with just over 9% of the vote Gilpin-Hayes released a statement on Thursday congratulating Macenski and Largaespada "While I wasn’t successful in securing a seat on the Benicia City Council I have so much to be thankful for and proud of from this experience," she said that margin is actually smaller than it might seem Given that I’m relatively new to Benicia and was running against long-time residents and current/prior council members I’m very proud of how close this race was." Macenski said in a statement Thursday that "this victory belongs to all of us." "I am here to represent all of you," ha said "Whether it’s strengthening our local economy I am committed to pushing forward with these goals in a way that reflects the values of our community." who was previously on the council but defeated two years ago also acknowledged his apparent victory on Thursday "I’m truly humbled and grateful for the trust you’ve placed in me to serve on your City Council," he said in a statement focusing on the little things that make life a little better for everyone." Benicia’s tax measures offered the biggest surprise of the night a citizen-driven initiative which would raise the city’s sales tax by a half cent except for some grocery store food items drawing strong support with 62.6% of the vote.  the city has been grappling with a severe budget shortfall and also proposed to create a limited city charter in order to raise its property transfer tax which voters were asked to adopt as Measure G Both measures were failing as of Tuesday night with Measure G receiving 46.7% of the vote and Measure H receiving 42.1% Benicia voters also elected a new school board representative on Tuesday a senior director of development at UC Berkeley appeared to defeat Kashanna Harmon-Lee 62.9%-37.1% to represent Area 3 which covers the western portion of Benicia north of Interstate 780.  but Harmon-Lee had the support of Benicia School Board Area 3 Trustee Gethsemane Moss as well as the Benicia Teachers Association and the Progressive Democrats of Benicia Editor's note: This story has been updated to include comments from the candidates Leer en español BENICIA – Four candidates are running for two seats on the Benicia City Council this year Five-term Councilmember Tom Campbell declined to run for reelection Incumbent Trevor Macenski is challenged by Benicia LGBTQIA Network founder Christina Gilpin-Hayes former Councilmember Lionel Largaespada and engineer Franz Rosenthal.  Benicia does not have council districts and all councilmembers are elected by the entire city. The top two vote-getters will be elected. Ballots were mailed to all voters this week and must be postmarked by Nov. 5. Or voters can vote in person on Nov. 5 How we reported this story: We solicited questions from our audience and attended community forums to find out what questions mattered most to Benicia voters. We then interviewed each of the candidates to learn more about their positions and what they plan to do in office. You can find out more about how we cover elections on our FAQ Christina Gilpin-Hayes moved to Benicia about three years ago but she’s already made an impact in her community An operations manager at a large international law firm Gilpin-Hayes grew up in Northern California and moved to Benicia from Oakland with her wife “That's how people started to get to know me that's why I was approached and asked to consider running,” she said Gilpin-Hayes said that she would explore creative ways to boost the city’s revenue and address its budget deficit by attracting new businesses She said she particularly wants to focus on the industrial park up on East Second Street where there are numerous vacant buildings.  While there is no “magic pill” to attract businesses to the area “I really do think that sometimes you have to throw a bunch of ideas against the wall and see what sticks." while expressing empathy for residents’ tax fatigue Gilpin-Hayes said she supported the tax measures on this year’s ballot to address the city’s budget crisis "I understand the feeling of being over it,” she said “Even if the community approves this tax measure we'll still be lower than a lot of our adjacent communities." Benicia’s sales tax would be the highest in Solano County Gilpin-Hayes also said Benicia’s population needs to grow she would rather focus on infill and condensed housing while making sure services are able to grow with the population She said senior housing is particularly important as seniors who want to downsize their home or move into assisted living often leave the city "There's ways to do this mindfully rather than just throwing every single open space up for development,” she said Gilpin-Hayes said that she thinks the city should take a stronger role in regulating industry “I do think the city has a right to be involved in addressing those concerns,” she said “We can't just rely on county or state or even federal agencies.” But while she is supportive of the efforts she is not sure what form an industrial safety ordinance would take as she said that Valero had valid points in response to a draft ordinance published earlier this year.  “It's a conversation and it doesn't have to be adversarial and I hope it doesn't go to litigation,” she said Lionel Largaespada was elected to the Benicia City Council in 2018, but narrowly lost a reelection bid in 2022 and is looking for a comeback director of marketing and business development for Benicia-based F3 & Associates has stayed active in the community since his loss and is on the boards of the Benicia Chamber of Commerce When asked why he wants to run again so soon after the loss Largaespada points to the slim margin: 152 votes out of about 23,000 cast I really loved serving this community as a councilmember,” Largaespada said there is a segment of the population that doesn't feel represented on this council." Largaespada has long been a dissenting voice with regard to tax policy. He opposed a sales tax increase in 2022 that was supported by the rest of the council. This year, after the council adopted some accountability recommendations he made, he supported an emergency sales tax hike that Benicia voters approved in March But he doesn’t support two other tax hikes on November’s ballot “We just really need to take a hard look at the expenditure side of the ledger,” he said “These taxes frankly are just coming at a bad time I don't know if there's a good time to ask for taxes if you look at the last two years there have been five tax measures I hear from many residents that enough is enough.” Benicia’s city manager warned last year that without new tax revenue Benicia would have to cut services and potentially lay off city staff But Largaespada said that he thinks that the city could save money by cutting down on consulting contracts “The council really needs to look at what we outsource and why we outsource and that's where you make the tougher decisions,” he said.  