BOARD MEETING DATE: December 1, 2006
AGENDA NO. 14

Status Report on Community Notification Procedures For Flare Events with Recommendation to Issue RFP to Design Survey of South Bay Residents as Basis for Developing Sub-Regional Flare Event Notification System

SYNOPSIS:

On November 4, 2005, Rule 1118 was amended to continue allowing flares to operate as safety devices while minimizing emissions releases from flaring events.  Board Resolution No. 2005-32 formalized the ongoing commitment of staff, working with local industry, communities, and government agencies, to recommend strategies for implementing community notification requirements set forth in the amended rule.  Staff formed a Stakeholders Working Group and explored options for implementing enhanced public notification procedures for flare events. Further staff actions include: (1) Issue RFP not to exceed $10,000 to design a survey of representative South Bay residents as the basis for developing a sub-regional flare event notification system;  (2) Develop specific work plan to improve existing sub-regional notification systems through local Community Awareness and Emergency Response (CAER) first-responder groups; (3) Maintain monitoring and sampling equipment at AQMD Long Beach field office for timely dispatch on demand; (4) Complete comprehensive staff report of Working Group findings, survey results, and recommended sub-regional public notification system; (5) Convene the Working Group quarterly to review progress; and (6) Report milestones semi-annually to the Board.

COMMITTEE:

Stationary Source, November 17, 2006, Reviewed

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Receive and file.

Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer

Background

Flares are used by refineries and related facilities to safely dispose of excess combustible gases during emergencies, plant over-pressurization, process upsets, startups and shutdowns, and to meet other operational and safety needs.  On February 13, 1998, the Governing Board of the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) adopted Rule 1118 – Emissions from Refinery Flares.   Facilities subject to this rule were required to monitor, record, and report emissions data to AQMD from their flaring operations to determine the need for emission reductions.

On November 4, 2005, Rule 1118 was amended to continue to allow flares to operate as safety devices while minimizing emissions releases from flaring events.  AQMD also adopted Resolution No. 2005-32, formalizing its continued commitment to work with representatives from industry, local communities, and local government agencies to investigate and recommend strategies for implementing the community notification procedures set forth in Rule 1118.

To meet this commitment, AQMD staff convened Flare Event Notification Working Group meetings in which stakeholders explored options and made recommendations about developing and implementing appropriate public notification procedures for flare events.  These recommendations were informed by staff presentations about existing community notification systems in Texas, New Jersey, and California, and by communications experts, including Mr. Art Botterell, a nationally-recognized consultant specializing in emergency communication systems.   These recommendations were also endorsed by Community Awareness and Emergency Response (CAER), a consortium of first responders with chapters in the Long Beach, Beach Cities, and South Bay areas.

Staff also developed a public notification website[1] designed to send e-mail messages about planned and unplanned flare events to list serve subscribers upon the agency’s receipt of flare event notifications from refineries and related facilities.  The website also provides access to flare emissions data reported quarterly by refineries to AQMD, as well as other information about flaring and flare events.  With input from stakeholders, the website design has been enhanced to ensure a user-friendly interface.

The attached White Paper on Community Notification Procedures for Flare Events summarizes the collaborative efforts of the Flare Event Notification Working Group and staff to develop recommendations for consideration by the Board.  Key findings and conclusions include:

• Homeland security issues have increased public awareness of the need for robust, reliable communications systems capable of delivering appropriate information about public risk at the community level.
• Existing community notification systems are generally deployed by first responders during emergency events.
• Such existing systems are rarely compatible across jurisdictions, nor are they designed to notify the public of lower-risk events of special concern, such as refinery flare events.
• Enlisting first responder organizations throughout the sub-region to develop a broader-based, robust, interoperable community notification system is essential to meeting community needs for information about emergency events.
• Input gleaned from community surveys is necessary to ensure that flare notification procedures are tailored to meet local and sub-regional needs.

  Further Staff Actions

Based on inputs from the Working Group, staff intends to take the following actions:

1. Issue an RFP not to exceed $10,000 to design a survey of representative South Bay residents as the basis for developing a sub-regional flare event notification system;
2. Develop a specific work plan to improve existing sub-regional notification systems through local Community Awareness and Emergency Response (CAER) first-responder groups;
3. Maintain monitoring and sampling equipment at the AQMD Long Beach field office for timely dispatch on demand;
4. Complete a comprehensive staff report of Working Group findings, survey results, and recommended sub-regional public notification system;
5. Convene the Working Group quarterly to review progress; and
6. Report milestones semi-annually to the Board.

Attachments (EXE 3267kb)
1.          White Paper on Community Notification Procedures for Flare Events
2.          RFP # P2007-19 - South Bay Flare Event Notification Survey

[1] www.aqmd.gov/comply/1118/r1118_main.htm 

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