Nov. 7, 2003
The Southland’s air
quality agency today adopted a regulation to significantly reduce
particulate pollution from oil refineries, which are among the largest
industrial sources of such pollution.
“These new requirements,
which are cost-effective and have already been achieved by one oil refinery,
will reduce particulate pollution in the communities around the refineries
as well as the entire region,” said Barry Wallerstein,
executive officer of the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
“Unhealthful levels of
particulate pollution are linked to a wide variety of adverse health
effects, from increased hospital and emergency room visits to premature
deaths.”
AQMD’s Governing Board
today adopted Rule 1105.1, which will reduce emissions of particulate matter
(PM10 and PM2.5) and ammonia from refining
operations.
The rule will affect all
six refineries in the Los Angeles
basin, including BP Arco in Carson, Chevron-Texaco in El Segundo, ExxonMobil
in Torrance, and Shell, ConocoPhillips and Valero in Wilmington.
Through the use of
state-of-the-art control technology, refineries will be required to reduce
emissions from their Fluid Catalytic Cracking Units (FCCUs). FCCU units are
used during the refining process to convert crude oil into gasoline and
lighter products including butane and propane. The units are significant
sources of PM10, PM2.5 and ammonia emissions.
The rule offers
compliance flexibility by allowing refineries to select the control
equipment that best fits their operation.
The rule will reduce
total PM10 emissions by 2 tons per day by 2006. Of that
reduction, 1.5 tons per day is attributable to reduced ammonia emissions.
If left in the atmosphere, the 1.5 tons per day of ammonia emissions could
produce up to 6 tons per day of PM10 emissions.
Ammonia in the atmosphere
can combine with sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides to form ammonium sulfates
and ammonium nitrates, two key components of PM10 and PM2.5.
Refineries may request a
two-year extension to synchronize installation of the control device and
FCCU equipment turnaround.
The AQMD estimates the
cost to industry between $88 million and $100 million, including a cost
savings to refineries through reduced ammonia use.
Rule 1105.1 originally
was developed to implement the AQMD’s 1989 Air Quality Management Plan
control measure for reducing PM10 emissions from refinery
processing units. This is one of the final stationary source control
measures in AQMD’s clean air plan for PM10 reductions.
Particulate matter
consists of airborne particles including smoke, soot and dust. Some
particles are emitted directly into the air from cars, trucks, buses, and
factories and others are formed by air pollutants that undergo chemical
reactions in the atmosphere.
Exposure to unhealthful
levels of PM10 can increase the risk for respiratory infections,
result in an increase in mortality rates and can decrease lung function in
children. Ammonia does not cause cancer but it is a hazardous substance
which at high concentrations can cause conjunctivitis, laryngitis, and
pulmonary edema.
In other action today, the
Board:
-
Approved
issuing a $150,000 request for proposals to investigate possible health effects of the recent wildfires;
-
Amended
Rule 1171 – Solvent Cleaning Operations, to further reduce smog-forming
volatile organic compound emissions by removing an exemption for clean-up of architectural coating application
equipment; and
-
Set a public hearing for Dec. 5 to amend Rule
1113 – Architectural Coatings, to further reduce VOC emissions from this
source.
AQMD is the air pollution
control agency for Orange County and major portions of Los Angeles, San
Bernardino and Riverside counties.
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