There are two events next week that involve community health in Richmond.

On Tuesday, September 25, there will be a community workshop to discuss the health consequences of train and truck traffic in West Contra Costa. See details below from West County Times:

COMMUNITY DIGEST

Richmond

Contra Costa Times

Article Launched: 09/21/2007 03:08:22 AM PDT

WORKSHOP TO DISCUSS TRAIN, TRUCK TRAFFIC: Residents and workers concerned about the health consequences of train and truck traffic in West Contra Costa are invited to a workshop from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Hazel Hall in the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, 360 Harbour Way South.

"Many people in West County are concerned about air quality in their community, and trains and diesel trucks combine for a lot of emissions in the air," said Dr. Henry Clark, executive director of the West County Toxics Coalition, which is partnering with Contra Costa Health Services and Neighborhood House of North Richmond to host the workshop.

The three entities call their partnership Solutions for West County Land Use and Environmental Justice.

The workshop is being facilitated by the Pacific Institute, a nonpartisan Oakland-based think tank studying land development, environment and security issues.

"Besides air quality, residents of some communities express frustration about the impact of trains on traffic in their neighborhood because of long waits at rail crossings," said Catalina Garzón, a Pacific Institute research associate. "We're planning a brainstorming session to devise solutions to these and other concerns."

For details about the workshop, call Garzón at 510-251-1600, Ext. 104.

n  Chris Treadway

On Wednesday, September 25, there will be a Data response and Issues Resolution Workshop for the Chevron Power Plant Replacement Project. This project is of particular interest to West County residents because it will increase supplies of gasoline all over Northern California and enable Chevron to process dirtier grades of crude at a higher profit while increasing pollution in Richmond. Chevron should be required to increase any power generating potential with non-polluting technologies, including wind, solar and fuel cells. Chevron’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Chevron Energy Solutions, is already a leader in implementation of these technologies, including a photovoltaic array on Richmond’s Main Library.  Chevron Energy Solutions could convert much energy production at the Chevron Refinery to cleaner technologies.

The California Energy Commission Staff will conduct a Data Response and Issues Resolution workshop for the Chevron Power Plant Replacement Project. The purpose is to discuss the applicant's responses to staff's data requests and to work toward resolving any outstanding issues. All interested agencies and members of the public are invited to participate. The workshop will be held:

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2007
Starting at 5:30 p.m.
Courtyard by Marriott Richmond/Berkeley
Hilltop Ballroom/Conference Rooms
3150 Garrity Way
Richmond, CA 94806
Call-in Number: (1-800-369-1730)
Passcode: 52374
(Wheelchair Accessible)
(Map to Location)

Purpose

The Energy Commission Staff is currently analyzing Chevron USA's application for a Small Power Plant Exemption (SPPE) for their proposed Power Plant Replacement Project. Staff published Data Requests on August 8, 2007 for the technical areas of air quality, biological resources, cultural resources, geological resources, hazardous materials management, paleontological resources, project description, public health, soil and water resources, socioeconomics, transmission system engineering, visual resources/plume, and waste management.

The staff workshop will focus on Chevron's Data Responses which were received on September 10, 2007 and work toward resolving project issues. Prior to the discussion of individual technical areas, staff will explain the Energy Commission's small power plant exemption process. The public will have an opportunity to make comments during the workshop. Following the workshop, staff will consider the responses and comments it receives and will publish a Draft Initial Study containing a preliminary analysis of the proposed project.

Background

On June 22, 2007, Chevron filed an application for a Small Power Plant Exemption. Chevron is seeking an exemption from the California Energy Commission's licensing requirements. Chevron proposes to add an additional 60 megawatts (MW) net capacity to its existing electrical generation system within its Richmond Refinery in the City of Richmond, Contra Costa County, California, at 841 Chevron Way. The proposed Chevron Richmond Power Plant Replacement Project (PPRP) will be integrated into Chevron's plans to meet its growing refinery electrical load and produce steam to replace an existing boiler plant.

The PPRP will consist of (1) a replacement cogeneration train (Cogen 3000) to be located within the refinery's existing cogeneration facility, (2) a steam turbine generator (H2-STG) and an associated cooling tower to be located in a new hydrogen production facility within the refinery, (3) reconductoring to upgrade approximately 4,000 feet of existing double-circuit overhead 115-kV transmission line located between the existing cogeneration facility substation and the refinery's main switchyard, and (4) shutdown of the boilers located in the existing No. 1 Power Plant facility, which is currently providing steam to the refinery.

The Energy Commission is responsible for reviewing, and ultimately approving or denying, all thermal electric power plants, 50 MW and greater, proposed for construction in California. The Energy Commission's SPPE process allows projects between 50 and 100 MW to proceed with local approval rather than obtaining Energy Commission certification. An exemption is available if the Energy Commission finds that the project would not create a substantial adverse impact on the environment or energy resources. If an exemption is granted, the applicant would need to secure the appropriate licenses and permits for the project from various local, state and federal agencies.

Public Participation

The Energy Commission's Public Adviser's Office provides the public with assistance in participating in Energy Commission activities. If you want information on how to participate in this proceeding, please contact the Public Adviser's Office at (916) 654-4489 or toll free at (800) 822-6228, by FAX at (916) 654-4493, or by e-mail at pao@energy.state.ca.us. If you have a disability and require assistance to participate, please contact Lou Quiroz at (916) 654-5146 at least five days in advance of the workshop.

Questions

General information, copies of the staff's data requests and the applicant's data responses and other documents on the proposed project are available on the Energy Commission's website at http://www.energy.ca.gov/sitingcases/chevron/index.html. Please direct all news media inquiries to Claudia Chandler, Assistant Executive Director, at (916) 654-4989 or e-mail at mediaoffice@energy.state.ca.us.

For technical questions on the subject matter, please contact Mary Dyas, Project Manager, at (916) 651-8891 or by e-mail to mdyas@energy.state.ca.us. If you are unable to participate in the workshop, written comments may be sent to the staff's project manager electronically or to the Energy Commission's street address shown on the letterhead of this Notice.