PUBLICATIONS
Contributions to the scientific literature on sustainable energy transition, environmental justice, hazard investigation, and air, water, food web and climate pollution prevention in the petroleum, electricity, technology industry and other sectors.
Samples
Climate Pathways in an Oil State – 2022.
The California Environmental Justice Alliance sponsored this research to update CBE's 2020 report, Decommissioning California Refineries (see FEATURED, left), and used the results to help win a commitment from the State's Air Resources Board to begin planning for a statewide phase down of petroleum refining along with oil & gas extraction. Access the report.
Front and Centered sponsored this research into a new policy that would give industries in the State of Washington that use carbon intensive technologies and compete in global products markets no-cost allowances to emit carbon. Access the report.
Crude refineries can be repurposed for a particular type of biofuel technology. The Natural Resources Defense Council sponsored this research to assess characteristics of this technology across its shared fuel chain with petroleum for path-dependent feed stock acquisition, processing, fuel mix, and energy system effects. Access the report.
The Natural Resources Defense Council sponsored this research into relationships between process carbon intensity impacts, biomass feed stock acquisition impacts, and strategies to boost the yield of renewable jet fuel in repurposed crude refineries. Access the report.
Toxic and Fine Particulate Emissions from U.S. Refinery Coking and Cracking of 'Tar Sands' Oils.
The Natural Resources Defense Council sponsored this research to develop a quantitative estimate of potential greenhouse gas co-pollutant emissions from a possible future shift to Canadian heavy oil feedstock across the U.S. refining sector. Access the report.
Testimony regarding the Interim Investigation Report, Chevron Richmond Refinery Fire.
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board invited this expert testimony, which helped to support new local and state requirements for inherently safer oil refining technology, in its April 2013 hearing on this catastrophic pipe rupture and fire. Access the written testimony document.
Combustion Emissions from Refining Lower Quality Oil: What Is the Global Warming Potential?
The first peer reviewed estimate of carbon dioxide emissions associated with processing lower quality crude oils to be based on direct observational data from refining fleets in real-world operating conditions. Access the published paper.
Publicly accessible analysis documenting preventable causes of significant flare emission incidents at oil refineries, based on detailed data collected to enforce the first comprehensive refinery flaring prevention rule in the U.S. Access the report.
Linked flaring to increased hourly concentrations of sulfur compounds in nearby communities' air based on quantitative analysis of site-specific data, to support labor union and community efforts that later won the first comprehensive refinery flaring prevention rule in the U.S. Access the Report.
Dioxin Pollution Prevention Inventory for the San Francisco Bay.
Shows that actions to block dioxin formation at its industrial sources can be identified, prioritized, measured, and verified using existing scientific tools. Access the book chapter.
Continuing Research into Gulf War Illness.
Commentary reviewing the hard-won knowledge about 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo–p–dioxin ("dioxin") toxicity after the Vietnam War to call for persistent investigation of another, then-mysterious, illness affecting veterans after the first U.S. war on Iraq. Read the Letter.