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| Chevron in the News: Adverse Court Ruling,
Carbon Tracking and Corporate Responsibility Report June 6, 2009 |
Court rules against Chevron, city of Richmond in environmental review
By Katherine Tam Posted: 06/05/2009 06:05:46 PM PDT Updated: 06/05/2009 06:23:21 PM PDT
A Contra Costa Superior Court judge has ruled that the environmental document covering Chevron's bid to replace equipment at its Richmond refinery to refine a wider range of crude is insufficient and vague. "Project description is unclear and inconsistent as to whether project will or will not enable Chevron to process a heavier crude slate than it is currently processing," Judge Barbara Zuniga wrote. Chevron already has begun construction on its project, which replaces the hydrogen plant, power plant and reformer to refine a wider range of crude with higher sulfur content. The West County Toxics Coalition of Richmond and Communities for a Better Environment and the Asian Pacific Environmental Network, both of Oakland, sued the city and Chevron in September. The groups have argued the project could increase pollution in the area and endanger locals, and that the city-approved environmental document failed to analyze and mitigate all potential impacts. "This could have increased pollution in Richmond and surrounding areas," attorney Will Rostov, representing the environmental groups, said in a written statement. The oil giant contends its equipment is old, that it will continue to refine light to intermediate crudes and that its project is not a public health risk. Brent Tippen, spokesman for the refinery, said, "We are disappointed and believe the Hydrogen Renewal Project was properly permitted." He added that the company believes the environmental review of the project was thorough. In her ruling, Zuniga also found the document did not take into account Praxair's proposal to build a 22-mile underground pipeline that would carry hydrogen from plants at the Chevron Richmond refinery to Martinez and possibly Rodeo. The city also "improperly" deferred developing a plan to deal with greenhouse gases for a year. Chevron will be reviewing the details of the ruling and will talk to city officials about next steps, Tippen said. Reach Katherine Tam at 510-262-2787 or ktam@bayareanewsgroup.com. Attached is a direct link to an article from Environmental Leader from May 27, 2009, regarding Chevron tracking carbon content. Chevron First Big Oil Firm to Track Carbon Content
Brent Tippen May 27, 2009Chevron First Big Oil Firm to Track Carbon Content
The Sisters of St. Dominic noted that by withdrawing the proposal, it is acknowledging Chevron’s progress in developing programs for energy efficiency and investments in less-polluting products. According to Chevron’s latest corporate sustainability report, in 2008, the company reduced its GHG emissions by 800,000 metric tons of CO2 equivalent, and said it is committed to energy efficiency. The company has increased the energy efficiency of its global operations by 28 percent since 1992. The Sisters of St. Dominic represent a group of 16 investors that filed the proposal at Chevron this year. According to the investors, Chevron is the first major U.S. oil company to agree to track carbon and report on the carbon content of its products, unlike ExxonMobil’s refusal to deal with an emerging low-carbon economy. ICCR said a similar resolution sponsored by more than 30 institutional investors will be presented before shareholders at ExxonMobil. The company’s board of directors is urging shareholders to vote against the proposal. In February, Ceres, a coalition of investors and environmentalists, put several companies including Exxon Mobil Corp. on a “Climate Watch” list, citing concerns that the firms’ long-term competitiveness could be hurt by their lack of action on climate change. Last May, the company also faced a rebellion by its shareholders due to its lack of commitment to environmental initiatives. Chevron Releases Corporate Responsibility Report . Environmental Leader . Green Business, Sustainable Business, and Green Strategy News for Corporate Sustainability Executives http://www.environmentalleader.com/2007/04/25/chevron-releases-corporate-responsibility-report . April 25, 2007Chevron Releases Corporate Responsibility ReportChevron issued its 2006 corporate responsibility report highlighting the company’s environmental and social performance in 2006 including steps it has taken to reduce emissions, increase energy efficiency, and invest in the communities around the world in which it operates, MSN reports. At the same time, protestors planned a demonstration at the company’s headquarters ahead of its annual meeting today. According to the article, the positive aspects of the report may be overshadowed this week by reports of another flaring incident at its refinery in Richmond and the stateside appearance of Pablo Fajardo, the lead attorney litigating a class-action lawsuit Chevron is fighting in Ecuador. In its report, Chevron says its GHG emissions from its global operations totaled 61.9 million metric tons in 2006, nine percent below the target of 68.5 million metric tons set for the year. Chevron also says it’s a leading producer of renewable energy in the oil and gas industry and one of the largest producers of geothermal energy in the world. In 2006, the company created a biofuels business unit and invested in a biodiesel facility in Galveston, Texas. Chevron also announced several strategic research alliances with U.S. government and academic institutions to develop second-generation biofuels as part of plans to invest $2.5 billion in renewable and alternative energy and energy efficiency services between 2007 and 2009. |
The
Sisters of St. Dominic of Caldwell, N.J., a faith-based institutional
investor and member of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility
(