Valero Energy Corporation wants to enlarge the rail yard at its Benicia oil refinery to ship in more crude oil by tank car.
If Valero gets its way, long trains filled with explosion-prone crude oil will run beside Suisun Bay, a San Francisco Bay inlet and important wildlife habitat area. Oil spilled along Suisun Bay's shore could quickly spread throughout San Francisco Bay.
The risk of oil spilling from trains is high. Last year in the US, more than a million gallons of crude oil was spilled as a result of rail accidents.
Right now, the Benicia city government is deciding whether to approve or reject the Environmental Impact Report on the Valero refinery expansion. The report vastly underestimates the increased risk to the Bay if the project goes forward.
This is your chance to stand up for San Francisco Bay. Please tell Benicia government leaders to reject the Valero refinery expansion Environmental Impact Report, and to say NO to expansion of the Valero refinery train yard.
And please take a moment to act now. The deadline for submitting comments is September 15.
Your message will support the expert comments Baykeeper is submitting to oppose this unwise proposal for rail yard expansion.
Suisun Bay is a nursery for many species of fish, and an important stop for birds migrating along the Pacific Flyway. An oil spill there would be a major threat to Bay wildlife. The railroad tracks along Suisun Bay could also buckle or collapse in an earthquake, upping the risk of an oil spill.
The plan to enlarge the Valero refinery rail yard is part of a wider push by the oil industry to expand Bay Area refineries, and increase the shipment of crude oil by tank car.
The threat of an oil spill goes far beyond the community of Benicia. The Valero refinery's proposed rail yard expansion puts San Francisco Bay, the Bay's upper watershed, and all Bay Area shorelines under threat of oil spills.
Every resident in the Bay Area has a stake in this decision. Please take action today!
Thank you for standing with us for a healthy San Francisco Bay.