January 5, 2016
Citadel Cares!
During the holiday season, Citadel adopted two local families
for the holiday season.
Shopping together, they provided holiday wish list items for each family member, as well as non-perishable food/grocery store gift cards to help them celebrate the season
We also donated toys for kids at Olive-View Hospital
September 29, 2015
August 25, 2015
September 5, 2012
Does Buying Pollution Credits From a Business That Shut Down 20 Years Ago Count?
Finding ways to guarantee the Sentinel natural gas power plant does not increase our carbon footprint is a challenge. But it's important that our regulatory agencies work hard to make that a reality.
Competitive Power Ventures (CPV), the Maryland-based company that is building the plant off Dillon Road in North Palm Springs, had to buy “pollution credits” to show the impact the new plant would be mitigated.
The purchases from the South Coast Air Quality Management District's bank of pollution credits created the $53 million mitigation fund to be used for air quality improvement projects in the Coachella Valley. The district is considering dozens of proposals, such as the Whitewater River Parkway, to offset the pollution the plant will emit.
But environmental groups, such as California Communities Against Toxics have sued, questioning whether the credits AQMD is selling have any effect on the air we breathe today.
The prime example they cited is credit for a flag company in Riverside that closed in 1992. They have a point.
The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency could rewrite its rules on pollution credits. The ruling doesn't halt construction of the Sentinel plant, which is about two-thirds complete, but both sides claimed victory over the court ruling.
Does buying credits from a business that shut down 20 years ago count? It all depends on when you start counting. The revised EPA ruling seeks to allow AQMD to use a 2003 air quality management plan rather than a 2007 plan, which would allow older credits to be considered a legitimate reduction.
John Foster, CPV's executive vice president, said the EPA has continued to affirm that the offsets are valid under federal law.
The Desert Sun is concerned that the issue is still up in the air.
The peaker plant is important to maintain a steady flow of power in Southern California, especially with the uncertainty of the San Onofre nuclear power plant.
We hope CPV prevails, but the credits should represent real offsets for today's air quality, not a plant that stopped polluting when President George Herbert Walker Bush was still in office.
Competitive Power Ventures (CPV), the Maryland-based company that is building the plant off Dillon Road in North Palm Springs, had to buy “pollution credits” to show the impact the new plant would be mitigated.
The purchases from the South Coast Air Quality Management District's bank of pollution credits created the $53 million mitigation fund to be used for air quality improvement projects in the Coachella Valley. The district is considering dozens of proposals, such as the Whitewater River Parkway, to offset the pollution the plant will emit.
But environmental groups, such as California Communities Against Toxics have sued, questioning whether the credits AQMD is selling have any effect on the air we breathe today.
The prime example they cited is credit for a flag company in Riverside that closed in 1992. They have a point.
The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency could rewrite its rules on pollution credits. The ruling doesn't halt construction of the Sentinel plant, which is about two-thirds complete, but both sides claimed victory over the court ruling.
Does buying credits from a business that shut down 20 years ago count? It all depends on when you start counting. The revised EPA ruling seeks to allow AQMD to use a 2003 air quality management plan rather than a 2007 plan, which would allow older credits to be considered a legitimate reduction.
John Foster, CPV's executive vice president, said the EPA has continued to affirm that the offsets are valid under federal law.
The Desert Sun is concerned that the issue is still up in the air.
The peaker plant is important to maintain a steady flow of power in Southern California, especially with the uncertainty of the San Onofre nuclear power plant.
We hope CPV prevails, but the credits should represent real offsets for today's air quality, not a plant that stopped polluting when President George Herbert Walker Bush was still in office.
Source: Mydesert.com
August 28, 2012
Richmond residents call for sanctions, more input in wake of Chevron refinery blaze
RICHMOND -- This month's fire at Chevron's Richmond refinery represented a systemic failure that must be addressed through robust community input and stiff sanctions by regulators, local environmentalists and elected leaders said Thursday.
A town-hall meeting organized by Andres Soto and local group Communities for a Better Environment drew about 120 people to the downtown headquarters of the Richmond Progressive Alliance.
