The Bay Area Air Quality Management District has imposed a $5 million fine on Marathon Martinez Refinery for 59 air-quality violations from 2018 to 2022, marking the second-largest penalty ever assessed by the District. These violations mainly stemmed from improper flaring practices during the COVID-19 pandemic when the refinery was idled, leading to the release of excess pollutants into the atmosphere.
Marathon's misconduct involved improper flaring of vapors from storage tanks and loading racks that should have been processed while various refinery units were shut down. This included the venting of gasses through a flare that had been taken offline for maintenance, as well as instances of visible emissions arising from smoky flares. These actions led to significant contributions of sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and particulate emissions into the air.
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