As part of the City of Richmond’s approval of the Modernization Project, Chevron is required to implement a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP). The MMRP is designed to ensure that mitigation measures and project approval conditions are being implemented.
Chevron updates the City of Richmond and our workforce on the MMRP on a regular basis. Some of the MMRP requirements include implementation of the Modernization Project Reliability Program, which will enhance the safety and reliability of equipment and operations at the Richmond Refinery.
As one element of that Reliability Program, Chevron committed to hold annual Town Halls to update the community concerning the work Chevron has done to implement the recommendations that arose out of the various investigations, including Chevron’s own investigation, into the August 6, 2012 fire, which resulted from a leak from a small hole in a pipe that was caused by corrosion due to sulfur.
On Thursday, March 31 we hosted the first of those Town Halls. The full recording is available here:
Our primary goal of the Town Hall was to update residents concerning the work Chevron has been doing to ensure we continue to operate in a safe and reliable manner, and to answer questions about that work, or about the Modernization Project more generally.
The Modernization Project is a $1 billion investment to replace older equipment with more modern technologies to create a newer, safer, cleaner refinery. The improvements will result in an overall decrease in emissions, as well as safety enhancements that far exceed regulatory requirements.
The project includes important community benefits, including $90 million for community programs including college scholarships, grants for nonprofits and funding to fight climate change and create green jobs.
At its peak, the Refinery Modernization project will create up to 1,000 construction jobs and 1,300 related jobs. We are currently working with Building Trades Unions, the City of Richmond and others to help qualify local residents for these jobs.
We’re hoping to begin construction as early as this summer as we continue to make progress on this project.
