Manhattan Beach: Chevron El Segundo Issued Notice Of Violation

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA — The Chevron El Segundo Refinery has been issued a Notice of Violation for Creating a Public Nuisance last Sunday, Jan. 31, when Manhattan Beach residents near the refinery filed complaints about unseemly odors in the neighborhood.

According to the South Coast Air Quality District, which issued the violation notice, "the odors are believed to have been caused by the transfer of petroleum naptha – a product of the refining process of crude oil – into a storage tank." Initially, SCAQMD thought the odor was emanating from a leak in a storage tank.

SCAQMD spokeswoman Nathal Mogharabi told Manhattan Beach Patch, "This kind of odor event does not occur frequently at oil refineries. It happens occasionally at petroleum-based facilities when a refined product contains high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide."

The event appears to have begun the evening of Saturday, Jan. 30 "to early afternoon on January 31st," she noted. "One of the fenceline monitors on the south side of the Chevron refinery detected several instances where the hydrogen sulfide level exceeded the 1-hour state standard of 30 parts per billion (ppb). The highest 1-hour rolling average level was detected at 168.7 ppb at 10:20 a.m. on January 31. However, during this same time period, the hydrogen sulfide levels at the nearby community monitors located in El Segundo and Manhattan Beach remained below 2ppb which is well below the state standard. Short-term exposures to this type of foul odor can cause people to experience health symptoms, such as headaches and nausea. However, these symptoms typically go away soon after the odors have gone away."

Mogharabi said SCAQMD "is unaware of any ongoing concerns relating to this matter. As noted above, because the odors appear to have been the result of a transfer of product, and not a leak, no repairs were required."

The fine associated with the violation has not been determined, she said.

"This violation has not yet been evaluated by our legal department, which is responsible for negotiating penalty settlements. NOVs can result in civil penalties. In some cases, the company can choose to implement voluntary measures to reduce emissions or otherwise prevent further violations. If no settlement is reached, a civil lawsuit may ultimately be filed in superior court."

The Chevron Refinery in El Segundo was previously issued a Notice of Violation (NOV) for public nuisance on or about November 1, 2019, and since January 2020, the Chevron Refinery has been issued NOVs for violations of permit conditions and Title V reporting requirements, she said.