"This has really set us back," said Mayor Gayle McLaughlin, a member of the Green Party. McLaughlin said the black cloud emitted from the fire, which occurred in the No. 4 crude unit that processes diesel crude oil, was a new stain on the city's improving reputation.
Panelists at the meeting included Greg Karras, senior scientist for Communities for a Better Environment, Global Monitoring's Executive Director Denny Larsen and Councilwoman Jovanka Beckles.
Karras said the recent fire at the 240,000-barrel-per-day facility may have stemmed from a 1998 transition toward processing crude with higher sulfur content, which accelerates corrosion in parts like the 8-inch pipe that sprung a leak Aug. 6, creating a massive vapor cloud that ignited minutes later.
"That decision increased the inherent hazard of refining," Karras said.
Investigators for the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, one of the several agencies probing the incident site, have said that the history of the pipe and decisions not to replace it are a key line of inquiry in their investigation. The pipe is believed to have been in use since the 1970s.
Karras said that after the pipe containing 600-degree diesel oil first sprung a leak, the decision to not shut the unit down may have contributed to the subsequent fire.
The fire broke out at 6:15 p.m., about two hours after the leak was discovered. Workers removed insulation from the pipe in an effort to avert a larger incident but evacuated before the fire ignited. Four workers suffered minor injuries.
Larsen criticized Chevron and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, saying both institutions played a role in the failure to install real-time air-quality monitoring equipment in the surrounding community, which he said was a condition of a tax settlement between the city and the refinery in 2010.
County Supervisor John Gioia, chairman of the air quality district board, said Friday that the blame should not fall on the district. Gioia said Chevron failed to install ground-level air monitors, which it agreed to as part of the tax settlement.
"I have proposed more air quality monitors around all Bay Area oil refineries, and that issue will get discussed at a special meeting of the board on Sept. 10," Gioia said.
More than 14,000 people have visited area hospitals since the fire, complaining of respiratory problems and other discomforts, but data on exactly what toxins were in the air have been scant.
Karras and Larsen said it is imperative that Richmond residents be privy to real-time monitoring of particulates and other airborne toxins in their community, of which Chevron's refinery has been a part for more than a century.
Chevron has released statements saying that it works with more than 30 agencies under some of the nation's strictest pollution rules and has drastically reduced emissions in recent decades. Chevron also opened claim centers near downtown and in North Richmond to reimburse residents for expenses incurred as a result of the fire.
McLaughlin said Communities for a Better Environment and other community groups have been instrumental in prodding Chevron and investigators to accept community input and provide regular updates as the investigation unfolds. The final report on the fire's cause may not be ready for months.
A community meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday in the Richmond City Council chamber. City officials and representatives from several investigative agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency and the state Division of Occupational Safety and Health, are expected to attend.
Karras said that community mobilization could force meaningful reforms.
"This is an unprecedented opportunity to be part of the investigation," Karras said.
A town-hall meeting organized by Andres Soto and local group Communities for a Better Environment drew about 120 people to the downtown headquarters of the Richmond Progressive Alliance.
"This has really set us back," said Mayor Gayle McLaughlin, a member of the Green Party. McLaughlin said the black cloud emitted from the fire, which occurred in the No. 4 crude unit that processes diesel crude oil, was a new stain on the city's improving reputation.
Panelists at the meeting included Greg Karras, senior scientist for Communities for a Better Environment, Global Monitoring's Executive Director Denny Larsen and Councilwoman Jovanka Beckles.
Karras said the recent fire at the 240,000-barrel-per-day facility may have stemmed from a 1998 transition toward processing crude with higher sulfur content, which accelerates corrosion in parts like the 8-inch pipe that sprung a leak Aug. 6, creating a massive vapor cloud that ignited minutes later.
"That decision increased the inherent hazard of refining," Karras said.
Investigators for the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, one of the several agencies probing the incident site, have said that the history of the pipe and decisions not to replace it are a key line of inquiry in their investigation. The pipe is believed to have been in use since the 1970s.
