Publish to Newswire
Add an EventFrom the Open-Publishing Calendar
From the Open-Publishing Newswire
Indybay Feature
East Bay
Environment & Forest Defense
Global Justice & Anti-Capitalism
Health, Housing & Public Services
Community Wins Major Court Victory Against Oil Giant Chevron
Today, our community beat the odds. We stood up to oil giant Chevron, one of the world’s largest corporations, and won!
The California State Court of Appeals ruled against the expansion of Chevron’s Richmond refinery, citing violations of state environmental laws. They sent a strong message that big corporations like Chevron aren’t above the law. The court ruled that we, the community, have a right to know just how dirty the crude oil processed in this refinery will be.
The California State Court of Appeals ruled against the expansion of Chevron’s Richmond refinery, citing violations of state environmental laws. They sent a strong message that big corporations like Chevron aren’t above the law. The court ruled that we, the community, have a right to know just how dirty the crude oil processed in this refinery will be.
Today, our community beat the odds. We stood up to oil giant Chevron, one of the world’s largest corporations, and won!
The California State Court of Appeals ruled against the expansion of Chevron’s Richmond refinery, citing violations of state environmental laws. They sent a strong message that big corporations like Chevron aren’t above the law. The court ruled that we, the community, have a right to know just how dirty the crude oil processed in this refinery will be.
It’s about time.
My name is Lena Phan and I’ve been in Richmond pretty much all my life. I was one of the many children who grew up in North Richmond. With its low income housing, it was our only option at the time.
Now, I work just blocks from the Chevron refinery. As I watch the fumes roll out of Chevron’s smokestacks, I vaguely remember having to “shelter in place” as a child during fires, explosions, and other emergencies, closing our doors and windows hoping not to breathe in the toxics. Can you imagine, growing up right next to a refinery that might spew toxics into the air at any minute?
It always seems to be our neighborhoods, low-income communities of color that suffer when big corporations want to build, expand, and pollute our cities.
Why is that?
Are we not knowledgeable enough? Is it because our parents came from other countries? Is it because we don’t speak English? Or is everyone just too busy working to put food on the table?
I don’t have all the answers, but I know that change is coming. In the past few years, I’ve watched as more and more of my friends and neighbors joined organizations like APEN and CBE. Together, we’ve called on our city council members, judges, and Chevron executives to do the right thing. To finally put the health of our children above the profits of big corporations.
My hope is that one day, Chevron will stop using jobs to hold our community hostage and actually help our communities become healthier. I want to look up into a beautiful blue sky, not incinerators of smoke or toxics from the refinery. I want our city to provide cleaner, greener jobs for my friends and family who are scraping by on unemployment in these tough economic times.
I know that Richmond can lead the way toward a greener, healthier economy for all of us. I want to see our city flourish, and realize its potential as the City of Pride and Purpose.
Today, we took an important step toward realizing this vision. As we celebrate tonight, let’s remember that this fight isn’t over yet. Richmond’s City Council may still vote to let Chevron process dirtier, heavier oil into Richmond. Now more than ever, we need to stay organized and vigilant.
So please join me in building a movement for green, healthy communities and good jobs by donating or volunteering by emailing rachel [at] apen4ej.org today. Together, we can change our communities and our lives.
- Lena Phan
The California State Court of Appeals ruled against the expansion of Chevron’s Richmond refinery, citing violations of state environmental laws. They sent a strong message that big corporations like Chevron aren’t above the law. The court ruled that we, the community, have a right to know just how dirty the crude oil processed in this refinery will be.
It’s about time.
My name is Lena Phan and I’ve been in Richmond pretty much all my life. I was one of the many children who grew up in North Richmond. With its low income housing, it was our only option at the time.
Now, I work just blocks from the Chevron refinery. As I watch the fumes roll out of Chevron’s smokestacks, I vaguely remember having to “shelter in place” as a child during fires, explosions, and other emergencies, closing our doors and windows hoping not to breathe in the toxics. Can you imagine, growing up right next to a refinery that might spew toxics into the air at any minute?
It always seems to be our neighborhoods, low-income communities of color that suffer when big corporations want to build, expand, and pollute our cities.
Why is that?
Are we not knowledgeable enough? Is it because our parents came from other countries? Is it because we don’t speak English? Or is everyone just too busy working to put food on the table?
I don’t have all the answers, but I know that change is coming. In the past few years, I’ve watched as more and more of my friends and neighbors joined organizations like APEN and CBE. Together, we’ve called on our city council members, judges, and Chevron executives to do the right thing. To finally put the health of our children above the profits of big corporations.
My hope is that one day, Chevron will stop using jobs to hold our community hostage and actually help our communities become healthier. I want to look up into a beautiful blue sky, not incinerators of smoke or toxics from the refinery. I want our city to provide cleaner, greener jobs for my friends and family who are scraping by on unemployment in these tough economic times.
I know that Richmond can lead the way toward a greener, healthier economy for all of us. I want to see our city flourish, and realize its potential as the City of Pride and Purpose.
