Contra Costa County Superior Court orders Phillips 66 to halt biorefinery operations plans

In California, Contra Costa County Superior Court last week ordered Phillips 66 to halt its plan to operate a biofuel refinery in Rodeo, California. The court put the Bay Area megaproject on hold until the county fully complies with environmental review requirements that it violated when first approving the project.

Communities for a Better Environment and the Center for Biological Diversity asked the court to prohibit operations at what would be one of the world’s largest biofuel refinery while the county works to address major legal flaws in its environmental analysis.

In July, the court found the county violated the California Environmental Quality Act — the state’s bedrock environmental protection and community right-to-know law — by approving the Phillips 66 biofuel refinery without properly assessing major components of the project or adopting mitigation for significant odor impacts on local communities. The court ordered the county to redo its review.

In the latest decision, the court ruled that refinery operations are banned until the county completes its new review and the public has a chance to provide comments.