BOARD MEETING DATE: November 4, 2005
AGENDA NO. 28
Stationary Source Committee
SYNPOSIS:
The Stationary Source Committee met Friday, October 28, 2005. Following is a summary of that meeting. The next meeting will be November 18, 2005 at 10:30 a.m., in Conference Room CC8.
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:
Receive and file.
Ronald O. Loveridge, Chair
Stationary Source Committee
Attendance
The meeting began at 9:05 a.m. Present were Ronald Loveridge, Chairman, Dennis Yates and Gary Ovitt. William Burke was appointed as an ad hoc member of the Com-mittee for this meeting by Ronald Loveridge and participated by video teleconference. Absent was Jane Carney.
INFORMATIONAL ITEMS
1. Update on Proposed Amended Rule 1118 – Refinery Flares
Larry Bowen, Planning and Rules Manager, presented this item and gave an over-view of proposed revisions. Proposed Amended Rule 1118 applies to 27 flares at 7 refineries and 2 other plants. It is designed to implement the second phase of an AQMP control measure and will achieve 1.8 tons per day SOX emission reductions when fully implemented. The rule requires that all flaring be minimized and limited to emergencies, start-up, shutdowns, turnarounds and essential operational needs. When flaring events do occur, an analysis of the cause is required. In addition the rule sets performance targets that, if not achieved, will require a refinery to pay miti-gation fees and submit a flare minimization plan to demonstrate compliance with the targets. Additional monitoring and testing is required and the recordkeeping and re-porting requirements have been enhanced.
Mr. Bowen reported that the rule development process has been lengthy and has re-sulted in resolution of many of the issues among the interested parties. However, there are some remaining issues that the Board will ultimately hear at the public hearing. He summarized these areas of concern and stated that staff has attempted to address all these issues and strike a balance that allows flexibility for refinery opera-tions but is health protective for the community. Staff is proposing a number of commitments in the adopting resolution to continue to work with all the parties, evaluate the issues and implementation of the rule, and report back to the Committee periodically and recommend adjustments if necessary.
Comments of CBE (Bahram Fazeli and Julia May) – CBE wants the District to take this opportunity to strengthen the rule in some areas. Specifically: flare minimiza-tion plans should be required for all refineries, the performance targets as well as the Essential Operational Needs definition should be tightened, no further weakening of the monitoring provisions and improved public notification requirements.
Comments of WSPA (Michael Wang) – There needs to be a re-assessment of the substitute data procedures, modification of Essential Operational Needs, particularly as it relates to safe operation of the refinery and clean-up and clarification of some of the rule language. WSPA suggests a two-year implementation phase-in to address all these issues.
Ken Hudson – BP Arco – There needs to be re-assessment of the overly conservative substitute data procedures that could indicate an exceedance of performance targets when actual emissions were not nearly that high.
Alex Marquez – Lives in the community and agrees with CBE comments and that community notification should be improved. Refineries have the money to improve and should do so since their facilities are old.
Roy Love – Lives in the community and states the community notification by the re-fineries is non-existent. Would object to the two-year phase-in proposed by WSPA. The people in the neighborhood have to continue to live with the impact of the refin-eries. Supports the CBE comments.
Jose Torres (CBE) – Meets with the community. Requiring flare minimization plans for all refineries will ensure unnecessary flaring would not be tolerated. The feed-back from the community is there also needs to be a dramatic improvement in com-munity notification.
2. Quemetco Battery Recycling Facility Status Report
This item is a follow-up to public comments made at the October 7, 2005 Governing Board meeting regarding concerns about the Quemetco facility operation. As a re-sult of the Public comments, Dr. Barry Wallerstein offered to provide a status update regarding Quemetco to the Stationary Source Committee. Mohsen Nazemi, Assis-tant Deputy Executive Officer of Engineering and Compliance, provided a brief status update on the facility. Mr. Nazemi indicated that this facility has been in op-eration in the City of Industry since the 1960s and was originally permitted by the L.A. County APCD. Quemetco is one of only two battery recycling facilities in AQMD. Mr. Nazemi briefly explained the equipment operated at the facility, the permitting status, applicable requirements and ambient lead monitoring results which show a trend of declining lead emissions. Mr. Nazemi also discussed the compliance status of the facility and the AB2588 Toxics Hot Spots program. Mr. Nazemi indi-cated that the Title V permit renewal has been revised since it was released earlier this year by incorporating a new measuring device for weighing the feed material charged into the furnace and by adding additional monitoring and operational re-quirements to address some of the concerns and comments provided by the public. This revised permit should be released for public review in the next month. Also, AQMD will conduct additional testing and update the health risk assessment by the end of the year.
Dr. Burke, Mayor Loveridge, and Mayor Yates asked several clarifying questions. Public comments were made by Thomas Loeff, Duncan McKee, and Angela Johnson Meszaros. Also, Howard Berman and John Mueller spoke on behalf of Quemetco during the public comment period. Public concerns included burnt plastic odors and visible emissions, delays in the AB2588 process, the excess cancer burden, and the Title V permit renewal. Questions and comments were responded to and clarifica-tions provided by Carol Coy, Deputy Executive Officer of Engineering and Compli-ance, and Jill Whynot, Rules and Planning Manager in addition to Mohsen Nazemi.
Dr. Burke asked if enhanced surveillance would help the concerns regarding visible emissions raised by the public. Mr. Nazemi indicated that Quemetco is already un-der 24-hour camera surveillance. Mayor Loveridge asked what the next steps are and Ms. Coy offered for staff to come back to the Stationary Source Committee in six months to provide an updated status. Mayor Yates asked not to wait for six months but to update the Stationary Source Committee as soon as the health risk as-sessment is finalized.
3. Update on Rule 1157 – PM10 Emission Reductions from Aggregate and Related Operations
This item was carried over to the November meeting.
4. Rule 1151 – Motor Vehicle and Mobile Equipment Non-Assembly Line Coating Operations
This item was carried over to the November meeting.
5. Rule 1316 - Requirements for Federal Major Modifications
This item was carried over to the November meeting.
6. Rule 1122 – Solvent Degreasers, Technology Assessment
This item was carried over to the November meeting.
7. Update on Reg. IX – New Source Performance Standards and Reg. X – National Emission Standards for Hazardous Pollutants
This item was carried over to the November meeting.
8. Holiday Month Meeting Schedule
Carol Coy, Deputy Executive Officer of Engineering and Compliance, suggested a combined November and December meeting. The Committee agreed that it be held on November 18th at the usual 10:30 a.m. time.
WRITTEN REPORTS
All written reports were acknowledged by the Committee.
The meeting was adjourned at 11:40 a.m.
Attachments (DOC* 63KB)
October 28, 2005 Committee Agenda (without its attachments)
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