2026 Valero Report on Guiding Principles - Report - Page 26
On-Site – Re昀椀nery leadership reviews and self-scores
against EERA expectations.
Digital Documentation – Third-party and in-house subject
matter experts conduct an extensive deep-dive review of
re昀椀nery environmental data and reports in a due diligencestyle process.
Technology – Technical 昀椀eld assessment is conducted using
industry standards and advanced technology to evaluate
effectiveness in controlling emissions.
Inspection – Results from the technology review and
due diligence process are used by a team of experts in a
substantive on-site inspection and cultural assessment.
Implementation – Final gap assessment report is
produced by experts and leadership team with mitigation
pathway and scoring improvement actions.
3. Fuels Management System (FMS):
FMS provides operational safeguards, software,
training, and protocols for uniformity across our
re昀椀neries and plants to reinforce our compliance with
applicable fuels regulations. Built on the success of
FMS, our Low Carbon Assurance Program (LCAP) was
implemented to further delineate and strengthen
our internal processes to assure compliance with
applicable low-carbon fuels regulations, policies and
standards. LCAP de昀椀nes key regulatory requirements,
management expectations, and internal regulatory
assurances relating to transportation fuels regulated
by low-carbon fuels regulations, policies, and
standards.
Managing Air Emissions
In addition to the comprehensive air monitoring programs already deployed at our re昀椀neries to comply with
regulatory and permit obligations, we have incorporated supplementary advanced monitoring systems to identify
opportunities to reduce air emissions. Ambient air measurements allow re昀椀neries to monitor the surrounding
communities and posture our team for quick response and mitigative actions even on small emissions sources. We
have the following air monitoring programs:
GMAP Vans Equipped with Ultraviolet Differential
Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (UV-DOAS)
Instruments provide real-time mobile air monitoring
and quality screenings. The vehicle-mounted UV-DOAS
uses ultraviolet spectroscopy and meteorological
measurements to identify and quantify gases, such
as benzene, SO2 , and NO x , at low part-per-billion
levels. With an analyzer response time as short as one
second, the UV-DOAS combines measurements with
geographic mapping of gas concentrations, which
enables rapid detection and source identi昀椀cation.
ATLAS Emissions Management platform was
implemented in 2024 to streamline emissions
calculations and reporting, support permit compliance
tracking, drive consistency across Valero’s facilities,
and facilitate company-wide benchmarking and
air emissions performance initiatives. Additionally,
accounting-style data quality controls have been built
into the platform to ensure information integrity for the
reporting of GHG emissions.
Continuous Emissions Monitoring Systems (CEMS) are
placed in the outlet stacks of certain 昀椀red equipment
(boilers and heaters) as well as in process vents of
units such as the Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit (FCCU).
CEMS continuously measure the concentration of
compounds, such as NO x and SO2 , exiting the stack to
con昀椀rm operations are within permitted limits.
Continuous Flare Monitoring Systems are installed
on 昀氀ares to measure the amount of process gases
routed to the 昀氀are for destruction and track operational
parameters to con昀椀rm the 昀氀are is operating properly.
Stack Testing is conducted periodically on equipment
to con昀椀rm it is operating properly and within permitted
limits.
Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR) programs ensure
our operating sites comply with the EPA's air quality
regulations for reducing fugitive emissions. Inspections
are conducted on a routine basis. Leaks identi昀椀ed are
昀椀xed and re-monitored to con昀椀rm repairs are effective.
In 2023, we implemented an enhanced LDAR program
using optical gas imaging (OGI), resulting in improved
leak identi昀椀cation, greater worker safety and cost
savings. Following the success of the program, we are
considering adopting optical gas imaging-enhanced
LDAR at additional re昀椀neries.
Routine Optical Gas Imaging (OGI) Inspections of
storage tanks, wastewater treatment operations and
other equipment are performed using OGI cameras
equipped with infrared technology capable of detecting
VOC leaks that are not visible to the naked eye.
While methane emissions are mainly associated with the extraction and transportation of oil and gas, smaller amounts
may also be emitted from 昀氀ares or fuel gas combustion as part of the re昀椀ning process. Although our re昀椀neries use
natural gas, methane emissions account for less than 1% of our GHG emissions inventory.
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