Karras said that after the pipe containing 600-degree diesel oil first sprung a leak, the decision to not shut the unit down may have contributed to the subsequent fire.
The fire broke out at 6:15 p.m., about two hours after the leak was discovered. Workers removed insulation from the pipe in an effort to avert a larger incident but evacuated before the fire ignited. Four workers suffered minor injuries.
Larsen criticized Chevron and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, saying both institutions played a role in the failure to install real-time air-quality monitoring equipment in the surrounding community, which he said was a condition of a tax settlement between the city and the refinery in 2010.
County Supervisor John Gioia, chairman of the air quality district board, said Friday that the blame should not fall on the district. Gioia said Chevron failed to install ground-level air monitors, which it agreed to as part of the tax settlement.
"I have proposed more air quality monitors around all Bay Area oil refineries, and that issue will get discussed at a special meeting of the board on Sept. 10," Gioia said.
More than 14,000 people have visited area hospitals since the fire, complaining of respiratory problems and other discomforts, but data on exactly what toxins were in the air have been scant.
Karras and Larsen said it is imperative that Richmond residents be privy to real-time monitoring of particulates and other airborne toxins in their community, of which Chevron's refinery has been a part for more than a century.
Chevron has released statements saying that it works with more than 30 agencies under some of the nation's strictest pollution rules and has drastically reduced emissions in recent decades. Chevron also opened claim centers near downtown and in North Richmond to reimburse residents for expenses incurred as a result of the fire.
McLaughlin said Communities for a Better Environment and other community groups have been instrumental in prodding Chevron and investigators to accept community input and provide regular updates as the investigation unfolds. The final report on the fire's cause may not be ready for months.
A community meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday in the Richmond City Council chamber. City officials and representatives from several investigative agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency and the state Division of Occupational Safety and Health, are expected to attend.
Karras said that community mobilization could force meaningful reforms.
"This is an unprecedented opportunity to be part of the investigation," Karras said.
Source: MercuryNews.com
August 8, 2012
Executive Order B-18-12 Enacted by Governor Jerry Brown, Requiring State Agencies to Recuce Energy Consumption
Executive
Order B-18-12 was implemented by Governor Jerry Brown on April 25th,
2012, with a main goal to allow state agencies to reduce
their energy use on lighting, heating, air conditioning, and water.
Highlights of the order are as follows:
- To reduce energy use by at least 10 percent by 2015 and 20 percent by 2020.
- The continuation of state agencies to reduce their energy purchases by at least 20 percent by 2018.
- New or major renovations to state buildings that are larger than 10,000 square feet must use clean power generators, like wind power, solar photovoltaic, or solar thermal power.
- State buildings that are 10,000 square feet or larger must be certified "silver" or higher by the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).
- State agencies must provide electric vehicle charging stations in new and existing buildings.
- The Department of General Services must work with other state agencies to develop policies for water conservation and further efficiency improvements. These must be implemented by July 1st, 2013, and should be continually updated in the State Administration Manual.
- State agencies must reduce water use by 10 percent by 2015 and 20 percent by 2020.
- State agencies must use environmentally friendly products that have less of an impact on human health.
- State agencies must report the progress of these measures.
- Executive Order S-20-04 must also be rescinded immediately.
Executive
Order S-20-04 was implemented by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on July
27th, 2004. This order also aimed to reduce energy use in state owned
buildings by 20 percent by 2015. It also encouraged private sectors to
achieve the same goal.
To read more about this order - check out a recent presentation given by the Sustainability Manager for the California Department of General Services, Dan Burgoyne.
Owners of Non-Residential Buildings (>5,000sf) Asked To Benchmark & Disclose Energy Consumption in Proposed Amendments to AB 1103
Proposed Amendments to AB 1103 will push the effective compliance date from July 1, 2012 to January 1, 2013 for Non-Residential Building Owners of buildings greater than 50,000 square feet, and Owners of Non-Residential buildings greater than 5,000 feet on or after January 1, 2014. Requirements include:
•All Non-Residential Building Owners must benchmark the building’s energy use using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Portfolio Manager system;
•All Non-Residential Building Owners must disclose statements of the building’s energy usage to potential buyers, lessees, and lenders.
