April 7, 2006
From 2005 BP Air Pollution Settlement
Drawing from a major air pollution penalty settlement, the Southland’s
air pollution control agency today awarded $5.7 million to 18 public health
and air quality-related projects, from asthma clinics to mobile air
monitors.
Today’s programs are one benefit of a penalty settlement reached last
year between the South Coast Air Quality Management District and BP West
Coast Products LLC for alleged air pollution violations at the firm’s Carson
refinery.
“These projects will provide significant air quality and health benefits
in communities surrounding BP’s refinery as well as across the region,” said
William Burke, Ed.D., AQMD’s Governing Board Chairman.
AQMD’s Governing Board approved the projects today at the conclusion of a
public study session. Since last fall, AQMD has conducted five community
meetings and one previous Board study session to receive public input on the
community projects. The agency received a total of 255 written proposals
with requested funding of nearly $81 million. AQMD staff recommended
selection of today’s projects based on individual merit, compatibility with
AQMD Board objectives, feasibility of the proposals and other factors.
Some of the programs approved today include $1.93 million for four asthma
diagnosis, treatment and education programs (one each in Los Angeles,
Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside counties); $1 million to extend a
program offering financial assistance for dry cleaners to switch to
non-toxic cleaning equipment; $400,000 for mobile air monitoring stations
and $130,000 for a “reverse 911 system” in Carson to alert residents of
hazardous materials releases.
A complete list of the proposals awarded follows below.
In a related action, AQMD’s Board today approved $1.05 million for an
innovative pilot project to install sophisticated air filters in rooms at
three elementary schools near the BP refinery, other industrial facilities
and freeways in the Carson-Long Beach area. The filters will provide clean
air in specially outfitted rooms at Hudson Elementary School in Long Beach
and Dominguez and Del Amo elementary schools in Carson in the event of an
acute release of refinery gases. The Board also approved an additional
$350,000 to install fence-line air quality monitors at one refinery to
determine whether they are an effective tool for alerting the public of air
pollution releases. The program is funded by AQMD’s Rule 1173 mitigation
fees, which allow oil refineries to pay a mitigation fee for major
hydrocarbon releases in lieu of installing specific vapor recovery
equipment.
A separate fund from the BP settlement will allocate $3 million per year,
starting this year for 10 years, for community benefit projects in the
Wilmington-Long Beach area and across the region. Projects already approved
for funding in the first year include:
- $2 million to the Asthma & Allergy Foundation of Southern California
for four Breathmobile mobile asthma clinics (one each for Los Angeles,
Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, plus an additional
Breathmobile in Los Angeles County in the second year); and
- $325,000 per year for the American Lung Association and Breathe
California for asthma education and outreach programs.
In addition, AQMD has recommended $675,000 to help fund a collaborative
effort by St. John’s Well Child & Family Center, the Children’s Clinic and
the Long Beach Alliance for Children with Asthma for in-home and
clinic-based asthma treatment and education for patients in and around the
Carson area.
AQMD is the air pollution control agency for Orange County and major
portions of Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
Projects Funded
by AQMD from BP Settlement Funds
|
Project |
Lead
Agency/Organization |
Funding |
|
Provide financial
incentives to replace dry cleaning machines with non-toxic equipment |
Korean Dry
Cleaners & Laundry Association |
$1,000,000 |
|
Two-year
childhood asthma program |
Riverside County
Dept. of Public Health |
$500,000 |
|
Breathmobile asthma
care and education |
Children's Hospital of Orange County |
$500,000 |
|
Coordinated Asthma Referral and Education (CARE)
program |
San Bernardino County
Dept Public Health |
$500,000 |
|
Electronic
hand-held equipment for field Inspection of facilities |
AQMD |
$500,000 |
|
Support for urban
forest management and tree planting |
California Urban
Forests Council |
$450,000 |
|
Clinic services
for children with asthma |
Long Beach
Alliance for Children with Asthma |
$430,000 |
|
Portable air
monitoring stations |
AQMD |
$400,000 |
|
Mobile pediatric
clinic for under- and uninsured children in South Bay area |
Little Company of
Mary Community Health Foundation |
$250,000 |
|
Air pollution & asthma research |
AQMD Asthma
Consortium |
$250,000 |
|
Remote emissions
sampling & cameras at refineries |
AQMD |
$200,000 |
|
Remote sensing devices near refineries |
AQMD |
$150,000 |
|
Train 1,000 teachers in Clean Air Challenge
curriculum |
Clean Air Now |
$140,000 |
|
Reverse 9-1-1 system to notify residents of
hazardous materials releases |
City of Carson |
$130,000 |
|
Middle school air quality curriculum |
Think Earth
Environmental Education Foundation |
$100,000 |
|
Enhance smog day notifications for schools |
AQMD |
$100,000 |
|
Provide air quality technical assistance to
community groups |
Communities for a Better Environment/California
Environmental Rights Alliance |
$60,000 |
|
Healthy Start Community Center (two-year funding) |
Lennox Unified School
District |
$50,000 |
|
Total |
|
$5,710,000.00 |
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