Richmond Officials Vote To Find Out What's Causing Flaring At Chevron Refinery

RICHMOND (KPIX 5) -- The city of Richmond wants to take a more proactive approach to look into what's causing the flaring problem at the Chevron Refinery. The council voted Tuesday night to try to get to the bottom of it.

City officials want to know exactly what is causing the flaring to find out how harmful it is to the community.

Earlier this month, Pennie Opal Plante captured video of a flaring coming from the Chevron Refinery.

According to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, there has been a rise in flaring ever since Chevron started operating its new hydrogen plant last year.

Members of the Communities for a Better Environment asked the council to have Chevron release the causal report to the public in a more timely manner.

Chevron said in a statement, "Flaring is an important part of keeping the Refinery running safely. Flares are highly regulated safety devices designed to relieve pressure during the refining processes and help keep our equipment and plants operating safely."

It was a unanimous vote by the council on Tuesday. The hope with the vote is that it will put some pressure to share the causal report so it can be posted on line for the public.