Contra Costa County and the cities of Richmond and Benicia are sharing in $65 million from the Bay Area Air District’s fines on industrial air quality violators.
The penalty funds will go toward projects that will reduce air pollution, improve public health, expand clean energy, support the local economy and strengthen community resilience, the district said Friday.
As recently as Tuesday, the Air District fined Gold Bond Building Products LLC $188,500 for violations related to dust at its wallboard manufacturing plant in Richmond.
In February, a joint prosecution by the Air District and the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office secured a $10 million fine against Martinez Refining Co. In March, it fined Valero Refining, Tesoro and Phillips 66 $3.25 million, according to district records.
The $65 million in awards are the first of their kind in California, directing air quality penalty funds back into the communities most affected by pollution, the district said.
The two largest grants are $10.7 million to the City of Richmond and $12.9 million to Contra Costa County.
“When facilities in Richmond violate air quality rules, the people who live nearby pay for it in the air they breathe,” Philip Fine, executive officer of the Air District, said in a statement.
Cleaner, healthier neighborhoods
The City of Richmond will use its grant to support electric public transit, plant 600 trees, providing transit passes to 1,500 residents, upgrade 100 income-qualified homes, expand asthma prevention resources and create youth workforce and leadership opportunities, the district said.
Contra Costa County will use its funds to complete the North Richmond Farm Community Resilience Center, upgrade and electrify affordable housing and a senior center, plant 120 shade trees, improve the Wildcat Creek Trail and provide clean energy upgrades to homes and childcare facilities, according to the district.
Other grant recipients include North Richmond Pinole, El Sobrante, East Richmond Heights, San Pablo, the Iron Triangle, Point Richmond and unincorporated West Contra Costa County.
“Richmond has carried the impacts of pollution for generations, so this investment means a great deal to our community,” Mayor Eduardo Martinez said. “This funding will help us invest in healthier neighborhoods, better transportation options, local jobs, and a stronger, more resilient Richmond.”
The Air District adopted its Community Benefits Penalty Funds Policy in May 2024 to reinvest penalties from air quality violations into impacted communities.