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3d ago

C&H Sugar to Pay $500,000, Add Fixes in Contra Costa Odor Case

Prosecutors say operational disruptions at a co-owned wastewater plant created excessive sewage odors during a 2022 heat wave.

The C&H pure cane sugar sign is illuminated at dusk as the Moku Pahu cargo ship, not pictured, unloads 30,000 tons of Hawaiian sugar cane at the C&H Sugar Refinery in Crockett, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. It was the last delivery of Hawaiian sugar cane to the refinery because the mill in Maui has shut down. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
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Overview

  • The Contra Costa County district attorney announced a civil settlement requiring C&H Sugar to pay $400,000 in penalties and $100,000 in costs over 2022 emissions violations in Crockett.
  • Under the judgment, C&H must install a backup generator, replace diffuser heads in all three reactors, upgrade blower motors, complete a comprehensive internal audit, and operate a 24-hour toll-free community hotline.
  • Prosecutors said the odors stemmed from operational disruptions between Sept. 8 and Oct. 14, 2022, and unusually high temperatures worsened the impact on nearby residents.
  • The Bay Area Air Quality Management District investigated the incidents and referred the matter to the district attorney for enforcement.
  • District Attorney Diana Becton said the company cooperated and that the compliance framework aims to prevent future public nuisances, following widespread complaints and protests in 2022.