Lagaespada also said that the city should try to increase its tax base by attracting new businesses “We need to continue to invest in our infrastructure we need a strategy that encourages public-private partnerships,” he said “Could we start conversations with some of the biggest tenants the people that bring the trucks in and out How can we work together to share the costs to maintain He suggested proactively bringing business out to the industrial park to sell them on relocation to Benicia "We should be printing money up on that hill,” he said Largaespada’s campaign was criticized in previous elections for receiving support from Valero through its political action committee which is legally prohibited from coordinating with his campaign “I think it was an error for them to get involved in our election.” Valero closed its PAC and so far does not appear to have taken any political positions Largaespada said that he is supportive of the city regulating Valero but questions the extent that it legally is able to as most of the regulatory power lies with the federal and state government But he said that the city should work with Valero to expand its air quality notification system and suggested that the city may be able to recover costs for when Benicia police and fire are called out to the refinery Since Trevor Macenski moved to Benicia with his family a decade ago he served in the SolTrans Community Advisory Panel and the Valero Community Advisory Panel he was a member of the Historic Preservation Design Review Committee In 2020 he was elected to the city council.  Macenski, an urban and environmental planner who consults with cities and counties across California on land development and policy issues is running on three main priorities: executing the fiscal sustainability plan created by the current legislature; expanding economic development with new commercial and retail centers and housing so Benicia can generate more revenue; and ensuring public safety and security the city council reviewed the downtown mixed use master plan and zoning to encourage development Macenski said he would continue to advocate for the redevelopment and reuse of properties within the downtown and Arsenal areas.  He would also push to revitalize the Industrial Park area That would require the city to invest in modern day amenities Regarding new housing Macenski said that under state law developers are required to pay their fair share of impact fees associated with infrastructure He added that some of the parcels in East Fifth Street closer to the freeway can rise up to five stories.   “We’re trying to create a form which would be attractive for the market to come in so we can try to get additional units and facilitate some growth within town,” he said “Benicia’s character is what makes it such a quaint we want to try to retain that to the best ability possible.” Community members said in past public forums that the new housing developments proposed are not equitable because they lump affordable housing on Benicia’s east side instead of in more attractive areas such as downtown Macenski asserted that the California Department of Housing and Community Development found the plan to be in line with what the state requires in terms of equity.  Macenski voted yes on putting Measures F, G, and H on the ballot “I was instrumental in negotiating the rate associated with the real estate property transfer tax and working with our Solano County Association of Realtors,” he said He declined to declare his position about moving Valero’s cooperation agreement into an industrial safety ordinance plan because it’s a business item that will come before him while he’s in council he didn’t declare a position pro or against California Forever but pointed out that his private company prepared the environmental report which made California Forever withdraw from the November ballot.  Franz Rosenthal is an engineer who moved to Benicia with his wife and three children in 2018 to work at Valero and works at biotechnology company Genentech in Vacaville But he said that his family fell in love with Benicia.  “I love Benicia and I have no plans to move,” he said “And I hope that my kids also stay in Benicia and that there's still a great Benicia to live in and raise their own families." Rosenthal said that he was motivated to run because he thinks he can help with the city’s budget issues “I think that we're at a crossroads right now with our budget deficit and the direction the city's heading in has led us to this point and it's time for a change,” he said “The city is not a business but it does have revenue and expenses we're at a point where we need to do better matching the two.” He praised the work of City Manager Mario Giuliani and said he supported the tax measures on the ballot as “a step in the right direction.” But he said the city needs to do more work to increase revenue.  “We need to find more revenue generating venues through more sales tax,” he said adding that most of the sales tax collected in Benicia is collected through Amazon he suggested that some places in Benicia could be rezoned “That would be an area of great interest to any large retailer because of access to the interstate,” he said “Those are the kind of things that will attract the sort of businesses that we need.” He also said that Benicia needs to streamline its permitting processes because it can be daunting for entrepreneurs to start a small business in Benicia Rosenthal said that it did not play into his decision to run for council he said that he is skeptical of efforts for the city to regulate the refinery and is not in support of Benicia enacting an industrial safety ordinance He said that the refinery is already heavily scrutinized by the federal Environmental Protection Agency and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and the city should push those agencies to coordinate better with the city.  may just push Valero to leave and sell the refinery which could lead to it being dismantled or taken over by a company that will do a worse job operating it View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250415977846/en/ Already have an account? Login