On December 11, 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice announced a proposed nonjudicial settlement for $650,000 to compensate for natural resource injuries resulting from oil discharges from or near the Port of Richmond Terminal 4. This facility is located on Point San Pablo, bordering the San Francisco Bay Estuary in the City of Richmond, California. The settlement will resolve the liability of United Molasses, Inc. for adverse impacts to natural resources as well as the cost of assessing those injuries. Of the $650,000, $450,000 will be used to plan, implement, and monitor future restoration projects; $200,000 is to compensate for assessment costs. 

The trustees for this case include NOAA, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the U.S. Department of the Interior. 

Public Comment 

The settlement is subject to a 30-day public comment period open until January 10, 2025. It's available for viewing at the Department of Justice website. Please refer to the Federal Register notice for instructions on submitting public comments on the settlement. 

Background on the Site

From 1917 until 2000, several companies leased property for bulk storage facilities at Richmond Terminal 4, located on Point San Pablo along the shore of the San Francisco Bay Estuary. Petroleum products, fertilizers, animal and vegetable oils, acids, and other industrial liquids leaked from storage tanks and polluted the surrounding environment. The last of these companies ceased operations at Richmond Terminal 4 in 2000. In 2001, reports of petroleum hydrocarbons associated with improper storage on the site contaminated soils and groundwater, and caused a persisting oily discharge from several seeps along the adjacent shore. These substances have potentially injured invertebrates, birds, fish, seagrasses, and algae.