The South Coast AQMD Hearing Board is a quasi-judicial panel authorized to provide relief from South Coast AQMD rules under certain circumstances.  Hearing Board members are appointed by, but act independently of, the South Coast AQMD Governing Board.  Quemetco has gone through the Hearing Board once in the last ten years. They were granted an Ex-Parte Variance in May 2016 for provisions in Rule 1420.1 when a drain from the employees’ showers and restroom to the sanitary sewer line serving the facility clogged. Quemetco was not able to notify South Coast AQMD before they did emergency repairs to clear the drain.