MARTINEZ, CALIFORNIA – A major Bay Area refinery is being forced to pay a $10 million penalty after regulators and prosecutors say it racked up years of serious air quality and public health violations — the latest flashpoint in a moment when California’s refining landscape is rapidly changing.
The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office and the Bay Area Air District announced a final judgment requiring Martinez Refining Company (MRC) to pay a $10 million penalty tied to 163 violations between early 2020 and late 2024 at its Martinez refinery.
The Air District says those violations included the Thanksgiving Day 2022 release of spent catalyst that fell across parts of Martinez, along with incidents like illegal flaring, fires, leaking tanks, nuisance-level odors, and releases of “coke dust” beyond the refinery’s fence line.
According to the Air District, the $10 million penalty is split across agencies, including $6.35 million to the Air District (with most intended for community-benefit projects in affected areas) and $3.5 million to the DA’s Environmental Unit…