Study: California refineries operated during periods blamed for gas price spikes
Source: McClatchy Newspapers
West Coast gasoline price spikes in May and October were widely blamed on refinery outages, but new research to be released at a California hearing Thursday shows that refiners continued to produce gasoline in periods when the public was told the contrary.
The information, shared exclusively with McClatchy, comes from Oregon-based McCullough Research, which combed through thousands of pages of environmental documents to conclude that refineries were in fact operating during supposed outages and maintenance shutdowns.
Specifically, the report alleges that in May, at a time when Royal Dutch Shells Martinez, Calif., plant was reported to be down for maintenance for two weeks, it appears to have been making gasoline for at least half that time. That conclusion is reached from state environmental documents showing nitrogen oxide emissions had returned to normal at the refinery a full week before it was reported to have come back on line.
Similarly, Chevrons Richmond, Calif., refinery was reported down for maintenance for two weeks in May, but emissions data suggests the refinery never ceased operation.
Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2012/11/14/174662/california-refineries-operated.html
dlwickham
(3,316 posts)someone is going to have to provide some answers
McCamy Taylor
(19,240 posts)No doubt intended to hurt Obama's reelection chances. I hope the DOJ brings the hammer down on them. They deserve to be nationalized, but since that will never happen at least send some of them to jail.
DCKit
(18,541 posts)robinlynne
(15,481 posts)tinrobot
(10,903 posts)California is kind of a lock for Democrats.
If they wanted to manipulate prices to influence the vote, then a swing state would have been a much better target.
adieu
(1,009 posts)That's what happens when entities have an effective monopoly.
truthisfreedom
(23,148 posts)This will get more interesting, methinks.
Smilo
(1,944 posts)supposed maintenance - which they know is coming make gas more expensive? If it was another business I would say lousy management skills - but I know it is just price-gouging.
Late October gas was $4.50 in NV while in TX it was $3.11.
justice1
(795 posts)defacto7
(13,485 posts)I just heard rumors... and hoped... and still hope.
gtar100
(4,192 posts)They are leaches on life itself. Maybe once it served a purpose, but now it stifles innovation and holds us hostage just so a small segment of humanity can be rich. The sooner this cash cow is eliminated the better. It's humanity's biggest test - can it set aside it's desire for immediate gratification in order to gain long-term health, happiness, and freedom. It's not America that's addicted to oil (as Bush said), it's the investors that are the addicts. And until they start demanding social responsibility out of these companies, they are leading us to a quick, meaningless, and painful death.
Dustlawyer
(10,495 posts)with the BP Gulf Oil Spill, I can safely say that you ae 100% correct in your assessment. They do not care about human life except to the extent that it costs them money. If they can make more money, but have to kill to do it, they will! They bought Obama before the 2010 midterm elections when folks were calling the oil spil, "Obama's Katrina." There was never a 20 billion dollar fund! The media moved on and BP set about screwing the victims. They bought off the Republican governors who have not complained about BP not paying the victims in their states. They bought off the Plaintiffs Steering Committee so they could shove this "Class Action" down the throats of the victims, all in plain sight! BP runs so many commercials and ads that the media will not say boo about BP unless asked to run BP's propaganda! This is going on now, but you hear very little of it. The sea life in the Gulf is dying off, there is no longer any white Gulf shrimp, few crabs and the oysters are about gone. In Apalachicola, the Bay is dead and even Gov. Rick Scott declared it a "Fisheries Disaster!" Wake up America!
GreenTea
(5,154 posts)for high prices at the pumps - and to keep economy in check from preforming well and of course the sleazy greedy oil companies making huge profits along with receiving billions in subsidies from our tax dollars while gouging us all at the pumps...Despicable corporate pigs.
Coyotl
(15,262 posts)and they did it before too
Cleita
(75,480 posts)But as an ordinary citizen, all I can do is conjecture. I'm glad that those who can report on this are digging up the truth.
yends21012
(228 posts)Historic NY
(37,449 posts)I been saying it for years.