Use
of flares to decrease in LB ports
By Cindy Chiang
Online Forty-Niner
Contributing Writer
The South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) passed an amendment to
reduce oil refineries’ use of non-emergency flares after testimonies from
community members and refinery workers Friday at Long Beach City Hall.
After two hours and 30 minutes of testimony the Board concluded that because
the rule does not ask workers to change any safety protocols, Rule 1118: Control
of Emissions from Refinery Flares is to be amended to ensure public safety.
The impact of flares, or the combustion of excess gases at refineries, has become
a growing concern among citizens living around the Port of Long Beach, Wilmington
and Carson. Air pollution caused by the flares potentially induce serious health
risks such as cancer and varying degrees of skin irritation.
However, those working in or for an oil refinery company argue flaring is a safety
necessity for both neighbors of the refineries and its workers.
The amendment to Rule 1118 calls for operational regulation with diagnostic tools,
improved data gathering and reporting, prohibition of all preventable flaring,
and periodic annual surveys, audit, and cause analysis of all significant flare
events.
Refinery worker and Wilmington resident Joe Sparano said flaring must be allowed
or the community may be in a dangerous situation. The amendment, he said, exceeds
what is reasonable and necessary and he is committed to working with the district.
He does not want to oppose the rule, but he said the rule is too strict.
Those who testified at the public hearing included workers and representatives
for oil refineries, members of the Coalition for Clean Air and Communities for
a Better Environment, and residents from Long Beach, Torrance, Wilmington and
Carson.
When a large portion of Los Angeles experienced a power outage Sept. 12, oil
refineries in Wilmington and Long Beach were unable to operate backup generators,
causing repetitive flaring for hours before the power was back on. This incident
outraged the surrounding communities. The unexpected power outage flooded all
toll-free phone lines for smog assistance.
“
Inadequate planning for emergencies reminds me of Katrina. [There is] no help
when needed,” said William A. Burke, AQMD governing board chairman. “There
needs to be presence of pre-planning not just after-planning.”
“
Long Beach [and] Wilmington residents shouldn’t have to testify reasons
why their air should be improved,” said Jesus Torres, a member of Communities
for a Better Environment.
We understand in certain situations the flare must be used for safety precautions,” Torres
said. “However, with the appropriate equipment and technology, flaring
can be drastically cut down, if not eliminated.
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