California seeks better air quality monitoring, incident response

California officials are calling for improvements to air quality monitoring in the state’s oil refineries, as well as strategies to better inform communities when incidents take place.

“Many communities in the vicinity of major refineries live in fear of exposure to airborne pollutants during a major refinery incident, as well as during normal operations,” California Air Resources Board Executive Officer Richard Corey said.

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The move is part of stepped up efforts to address refinery safety, following a major fire at the Chevron Refinery in Richmond in 2012. The company agreed to pay $2 million in fines and restitution after pleading no contest to six misdemeanor charges over the incident, Reuters reported.

Officials have released a draft report jointly authored by CARB that includes a myriad of recommended actions to address refinery safety and emissions. According to the board, the draft report lays out a four-part approach:

• Expand air monitoring within refineries, at the fence line and in nearby communities
• Improve modeling techniques to better predict impacts of pollution and incidents at refineries
• Provide real-time information about air quality near refineries to emergency response agencies and the public
• Improve state and local coordination through a newly established interagency Refinery Monitoring Working Group

“Air monitoring and modeling advancements can provide the public, emergency responders and environmental health agencies enhanced information for decision making to better protect communities,” Corey said.