Marathon refinery near Martinez fined for multiple air quality violations
By Carlos E. Castañeda
Bay Area air quality regulators have fined the Marathon refinery near Martinez $372,500 following multiple violations, authorities said, with the announcement coming just over a year after the same refinery was fined a near-record amount for previous violations.
The Bay Area Air District on Thursday said the refinery, operated by Marathon subsidiary Tesoro Refining & Marketing Company LLC, was issued 13 notices of violations that include tank-related violations and uncertified pieces of equipment at its on-site gas dispensing facility, as well as delays in reporting.
“Communities near refineries like Marathon Martinez Refinery deserve transparency and accountability when air quality violations occur,” said Dr. Philip Fine, executive officer of the Air District, in a prepared statement. “This penalty is part of our continued effort to hold polluters accountable and ensure that violations are addressed quickly and transparently.”
The district said the penalty incentivizes Marathon to increase its attention to inspection and maintenance at the facility just east of Martinez in unincorporated Contra Costa County.
A portion of the collected funds will be used in the surrounding community to support local projects aimed at reducing pollution and improving public health, the district said.
“All of the issues associated with these violations have been corrected,” said a statement from Marathon Petroleum Corp. sent to CBS News Bay Area. “Tesoro Refining & Marketing Company, LLC … is committed to operating in a manner that protects the environment as well as the health of its employees, contractors, and the communities in which it operates.”
In October 2024, the Air District ordered the facility to pay $5 million to resolve dozens of violations between 2018 and 2022, including when the facility was idled during the COVID-19 pandemic. The violations included improperly flared vapors from storage tanks and loading racks that remained in operation, flared gases related to the shutdown, and other infractions.
The fine was the second-largest ever assessed by the agency.
A November 2023 fire at the facility led Contra Costa County officials to issue a public health advisory.