The proposed regulations also require all utility companies serving the building to release the most recent 12 months of energy use data for the entire building to an owner’s U.S. EPA’s Portfolio Manager Account, within 15 days of the building owner’s request.
Effective Compliance Dates:
Buildings with greater than 50,000 Square Feet
On or after July 1, 2013
Buildings with greater than 50,000 Square Feet, up to 50,000 Square Feet
On or after July 1, 2013
Buildings with at least 5,000 Square Feet, up to 10,000 Square Feet
On or after January 1, 2014
Information Required To Report:
Submittal must occur 30 days before a disclosure is required;
• Open an account on EPA”s Energy Star program Portfolio Manager website;
• Identify all sources of energy use data for the entire building, such as active and inactive utility meters, onsite generation, district thermal energy, or fuel(s) serving the building, for at least the most recent 12 months;
• Provide space use characteristics;
• Request and enter all utility and energy use data for the entire building for the most recent 12 months (Utility companies required to provide the information to the building owner within 15 days of request);
• Once information uploaded, building owner will access the Commisions’s AB 1103 compliance website and:
o Download disclosure Summary Sheet
o Complete and Submit the Compliance Report
o Download the building’s Statement of Energy Performance, Data Checklist, and Facility Summary
Disclosure Requirements:
A building owner shall disclose the following items to prospective buyers, lease and lenders:
• Disclosure Summary Sheet
• Statement of Energy Performance
• Data Checklist
• Facility Summary
(a) Prospective buyer of the entire building, before execution of the sales contract
(b) Prospective leasee of the entire building, as soon as practicable or before execution of lease
(c) Prospective lender financing the entire building, as soon as practicable before submittal of the loan application
*An owner may supplement the above disclosure with forms from other sources, such as the ASTM International checklist E2797‐11 (2011), the Standard Practice for Building Energy
Performance Assessment for a Building Involved in a Real Estate Transaction.
Definitions:
(a) “Building Owner” means a person possessing title to a nonresidential building, or an agent authorized to act on behalf of a person possessing title.
(b) “Commission” means the California Energy Commission.
(c) “Compliance Report” means an electronic submission of a copy of the data used for generating disclosure documents, submitted within the Portfolio Manager system from the building owner’s account to the Commission’s account.
(d) “Data Checklist” means a report generated by Portfolio Manager that summarizes a property’s physical and operating characteristics.
(e) “Disclosure Summary Sheet” means the Commission document detailing the contents
and relevance of disclosures generated by Portfolio Manager.
(f) “Energy Provider” means any non‐electric and gas utility entity providing energy, as
defined by Section 25109, Public Resources Code, used by a nonresidential building.
(g) “Energy Use Data” means a record of kilowatt hours, therms, or any other measure of
energy used by a nonresidential building.
(h) “Entire Building” means a building for which the owner possesses title.
(i) “EPA” means the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
(j) “Facility Summary” means a report generated by Portfolio Manager that summarizes
the space usage of a building and compares a building’s energy use to national averages.
(k) “Nonresidential Building” means a building of occupancy type A, B, E, I‐1, I‐2, M, R1, S,
and Type U parking garages, as defined in the California Building Code, Title 24, Section
302 et seq. (2007).
(l) “Portfolio Manager” means the EPA’s ENERGY STAR® program online tool for
managing building energy use data.
(m)“Portfolio Manager Energy Performance Rating” means an EPA energy efficiency
measurement represented as a score from 1 to 100, normalized for a building’s
characteristics, operations, and regional weather.
(n) “Square Feet” means total gross square footage of a building.
(o) “Statement of Energy Performance” means a report generated by Portfolio Manager that
supplies data about a building’s energy performance, and if available, the building’s
energy use rating.
(p) “Utility” means an entity providing electricity or natural gas to a nonresidential
building owner or tenant.
