Chevron Richmond Pollution Project Moves Toward Construction
A years-delayed wet gas scrubber project at Chevron's Richmond refinery is advancing after rival lawsuits were withdrawn.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Oil and Gas
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The Bay Area Air District's Rule 6-5, approved in July 2021, requires Chevron Richmond and Martinez Refining Company to install wet gas scrubbers to cut refinery emissions. Both companies have withdrawn their lawsuits over the rule, clearing a path for the long-delayed project.
Why it matters
The refinery is the largest individual source of PM2.5 in Richmond, so the scrubbers directly affect air quality for nearby neighborhoods. The project was held up for years by environmental review and litigation, and its resolution shapes how Bay Area refiners meet emissions standards.
The combined $138 million settlement with the Bay Area Air District followed the 2021 rule requiring wet gas scrubbers at both refineries. The scrubber would draw 370,000 gallons of potable water a day and consume nearly 16,000 megawatt-hours of electricity annually, and the extent of emissions reduction remains unreported.
The players
Chevron
Chevron is a multinational energy company that operates the Richmond refinery at the center of the pollution-control project.
Bay Area Air District
The Bay Area Air District is the regional agency that regulates air quality across the San Francisco Bay Area and adopted Rule 6-5.
Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises
Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises is an industrial technology company that licenses the wet gas scrubber technology used in the project.
The details
Rule 6-5 requires wet gas scrubbers that combine water with lye (sodium hydroxide) to treat refinery exhaust before it enters the air. The city said approval of the Isomax Cooling Water Tower would let Chevron substitute recycled water for potable supplies, and the project was delayed by lengthy environmental review and litigation.
Timeline
July 2021: Bay Area Air District approves Rule 6-5.
February 2024: Chevron and Martinez Refining Company reach a $138 million settlement with the air district.
Nov. 5: Richmond city council hears public comments on the project's environmental impacts.
Industry Context
Wet gas scrubber technology, developed in the 1970s, is now being applied under Bay Area Air District Rule 6-5 to refineries in Richmond and Martinez. The project's path through litigation and settlement shows how regional emissions rules are being enforced on legacy refinery equipment.
Residents near the Richmond refinery could see reduced fine-particle emissions once the scrubbers are installed. The city council's public comment session on environmental impacts is the next opportunity for local residents to weigh in on the project.
The takeaway
Projects that combine regulatory mandates and litigation can take years to reach construction, so residents tracking local air quality should follow public hearings on environmental reviews. Community input at these stages can shape how emissions controls are implemented.
Further reading
Explore more Oil and Gas coverage for context on how refinery emissions rules are shaping local industry.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Cool Down.
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