Oil has been the driving factor behind California’s modern history. The discovery of massive petroleum deposits in Southern California in 1892 prompted a drilling frenzy that kick-started the state’s economy and, along with the automobile and the interstate system, formed a key part of its identity.
Photo by Ali WinstonRichmond refinery at night
As with any industry, however, California has had to deal with the environmental impact of oil refining. Petroleum refineries produce large amounts of carbon dioxide, sulfur, methane and other chemicals while active. Even after a facility is shut down, pollution can linger behind for years.
That is the case in the Carousel neighborhood of Carson, a city in Southern Los Angeles County where Shell Oil once stored millions of gallons of crude oil. This week, the Los Angeles Times reports that:
Preliminary tests under the direction of the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board had found dangerous levels of potentially explosive methane gas and benzene under the 285 homes of the Carousel tract. In some spots, tests found benzene at concentrations seldom seen, levels that could significantly increase cancer risks for residents.
Local residents are worried about the impact of ground pollution on their health. Residents like longshoreman Matt Priest, a Carson native, want to move away:
His mother has a rare liver disease, and his father has a disabling brain condition. At 42, Priest has an enlarged prostate, and he wonders if the contamination contributed to these medical problems. 'I'm hoping they'll buy us out and knock down the houses,' he said. 'I don't want to live here anymore. Every day I live here is a bad day.'
In Richmond, home to the Chevron refinery, there is a strong effort to halt a planned overhaul that would allow for refining a wider range of crude. On Monday, California's First District Court of Appeal ruled that Chevron had inadequately assessed the environmental impact of the planned expansion of the refinery, which environmentalists said could increase pollution as much as 50 percent.
The Contra Costa Times reports that the company’s environmental impact report was described by the state court as "inconsistent" and "obscure" on whether the 108-year-old refinery can process heavier crude without harming the environment. Now, the project is at a standstill until the environmental questions are cleared up.
"Unless the data as to crude slate currently processed at the refinery is divulged," the court wrote, "the EIR's conclusion that the future crude slate would be 'similar to that which is currently processed' is meaningless."
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