Valero Energy
Profile
Valero Energy’s main business is petroleum refineries. It was founded in 1980 in San Antonio, Texas, as a successor to the Coastal States Gas Corporation in Texas after Coastal States went out of business. Most of its refineries are in the U.S. but it also own a refineries in Québec, Canada and in Wales, UK. In 2005, Valero was ordered to pay $5.5 million in fines for air pollution from its refineries across the country and to spend another $700 million in upgrades. In 2007, Valero was ordered to pay another $4.25 million in fines and spend $232 million on controls at refineries in Ohio, Tennessee and Texas. Despite these upgrades, data gathered by the local air quality management district showed that Valero’s refinery in Benicia, California, secretly released pollutants like benzene hundreds of times the legal limit on average between 2003 and 2018 before it was discovered. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data also shows that the company refinery in St. Charles, Louisiana, had the highest levels of soot release of all the 50 largest refineries in the country, with levels 20 percent over federal limits, a rate that has increased over 46 percent over 2017.
Gasoline, Ethanol, Diesel fuel, Ultra-low-sulfur diesel, Jet fuel, Asphalt, Petrochemicals, Lubricants, Carbon Sequestration
Violations
| Top 5 Offense Groups (Groups Defined) | Penalty Total | Number of Records |
|---|---|---|
| environment-related offenses | $1,107,614,370 | 241 |
| safety-related offenses | $1,603,568 | 59 |
| employment-related offenses | $426,500 | 3 |
| financial offenses | $35,000 | 1 |
| consumer-protection-related offenses | $20,085 | 1 |
(September 30, 2022)
Stories
Activism
12 arrested at Valero in protest of pipeline
Jody Callahan | USA Today | January 16, 2017
Memphis police arrested 12 protesters Monday afternoon after a demonstration outside the Valero refinery in South Memphis in which at least seven people chained themselves to large, concrete-filled barrels.
Activists protest Valero's support of Keystone XL pipeline
Vickie Vaughan | My San Antonio | April 11, 2013
A coalition of activist groups protested Valero Energy Corp.'s support of the Keystone XL pipeline on Thursday, saying the pipeline's completion would contribute to environmental degradation along its route and at Valero refineries.
Keystone Pipeline opponents protest at Valero refinery
Reuters | November 29, 2012
A group of people protesting construction of TransCanada’s Keystone Pipeline gathered outside Valero Energy Corp’s Houston refinery on Thursday, but the company said plant operations were not affected.
- A Community Voice
- Alliance for Affordable Energy
- Climate Reality New Orleans
- Coalition Against Death Alley
- Healthy Gulf
- Justice and Beyond
- Louisiana Bucket Brigade
- Louisiana League of Conscious Voters
- New Orleans Office Sierra Club
- Poor Peoples Campaign
- SouthWings
- Sunrise Movement, New Orleans
- RISE St. James
- 350 New Orleans
& Lawsuits
Investigation Shows Valero Benicia Refinery Released Toxic Chemicals for Years
Andrea Nakano | KESQ | February 25, 2022
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District discovered the plant has been emitting those chemicals for more the 15 years. BAAQMD discovered the problems and started investigating in 2018.
Valero's winter storm gas bill tops $60M
Jessica Corso | Biz Journals | April 5, 2021
A recently settled lawsuit shows the price the San Antonio-based refiner paid to buy gas during Winter Storm Uri.
Valero Energy Corporation, et al. Clean Air Act Settlement
EPA | October 19, 2020
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a settlement today with Valero Energy Corporation and a number of its subsidiaries and affiliates (Valero).
Texas environmentalists plan lawsuit against Valero for pollution
Reuters | May 22, 2019
Three Texas environmental groups notified Valero Energy Corp on Wednesday of plans to file a lawsuit under the U.S. Clean Air Act for pollution at the company’s Port Arthur, Texas, refinery, the organizations said.
Environmental Impacts
Valero Louisiana refinery's soot pollution surges, exceeds U.S. limit
Tim Laughlin | Reuters | November 11, 2021
A Valero refinery outside of New Orleans recently produced lung-damaging soot at rates that exceeded federal limits while outpacing other major U.S. refineries, according to disclosures by state and federal environmental regulators.
Valero Energy: Blocking Climate Solutions, Taking Handouts
Tim Donaghy | Green Peace | September 21, 2020
While 2020 has laid bare the overlapping crises of public health threats, systemic racism, and urgent climate impacts, it’s important to note that many companies receiving a bailout have also been lobbying to keep these failing systems in place and block solutions.
Valero underestimated Houston refinery leak during Harvey
Emily Flitter | Reuters | September 15, 2017
Valero Energy Corp probably underestimated the leakage of dangerous chemicals when Hurricane Harvey hit its Houston refinery last month, a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency spokesman said.
PERI Pollution Indexes
Based on United States Environmental Protection Agency data ranking the top 100 worst polluters.
& Relations
Worker dies at Valero Benicia refinery
Fareeha Rehman | Kron 4 | November 14, 2021
A contractor died while working at Valero’s Benicia refinery on Friday night, according to the company.
Employees worried about Valero response to virus cases at Texas refinery
Erwin Seba | Reuters | April 6, 2020
Employees at Valero Energy Corp’s Port Arthur, Texas, refinery expressed worries about the company’s slow response to keep the coronavirus from spreading there after two workers tested positive, four people familiar with the matter said.
Financials
Note: Most recent list is not always the most complete list.
- Valero Energy Subsidiaries (via U.S. SEC 2021)
- Valero Energy Subsidiaries (via U.S. SEC 2019)
- Valero Energy Subsidiaries (via U.S. SEC 2018)
Croctail Subsidiary Tool using the CorpWatch API - This API extracts the subsidiary relationship information from Exhibit 21 of companies' 10-K filings with the US SEC.
- CIK numbers link to SEC database (EDGAR)
- Section 21 links to SEC list of companies.
- Valero Energy Croctail Profile
Click here for the latest data.
Political Influence
Open Secrets - Tracks corporate lobbying of US politicians.
OpenSecrets.org Profile of Valero Energy
Import & Export Data
ImportYeti - Shipping Tracking Tool - Bill of ladings are public information that are too cost prohibitive, challenging to obtain and difficult to use for the average joe. ImportYeti's goal is to solve that problem.
- ImportYeti Profile of Valero Energy
& Evasion
Valero sues U.S. for $400 million in tax refunds
Sebastien Malo | Reuters | September 28, 2021
Valero Energy Corp sued the federal government on Tuesday in San Antonio, Texas, federal court, demanding a refund of about $400 million in federal income taxes the refiner says it overpaid.
With Profits Like These, Does Valero Need a Tax Break?
Terrence Henry | StateWide | November 1, 2011
Looking at the arguments for and against, we examined Valero’s financial earnings and concluded that one of the arguments against is that they might not need the money in the first place.
Tax Time? Not for Giant Corporations
Bernie Sanders | U.S. Senator Press Release | March 27, 2011
While hard working Americans fill out their income tax returns this tax season, General Electric and other giant profitable corporations are avoiding U.S. taxes altogether.
Valero invests in Louisiana refining projects
Oil & Gas Journal | April 25, 2019
Valero Energy Corp. is investing $400 million to expand alkylation capacity at subsidiary Valero Refining New Orleans LLC’s 340,000-b/d St. Charles refinery in Norco, La.
Procurement
Valero Energy contracts with the U.S. Federal Government (via USA Spending)