Chevron fined $329,700 for violations of California’s gasoline regulation; over-oxygenated gasoline in 2010 and 2011
10 November 2014
The California Air Resources Board announced that Chevron Corp. has paid $329,700 in penalties for self-disclosed violations of California’s reformulated gasoline regulations.
Chevron supplied gasoline in violation of state regulations at its Montebello and Richmond terminals. In each case, the self-disclosed violations were for a total of 4.4 million gallons of over-oxygenated fuel that exceeded the standard, a 10% cap by volume for oxygenate. In both cases oxygenate volume of the gasoline was about 11%.
Oxygenates are added to gasoline to help reduce the carbon monoxide and soot that’s created when fuel is burned. The content of oxygen in gasoline must be within a specified range since too much oxygen causes the engine to produce excessive emissions of nitrogen oxide, a key ingredient of smog.
An estimated 3.75 million gallons of fuel exceeding the standard was supplied for 48 days in late 2010 at Chevron’s Montebello terminal and another 660,000 gallons of non-compliant fuel was supplied for four days in April 2011 at the Richmond terminal. In both cases, Chevron blamed an equipment malfunction for causing meters to inaccurately report the volume of premium grade CARBOB, a blendstock that is mixed with oxygenate before being trucked to retail gas stations.
Chevron fully cooperated with ARB in this matter and took steps to correct the violations. Of the $329,700 in penalties, $247,275 will go to the California Air Pollution Control Fund and $82,425 will go to the Statewide School Bus and Diesel Emission Reduction Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP) administered by the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. The project is designed to retrofit or replace old, dirty diesel school buses operating in California.
This is a ery small fine. Are three 000 missing?
Posted by: HarveyD | 10 November 2014 at 03:12 PM
For Chevron penalty of $330,000.
For Hyundai/Kia $300,000,000.
For Toyota $2,000,000,000.
The case in US court against Chevron-Texaco for polluting jungle in Ecuador, for $16 Billion was dismissed.
Samsung was fined heavily (over a billion $) in a case against Apple, over patent infringement.
RIM (Blackberry) was fined $500-600 millions when sued by a US company over patent(s).
Looks like a US company vs foreign one (or foreign state) in US court guarantees a win for US company.
What a justice!
Posted by: Alex_C | 10 November 2014 at 03:48 PM
Chevron had a refinery blow up and burn in the Richmond SFO Bay area, this company makes billions of dollar profit but did not bother to fix a pipe and valve leak. They were fined a pittance.
Posted by: SJC | 10 November 2014 at 04:38 PM
As long as the U.S. depends on hydrocarbons for its energy, the oil companies will continue to make billions, buy off the Republican Party, and you will continue to see pollution laws with no teeth.
Posted by: Lad | 10 November 2014 at 11:26 PM
True, combine that with unlimited money for PACs endorsed by a 5 to 4 Republican Supreme Court, they stack the deck when they can not win fairly.
Posted by: SJC | 12 November 2014 at 12:01 PM