BENICIA CITY COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY PASSES FIRST READING OF ISO Contact: Terry Mollica, 510-685-4882 Benicia, CA (March 6, 2025) –On Tuesday, March 4, Benicia City Council unanimously voted to approve the latest draft of the Industrial Safety Ordinance (ISO). The 5-0 vote approved the first reading and the ordinance will now progress forward to a second reading sometime between late March and mid-April. City ordinances require two readings before becoming law. “We are so appreciative of the Council’s support for the ISO,” said Terry Mollica, member of the Benicia Industrial Safety and Health Ordinance (BISHO), a citizens group that has been working for passage of the ISO for more than a year. “This has been a long process, and we are grateful to city staff, and especially to Council members Terry Scott and Kari Birdseye, and Fire Chief Josh Chadwick, who have worked so hard to bring us to this point.” Scott, Birdseye and Chadwick are members of the subcommittee appointed by the Mayor to develop the concept of an ISO for the city. Council Chambers were packed with both opponents and supporters of the ISO. Public comment from both sides lasted several hours. Opponents included Lauren Bird, Valero Vice President and General Manager of the Benicia plant, numerous plant employees, Valero retirees, contractors and trades representatives as well as several civic organizations who were concerned that Valero’s charitable support for school, civic and sports programs might cease if the ISO were adopted. Proponents pointed out that while Valero’s civic and charitable work is much appreciated, its spotty track record for health and safety was not. Others spoke passionately and told stories about how these emissions have affected them and their families personally. In his testimony, Mollica pointed out that Valero had been fined $82 million by the Air Resources Board for 16 years of violations between 2003 and 2019 for releasing hydrogen sulfide at a rate of 2.7 tons per day, over 360 times the legal limit. “As recently as yesterday, fence-line monitors showed emissions over three times above safe levels,” he said. The March 4 vote will not be the final step in the adoption process, but it now seems likely that the draft ordinance will be adopted at the second reading. Mayor Steve Young explained that the City has commissioned a study from a private consultant to estimate the fees necessary to administer the program, as had been requested by Valero and other regulated businesses. That report is expected to be released in draft form in late March or early April, 2025.  The second reading will take place after that report is available. Mollica said that although BISHO and its many supporters are pleased with the progress to date, there is still much to be done to implement the law once it is adopted, “We will continue to be active especially making recommendations for appointees to the Oversight Commission,” he said. “The Oversight Commission will be a critically important part of the ISHO and will help assure transparency in the process moving forward. BISHO will make recommendations and encourage likely candidates to apply.” The Oversight Commission will be composed of seven members to be appointed by the Mayor, four of whom are required to be Benicia residents. “We are thankful that the entire Council sees the benefit of an ISO for the sake of our community’s health and safety,” Mollica said. “And a big thanks to all the supporters who showed up for the Council meeting, in person and on zoom, who contacted local officials, and wrote letters of support. This is truly a citizens effort, and it wouldn’t have happened without everyone stepping up.”