Today, we took an important step toward realizing this vision. As we celebrate tonight, let’s remember that this fight isn’t over yet. Richmond’s City Council may still vote to let Chevron process dirtier, heavier oil into Richmond. Now more than ever, we need to stay organized and vigilant.
So please join me in building a movement for green, healthy communities and good jobs by donating or volunteering by emailing rachel [at] apen4ej.org today. Together, we can change our communities and our lives.
- Lena Phan
Add Your Comments
Comments
(Hide Comments)
Community wins? Really how many people of richmond are gonna loose there jobs when chevron decieds to leaves, how much money is the city of richmond gonna lose. Smh you people don't undertstand the city of richmond will be done if chevron leaves, stoping over 1000 tradesmen from not having work, great job.
If a parent leaves a loaded gun out where children can play with it, if that child gets hurt then the parents are held responsible for their negligence.
So how is it that when your parents moved you, as a child, to live next to a refinery known to spew toxins into the air, that now it's Chevron's fault and your parents are held blameless?
I'm not suggesting that Chevron has been the best of neighbors and I go back to when Chevron's EIR was being reviewed and I publicly spoke out against the flaws in that document. At the same time, though, I want to make sure that members of our community take off their blinders and admit that if they hadn't put their children in harm's way then maybe their children wouldn't have the kinds of health issues they bemoan now.
And please don't come back at me about your color or the fact that your parents were indigent. It's time to stop making excuses and own up to your own responsibilities. Every community has areas where people of color or low income families seem to congregate but some families--and it sounds as though yours may have been one of them--chose to move in under the shadow of an industrial giant known to pollute.
Over the years Chevron has made efforts to be a better neighbor while at other times they've simply spat in the face of the community in deference to lining their collective pockets. At no time, though, did they ever try to fool the public into thinking that they didn't refine oil at their refinery.
Your parents, and many others, chose to live next to a place where they knew--or should have known--that problems might occur. They ignored that risk to their children, though. If you want to report in a "fair and balanced" fashion, perhaps you should be more inclusive when you affix blame for any health problems that children in that area have.
Just as Smith & Wesson shouldn't be held responsible for negligent parents leaving loaded weapons out for their children to play with, neither should Chevron be saddled with ALL of the blame here.
On another subject, which would you and the members of your community rather see: a brand new power plant at Chevron or a 78 year old power plant (which only had a life expectancy of 50 years)? A 54 year old hydrogen plant or a brand new one? Doesn't it make sense that the newer units might be more efficient and address the issue of pollution better than these dinosaurs that Chevron is forced to continue to use while this issue is argued over?
The point here is that this isn't a war of Chevron against the community. Efforts need to be made to find a way for our industrial neighbors to stay in business and profit all the while operating in such a manner that we can all be safe.
None of us wins when we become adversarial and play the "us against them" game.
So how is it that when your parents moved you, as a child, to live next to a refinery known to spew toxins into the air, that now it's Chevron's fault and your parents are held blameless?
I'm not suggesting that Chevron has been the best of neighbors and I go back to when Chevron's EIR was being reviewed and I publicly spoke out against the flaws in that document. At the same time, though, I want to make sure that members of our community take off their blinders and admit that if they hadn't put their children in harm's way then maybe their children wouldn't have the kinds of health issues they bemoan now.
And please don't come back at me about your color or the fact that your parents were indigent. It's time to stop making excuses and own up to your own responsibilities. Every community has areas where people of color or low income families seem to congregate but some families--and it sounds as though yours may have been one of them--chose to move in under the shadow of an industrial giant known to pollute.
Over the years Chevron has made efforts to be a better neighbor while at other times they've simply spat in the face of the community in deference to lining their collective pockets. At no time, though, did they ever try to fool the public into thinking that they didn't refine oil at their refinery.
Your parents, and many others, chose to live next to a place where they knew--or should have known--that problems might occur. They ignored that risk to their children, though. If you want to report in a "fair and balanced" fashion, perhaps you should be more inclusive when you affix blame for any health problems that children in that area have.
Just as Smith & Wesson shouldn't be held responsible for negligent parents leaving loaded weapons out for their children to play with, neither should Chevron be saddled with ALL of the blame here.
On another subject, which would you and the members of your community rather see: a brand new power plant at Chevron or a 78 year old power plant (which only had a life expectancy of 50 years)? A 54 year old hydrogen plant or a brand new one? Doesn't it make sense that the newer units might be more efficient and address the issue of pollution better than these dinosaurs that Chevron is forced to continue to use while this issue is argued over?
The point here is that this isn't a war of Chevron against the community. Efforts need to be made to find a way for our industrial neighbors to stay in business and profit all the while operating in such a manner that we can all be safe.
None of us wins when we become adversarial and play the "us against them" game.
We are 100% volunteer and depend on your participation to sustain our efforts!
Donate
$320.00 donated
in the past month
Get Involved
If you'd like to help with maintaining or developing the website, contact us.
Publish
Publish your stories and upcoming events on Indybay.
Topics
More
Search Indybay's Archives
Advanced Search
►
▼
IMC Network