A new report recommends that refineries write decommissioning plans like those required of other energy infrastructure, and set aside funds to carry out cleanups, before they shut down.By Blanca BegertWhen Morgan Gonzalez first learned, in October 2024, that the Phillips 66 refinery in Wilmington, California, would close at the end of this year, he felt a mix of emotions. For almost 100 years, Gonzalez’s family has lived in the Wilmington community near the Port of Long Beach, suffering from asthma and other respiratory issues that they attribute to truck traffic and the five refineries that surround the small neighborhood.
Observations from the Little Bunker
Last updated: December 10, 2025 03:14 AM
Atmospheric CO₂
427.2 ppm
+17.6
ppm/year
Atmospheric CH₄
1930.95 ppb
+-3.5
ppb/year
Global Temperature
+1.48 °C
Peak: +1.73°C
World Population
8.1 billion
+67
million/year