Marathon Martinez Refinery fined $5M over multiple air quality violations

The Bay Area Air Quality Management has issued one of its largest fines ever against an East Bay refinery, ordering the facility to pay $5 million following dozens of violations.

According to an agency statement , the fine against Marathon Martinez Refinery resolves 59 violations between 2018 and 2022, including when the facility was idled during the COVID-19 pandemic. The refinery is operated by Marathon subsidiary Tesoro Refining & Marketing Company LLC.

"Marathon improperly flared vapors from storage tanks and loading racks that remained in operation instead of burning them in its production processes. The company also flared gases related to the shutdown, idling and decommissioning of refinery process units," officials said.

Other violations include improperly venting gases for two hours through a flare that was shut down for maintenance and three instances of visible emissions from smoky flares lasting five to 10 minutes each.

Officials said the refinery also committed violations involving excess air pollution emissions along with delays in completing necessary repairs.

The agency said Wednesday that all violations in this case have been corrected.

"The health of our communities should be non-negotiable," said Davina Hurt, chair of the Air District's Board of Directors. "This substantial penalty demonstrates the Air District Board's unwavering commitment to hold polluters accountable and safeguard the health of our communities."

According to the district, the fine against the Marathon Martinez Refinery is the second largest ever assessed by the agency.