Several questions surround Phillips 66 first quarter 2024 start-up of the RD refinery at Rodeo. The most pressing matter to many is the lawsuit against Contra Costa County. Would corrections to the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) be made in time to allow production to begin as scheduled?

According to company spokesperson Richard Harbison, there are three issues identified as insufficient on the county certified EIR. “The judge explicitly allowed construction to continue with the project while Contra Costa County works through and addresses the three deficiencies.” The CEQA violations were found to relate to the operation of the project, but not to the construction of the project, according to the judge.

On October 24, the county posted a revised EIR update, which allows a 45-day public comment period. The county is expected to respond to the comments and issue a final EIR in early 2024.

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