The South Coast Air Quality Management District announced Friday that it has extended by three weeks the public comment period for fence-line monitoring plans at South Bay refineries.
The public comment period is now scheduled to run through 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 11.
“We want to ensure that community members have adequate time to review and comment on these draft monitoring plans,” said Wayne Nastri, SCAQMD’s executive officer. “We will carefully review all public comments before approving plans.”
Once approved, refineries must initiate fence-line monitoring within one year under SCAQMD’s Rule 1180.
For the first time, refineries will provide to the public real-time measurements of key pollutants from air monitors to be installed along their fence-lines. Monitoring data will be provided via a website or other electronic means, according to the air pollution control agency for Orange County and major portions of Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
Pollutants to be monitored include smog-forming nitrogen and sulfur oxides as well as toxic compounds such as benzene, toluene and hydrogen cyanide. Refineries also will have to monitor for the highly toxic compound hydrogen fluoride, if used at the facility.
The seven refineries reporting will be:
— Chevron U.S.A. Inc.’s El Segundo Refinery;
— PBF Energy’s Torrance Refining Co.;
— Phillips 66 Co.’s two refineries in Carson and Wilmington;
— Tesoro Los Angeles Refining & Marketing Co. LLC’s two refineries in Carson and Wilmington; and
— Valero Energy’s Wilmington Refinery.