ESG Report - Report - Page 26
Biodiversity
At Valero, we take numerous measures to protect
biodiversity and reduce impacts to natural
environments. We engage in diverse ecological projects
with local, state and federal regulatory agencies, as
well as with neighbors and indigenous communities.
Our commitment to biodiversity serves our goal of
contributing to a more sustainable future.
We work together with local and regional organizations
that provide a variety of environmental services ranging
from the protection of endangered species, restoration
of wetlands and reforestation, to rehabilitation of
former industrial sites and promoting environmental
awareness through educational training programs.
As part of our biodiversity best practices, we require a
robust evaluation of potential biodiversity impacts in
the planning, approval and implementation phases of
certain capital projects.
Biodiversity Impact Assessments
We have implemented a formal three-phase riskbased approach to identify, assess and manage
potential biodiversity impacts for certain capital
projects.
Pre-Construction/Planning Phase – A dedicated
team of environmental experts works closely
with our engineering and commercial departments
to perform environmental due diligence. As part of
our consideration of threats to biodiversity, we often
perform environmental field studies to verify and
delineate natural resources within proposed project
areas. For significant greenfield projects where
alternative locations are considered, the most viable
locations are surveyed. This data further drives project
decisions on avoidance of sensitive features and
habitats and informs site selection.
1
The following natural and cultural resource
considerations are part of the evaluation process:
• Locations of surface waters and wetlands.
• Threatened and endangered species habitats.
• Previously recorded archaeological sites, historic
structures and areas of tribal interest or significance.
26
• Existing developed areas versus undeveloped
greenfield sites.
• Public lands, including parks, nature preserves and
wildlife conservation areas.
• Federal Emergency Management Agency floodplains.
• Surface water intakes.
2
Permit/Approval Phase – Valero undergoes
a robust permitting process and collaborates
with local, state and federal regulatory agencies.
Additionally, our corporate subject matter experts
review all impact assessments from the preconstruction and planning phase.
For major capital projects, a presentation including
permitting information, impact avoidance plans,
identification of endangered species and other
biodiversity impacts, if applicable, is presented at the
executive management level. Major capital projects
must be approved by the Board before advancing to
the implementation phase.
Construction/Implementation Phase – For site
preparation and other related soil-disturbing
activities, we initiate stormwater management controls
to reduce impacts to lakes, rivers, streams and other
surface waters. These controls consist of a variety
of best management practices integrated into our
Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans, which comply
with federal, state and local stormwater pollution
control requirements, including planning, temporary
and permanent sedimentation and erosion control
measures, stream- and wetland-crossing procedures,
inspections and general good housekeeping practices.
3
During major construction and where warranted, we
also provide training programs on topics such as
threatened and endangered species awareness and
identification, stop-work protocols and reporting.
To protect ecosystems from unintended releases of
materials, we implement comprehensive pollution
prevention and incident response programs.
