Lauren von Aspen
Located 16 miles northeast of San Francisco and just across the bridge from Marin county, lies the industrial city of Richmond. More so than its Bay Area neighbors, Richmond is composed primarily of working class people of color, including Hispanic (35.5%), Black (17.8%) and Asian and Pacific Islander (14%) populations. Richmond is also home to the second largest greenhouse gas emitter in California and a major chemical pollutant, the Chevron oil refinery. The conflict between Chevron and Richmond residents is an early example of a grassroots, community-based fight for environmental justice in the United States, and its history should serve as both a lesson and a source of inspiration for grassroots organizers and all those who fight for equal access to a safe environment.
Richmond’s Industrial History
The city of Richmond has a long history of industry. While Standard Oil, now known as Chevron, built its refinery there in 1901, the strongest industry boom came with World War 2, when the Kaiser Richmond Shipyards were built, one of the largest wartime shipbuilding operations on the West Coast. This time period drew in tens of thousands of migrant workers from the economically depressed South and Southeast, beginning a history of racial tension and discriminatory housing that has persisted to this day.
In the postwar period, Chevron and their subsidiaries, Chevron Chemical and Chevron Research, strengthened their political and economic hold on the city. At one point, they even employed half of the city and became the city’s biggest taxpayer by a significant margin. But this has not been without drawbacks.
Pollution in Richmond
The rates of pollution in Richmond are some of the highest in the state. According to the AB617 Richmond-San Pablo Community Air Monitoring Plan of 2020, the Richmond-San Pablo target area experiences “more asthma emergency room visits, higher rates of cardiovascular disease” and “lower life expectancy than in other areas of Contra Costa County”. Levels of particulate matter often exceed the health standard set by the World Health Organization and the EPA due primarily to vehicle exhaust (the city is located between two major freeways). This pollution affects the everyday lives of Richmonders. Marisol Cantu, a third generation Richmond resident and community health activist, stated, “[Air pollution is] a completely lived and true and shared experience… Whether it's overtly communicated [or not], it is unconsciously part of our everyday dialogue, whether we're not able to walk or we're borrowing inhalers”. In addition to being the biggest source of industrial pollution, Chevron has also been responsible for a large number of industrial accidents that, for a while, were commonplace for Richmond. Between the years of 1989 and 1995 alone, the Chevron plant was responsible for 304 industrial accidents. As recently as 2012, a fire at the Chevron refinery caused 15,000 residents and 19 workers to be hospitalized. The chemicals released by these accidents and pollutants have left those near the refinery with lifelong health issues. Sandy Saeturn, a Contra Costa Political Manager and lifelong Richmond resident, recalls, in a Medium article about her personal experience with the refinery “I didn’t know that many years later, living so close to the refinery would give my 14 month old baby cancer twice, or give my other children allergies and skin irritations”. She also writes about how ubiquitous Chevron’s control was over the city, stating that “Sure, the refinery fires were scary, and the emergency room wait was annoying, but it was just part of life. The mayor, our schools, and Chevron themselves took every chance to tell us how good Chevron was — and I believed it”.
But after decades of experiencing environmental injustice, grassroots, multiracial organizations have been able to make important progress in protecting the environmental health of Richmond’s residents. According to Professor Jason Corburn of UC Berkeley, Richmond is an example of a city that is “listening to and forced to respond to environmental justice activists.” This success has occurred only after decades of continuous pressure and the tireless dedication of local leaders.
What is Environmental Justice?
Environmental justice, in general terms, describes a movement that pushes for equality of environmental health, regardless of race, ethnicity, location, or socio-economic status. According to the EPA’s 2021 website, environmental justice is “The fair treatment of people of all races, cultures, incomes, and educational levels with respect to the development and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.” It also posits that historically, those who are most vulnerable due to their identity within society, bear the brunt of environmental damages. The environmental issues in Richmond are a clear issue of environmental injustice, as the majority of people (79%) living near the Chevron refinery are low-income people of color. Though Chevron maintained a strong political and economic hold on the city, a number of organizations began to fight back, including the West County Toxics Coalition under the leadership of Dr. Henry Clark. They were successfully able to turn the issue of the environment into something political, which in the 1980’s, was a newly developing frontier. Their organization laid the foundation for future influential grassroots movements, such as the Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN) and the Richmond Progressive Alliance political party. In 2009, Earthjustice, representing APEN, the West County Toxics Coalition, and Communities for a Better Environment, filed a lawsuit that successfully blocked the refinery from expanding to dirty crude oil as the city’s environmental impact report was found to be inadequate. And the hard-fought victories did not end there. In 2006, Richmond elected Gayle McLaughlin as mayor, making it the first city of its size to elect a Green Party candidate to the position.. And in 2014, local political candidates from the Richmond Progressive Alliance defeated Chevron-backed candidates, despite a 20:1 campaign cost ratio. The current mayor of Richmond, Eduardo Martinez, is also a member of the Richmond Progressive Alliance. While there is still a long way to go, the successes seen by Richmond’s grassroots organizations provide hope for the city. Through successful pressure, these organizations have been able to weaken Chevron’s hold over the city and increase awareness of the numerous health and environmental justice issues that they have caused.
Citations
Alexander, Kurtis. “Three of California’s Biggest Climate Polluters Are in the Bay Area.” San Francisco Chronicle, 31 Dec. 2023, www.sfchronicle.com/climate/article/greenhouse-gas-emissions-18531155.php.
“CBE Advocates for a Just Transition from Fossil Fuels to Building a New Healthier and Thriving Economy.” Communities for a Better Environment, 2016, www.cbecal.org/organizing/northern-california/richmond/.
“Fighting for Environmental Justice in Richmond, CA.” Earthjustice, earthjustice.org/case/protecting-global-climate-and-community-health-from-oil-refinery-impacts.
“History of Richmond.” Www.ci.richmond.ca.us, City of Richmond, www.ci.richmond.ca.us/112/History-of-Richmond.
Krans, Brian. “What’s in Richmond’s Air? New Studies Provide Clarity on Pollution and Its Sources.” Richmondside, Richmondside , 5 Aug. 2024, richmondside.org/2024/08/05/richmond-ca-air-pollution-sources-chevron-chemtrade-freeways/.
“Richmond, CA.” DataUSA, datausa.io/profile/geo/richmond-ca/.
Sandy Saeteurn. “11 Years Ago, the Chevron Refinery Exploded. It Wasn’t a Surprise.” Medium, Medium, 7 Aug. 2023, apen4ej.medium.com/11-years-ago-the-chevron-refinery-exploded-it-wasnt-a-surprise-389c58f33927.
Soiffer, Jacob. “Emergence of Environmental Justice in Richmond .” Found SF, 2015, www.foundsf.org/index.php?title=Emergence_of_Environmental_Justice_in_Richmond.
“System of Registries | US EPA.” Ofmpub.epa.gov, 2021, ofmpub.epa.gov/sor_internet/registry/termreg/searchandretrieve/glossariesandkeywordlists/search.do.