Pollution Fines Paid by Chevron and Others Will Return to Richmond as $65 Million in Grants

Money that refineries and other polluters paid in air-quality fines is headed back to the neighborhoods around them. The Bay Area Air District announced Friday that it is awarding $65 million to Richmond, Contra Costa County, Benicia and nearby communities, including North Richmond, San Pablo, Pinole, El Sobrante and Point Richmond.

Where the money goes

The grants come from Bay REPAIR, short for Reinvesting Penalties for Air Improvement and Resilience, a program created under a policy the district adopted in May 2024. The district says these are the first awards of their kind in California. Richmondside reports that $38.7 million is for projects in Richmond and San Pablo.

Eleven Richmond organizations will share about $10.6 million in short-term catalyst grants routed through the city, including GRID Alternatives, Groundwork Richmond, Rich City Rides, Richmond Trees, RYSE and The Watershed Project. Their projects include planting 600 trees, transit passes for 1,500 residents, energy upgrades for 100 income-qualified homes, asthma prevention and youth job programs.

Nearly $13 million is set for other Contra Costa projects, such as a resilience center in North Richmond and home air-quality upgrades. Another $14 million covers projects like San Pablo park improvements, help for workers leaving refinery jobs, and clean energy upgrades for 189 homes in Pinole.

What happens next

District staff told Richmondside they hope to finish contracts by spring, and the grants will run two to five years. This money is separate from the $550 million Chevron agreed last year to pay Richmond over a decade.

Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martinez welcomed the funding but said reinvesting penalties "does not replace strong regulation and oversight." The district has identified the Chevron refinery as Richmond's largest single source of pollution.

Contra Costa Supervisor John Gioia, who sits on the air district board, said it is the first time this large a sum of fines and penalties has been returned to the community. The district said it reviewed 54 eligible applications from Richmond and surrounding communities, and that all funded projects will be subject to oversight.