Contra Costa DA Diana Becton is joined by Deputy District Attorney Brian Tierney and Bay Area Air District General Counsel Alexander Crockett during a press conference on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. Photo courtesy of Supervisor John Gioia, Contra Costa County’s representative on the Air District Board.
For violations between 2020 and 2024, doesn’t include Feb. 2025 fire; will benefit multiple agencies
“We are committed to safe, reliable, and environmentally responsible operations and to being actively engaged locally.” – from MRC statement
By Ted Asregadoo, PIO, Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office
Martinez, California – A joint prosecution by the Contra Costa District Attorney and Bay Area Air District has resulted in a $10 million penalty against Martinez Refining Company (MRC), along with compliance improvements at its Martinez refinery, and $600,000 in mitigation payments for supplemental environmental projects.
Judge Benjamin T. Reyes, II signed the final judgment on February 18th, 2026. The case involved a number of violations that occurred at MRC’s refinery located at 3495 Pacheco Boulevard in the City of Martinez and unincorporated Contra Costa County between early 2020 and late 2024, including offenses under the health and safety code, business and professions code, and fish and game code.
The complaint stemmed from violations over four years, including MRC’s 2022 Thanksgiving Day release of spent catalyst that covered parts of Martinez in a white ash-like substance. Other major violations included illegal flaring, fires, leaking tanks, public nuisance-level odors in downtown Martinez, and releases of “coke dust” — a powdery oil refining byproduct — spreading beyond the refinery’s fence line onto neighboring properties. The violations are described in 163 notices of violation issued by the Air District.
This enforcement action does not include the February 1, 2025, fire at the MRC refinery. The Air District is addressing that incident through a separate enforcement action. (See related articles here and here)
District Attorney Diana Becton said, “The residents of Martinez deserve to feel safe in their communities. This civil action holds the Martinez Refining Company accountable for numerous violations, enforces compliance with the law, and reinforces our office’s dedication to protecting public health and safety through all available legal means, including civil action.”
Distribution of $10 Million Penalty
The $10 million penalty will be distributed as follows:
- $6.35 million to the Air District, most of which will be reinvested in beneficial projects in Martinez and the surrounding areas that were impacted by these violations under the Air District’s Community Benefits Penalty Funds Policy
- $3.5 million to the District Attorney’s Office Environmental Unit for enforcement efforts
- $100,000 to Contra Costa Health Services
- $50,000 to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife
In addition to the $10 million penalty, MRC will also pay $600,000 in mitigation payments to fund supplemental environmental projects. These payments include:
- $450,000 for air filtration systems in public schools near the Martinez Refinery Company
- $100,000 to the Certified Unified Program Agency for environmental regulator scholarships
- $50,000 to Contra Costa County Fish and Game’s Community Propagation Fund to enhance the county’s fish and wildlife resources
Moreover, the judgment requires MRC to change how it operates its catalytic cracking unit to keep key emissions control equipment operational during startup and shutdown operations. The company is also required to install enhanced emissions monitoring systems on various other pieces of equipment.
“This enforcement action reflects significant air quality violations and makes clear that compliance with air quality laws is mandatory,” said Alexander Crockett, the Air District’s general counsel. “The penalty the Air District is collecting through this action will support local and regional projects that improve air quality and public health under our Community Benefits Policy. Strong enforcement ensures accountability while directing resources back to the communities most affected by pollution.”
The attorneys prosecuting the case include Deputy District Attorney Bryan Tierney; Assistant District Attorney Stacey Grassini; and Air District Assistant Counsel Brian Case.
MRC Responds
Asked if MRC had a response, Dominic Aliano in media relations for MRC, shared the following: “Martinez Refining Company (MRC) is pleased to announce the settlement of the joint civil enforcement action initiated by the Contra Costa County District Attorney (District Attorney) and the Bay Area Air District (Air District) in November 2023 involving multiple agencies, including the Air District, Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Contra Costa County Health. The parties agreed to the settlement without trial or adjudication of facts or law, and MRC has made no admission of liability to any of the underlying allegations and/or claims. The settlement resolves all notices of violations issued by the Air District against MRC from February 1, 2020, to February 1, 2025, including those related to the November 2022 catalyst release, and the July 11 and October 6, 2023, coke dust releases, for total civil penalties of $6.35 million. (See related articles here, here, here, here and here)
“MRC will separately pay civil penalties of $100,000 to Contra Costa Health Services and $50,000 to the California Department of Fish & Wildlife for other notices of violations. The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office will receive $3.5 million for its involvement in the action.
“MRC recognizes that we must earn the right to operate in Martinez and that we have a responsibility to be involved in and to give back to the Martinez community. We are committed to safe, reliable, and environmentally responsible operations and to being actively engaged locally. In resolving these matters, MRC included provisions directly for the benefit of the Martinez community. As a result:
- MRC is providing $450,000 to fund high-performance air filtration systems projects at public schools in the vicinity of the refinery. Allocation of the funds will be prioritized based on proximity of the applicant schools to the refinery. The District Attorney and MRC will be providing further information on how public schools located in the City of Martinez can apply to receive the funds.
- MRC is providing $50,000 to fund the Contra Costa County Fish and Wildlife Committee Propagation Fund to enhance the county’s fish and wildlife resources in the local community.
- MRC is providing $100,000 to the Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA) Forum Environmental Protection Trust Fund for scholarships to attend and participate in the annual California Unified Program Annual Training Conference and other trainings to benefit Contra Costa County local CUPAs.
“We thank our employees for their hard work and dedication to safe and reliable operations. We also thank the District Attorney and Air District for working constructively with us to resolve these matters.
“We look forward to continuing to safely manufacture products that fuel the economy and help make modern life possible.”
About the Air District
The Bay Area Air District (formerly the Bay Area Air Quality Management District) is the regional agency responsible for protecting air quality and the global climate in the nine-county Bay Area. Connect with the Air District via Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and on their website at www.baaqmd.gov.
About Martinez Refinery Company
According to the company’s LinkedIn profile, the Martinez plant was built in 1915 and refines gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. As the first continuously running refinery in the United States, Martinez is considered the ‘birthplace of the modern refining process’. In 2020, Martinez became part of the PBF Energy Family of Refineries has 560 employees, 250 contract partners and is owned by New Jersey-based PBF Energy. According to the parent company’s website, it “is one of the largest independent petroleum refiners and suppliers of unbranded transportation fuels, heating oil, petrochemical feedstocks, lubricants and other petroleum products in the United States.” For more information visit https://martinezrefiningcompany.com.
Case No. C-26-00490 | The People of the State of California v. Martinez Refining Company, LLC
Leave a Reply