•All Non-Residential Building Owners must benchmark the building’s energy use using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Portfolio Manager system;
•All Non-Residential Building Owners must disclose statements of the building’s energy usage to potential buyers, lessees, and lenders.
The proposed regulations also require all utility companies serving the building to release the most recent 12 months of energy use data for the entire building to an owner’s U.S. EPA’s Portfolio Manager Account, within 15 days of the building owner’s request.
Effective Compliance Dates:
Buildings with greater than 50,000 Square Feet
On or after July 1, 2013
Buildings with greater than 50,000 Square Feet, up to 50,000 Square Feet
On or after July 1, 2013
Buildings with at least 5,000 Square Feet, up to 10,000 Square Feet
On or after January 1, 2014
Information Required To Report:
Submittal must occur 30 days before a disclosure is required;
• Open an account on EPA”s Energy Star program Portfolio Manager website;
• Identify all sources of energy use data for the entire building, such as active and inactive utility meters, onsite generation, district thermal energy, or fuel(s) serving the building, for at least the most recent 12 months;
• Provide space use characteristics;
• Request and enter all utility and energy use data for the entire building for the most recent 12 months (Utility companies required to provide the information to the building owner within 15 days of request);
• Once information uploaded, building owner will access the Commisions’s AB 1103 compliance website and:
o Download disclosure Summary Sheet
o Complete and Submit the Compliance Report
o Download the building’s Statement of Energy Performance, Data Checklist, and Facility Summary
Disclosure Requirements:
A building owner shall disclose the following items to prospective buyers, lease and lenders:
• Disclosure Summary Sheet
• Statement of Energy Performance
• Data Checklist
• Facility Summary
(a) Prospective buyer of the entire building, before execution of the sales contract
(b) Prospective leasee of the entire building, as soon as practicable or before execution of lease
(c) Prospective lender financing the entire building, as soon as practicable before submittal of the loan application
*An owner may supplement the above disclosure with forms from other sources, such as the ASTM International checklist E2797‐11 (2011), the Standard Practice for Building Energy
Performance Assessment for a Building Involved in a Real Estate Transaction.
Definitions:
(a) “Building Owner” means a person possessing title to a nonresidential building, or an agent authorized to act on behalf of a person possessing title.
(b) “Commission” means the California Energy Commission.
(c) “Compliance Report” means an electronic submission of a copy of the data used for generating disclosure documents, submitted within the Portfolio Manager system from the building owner’s account to the Commission’s account.
(d) “Data Checklist” means a report generated by Portfolio Manager that summarizes a property’s physical and operating characteristics.
(e) “Disclosure Summary Sheet” means the Commission document detailing the contents
and relevance of disclosures generated by Portfolio Manager.
(f) “Energy Provider” means any non‐electric and gas utility entity providing energy, as
defined by Section 25109, Public Resources Code, used by a nonresidential building.
(g) “Energy Use Data” means a record of kilowatt hours, therms, or any other measure of
energy used by a nonresidential building.
(h) “Entire Building” means a building for which the owner possesses title.
(i) “EPA” means the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
(j) “Facility Summary” means a report generated by Portfolio Manager that summarizes
the space usage of a building and compares a building’s energy use to national averages.
(k) “Nonresidential Building” means a building of occupancy type A, B, E, I‐1, I‐2, M, R1, S,
and Type U parking garages, as defined in the California Building Code, Title 24, Section
302 et seq. (2007).
(l) “Portfolio Manager” means the EPA’s ENERGY STAR® program online tool for
managing building energy use data.
(m)“Portfolio Manager Energy Performance Rating” means an EPA energy efficiency
measurement represented as a score from 1 to 100, normalized for a building’s
characteristics, operations, and regional weather.
(n) “Square Feet” means total gross square footage of a building.
(o) “Statement of Energy Performance” means a report generated by Portfolio Manager that
supplies data about a building’s energy performance, and if available, the building’s
energy use rating.
(p) “Utility” means an entity providing electricity or natural gas to a nonresidential
building owner or tenant.
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