- Wednesday, October 16, 2024
Phillips 66 is set to commence operations at its renewable diesel plant in Rodeo, Calif. The company recently received clearance from a court-ordered review of the project's environmental impacts. This review had previously halted the facility's operations.
Months of persistent efforts by the refiner have culminated in the reversal of a ruling made in July 2023. The ruling stated that the local environmental regulator, Contra Costa, had initially approved the Rodeo Renewed plant in March 2022 based on "incomplete" and "misleading" environmental reviews. It concluded that elements of the California Environmental Quality Act had been violated.
Following the ruling from the Contra Costa Superior Court, the refiner promptly sought to challenge it. However, in October 2023, Superior Judge Edward Weil denied their efforts after siding with the Communities for a Better Environment and the Center for Biological Diversity. The refiner's request to operate the plant while Contra Costa conducted a new review was not granted.
Throughout this period, construction on the 50,000 b/d facility has been allowed to proceed. Phillips 66 anticipates completing the project early this year.
During a meeting with the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, the regulator announced that the project had successfully passed the new review. This was achieved by addressing and mitigating three major concerns highlighted by the Superior Court in the initial Environmental Impact Report.
Furthermore, Contra Costa stated that the review had also addressed various other "potentially significant" impacts on the environment. Measures have been put in place to mitigate these potential adverse effects to levels that are deemed less significant.
However, the review did identify eight "significant and unavoidable" environmental impacts associated with air quality, hazardous materials, water quality, and other aspects of the project. These impacts were determined to remain substantial and unavoidable despite the implementation of all feasible mitigation measures.
Approval Granted for Phillips 66 Project
The Contra Costa County has granted approval for the Phillips 66 project, despite concerns regarding its environmental impacts. In a recent report, the county acknowledged that all available options to mitigate these impacts had been explored by Phillips 66. Alternative solutions were either unable to avoid or substantially lessen the significant impacts of the project, and some even led to new impacts.
However, the county recognized that the specific economic, legal, social, technological, and other benefits of the project outweighed its unavoidable adverse environmental effects. Consequently, it deemed the adverse effects as "acceptable". It was concluded that the identified benefits from the project far outweighed and overrode any negative impacts.
To address the adverse effects identified in the report, the regulator recommended implementing a Mitigation Monitoring Program. This program aims to reduce the environmental impacts associated with the project. Additionally, the county board of supervisors voted unanimously to approve the revised Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and the attached mitigation plans.
While a representative for Phillips 66 acknowledged the approval, they declined to comment on efforts to reverse the October judgment through petitioning the Contra Costa Superior Court. However, they expressed confidence that the project would drive the state's energy transition and support future demand for renewable fuels and lower-carbon solutions. Construction on the facility is progressing as planned.
Reporting by Patrick Newkumet; Editing by Jordan Godwin
All Rights Reserved © 2024
Post a comment