Torrance to Study Controls on Use, Storage of Toxics

The Torrance City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to study proposed controls on the use and storage of acutely hazardous chemicals at more than 100 companies throughout the city.

City officials said a series of accidents at the Mobil Oil Corp. refinery have prompted the city to seek stricter regulations for all companies that use the deadly chemicals.

Among several proposals discussed during Tuesday’s City Council meeting was a recommendation by Councilman Tim Mock that would require a city permit for companies that use acutely hazardous chemicals.

There are about 360 chemicals labeled by the state as acutely hazardous, according to John Kulluk, the city’s hazardous materials analyst. The acutely hazardous chemicals most commonly used in Torrance are sulfuric acid, hydrofluoric acid and nitric acid, he said.

Under state law, companies must report to city and state officials the use and storage of such chemicals in quantities of more than 55 gallons of a liquid, 500 pounds of a solid or 200 cubic feet of a compressed gas, he said.

Fire Chief R. Scott Adams said Torrance has 112 companies that report using acutely hazardous chemicals.

Federal laws also require companies to report the use and storage of acutely hazardous chemicals, but the quantity that must be reported varies according to the chemical, Kulluk said.

The largest user of acutely hazardous chemicals in Torrance is Mobil, which typically has about 29,000 gallons of hydrofluoric acid on hand, Kulluk said.

Concern over safety at the refinery has been raised by several explosions, fires and leaks of hazardous vapors, which have killed three and seriously injured more than a dozen since 1987.

On Tuesday, a brief fire erupted in the coker unit of the refinery, but no one was injured.

The fire, which was reported shortly before 3 p.m., was caused by a crack in a fuel line to the coker furnace, according to Fire Battalion Chief William Peterson. It was extinguished by 3:30 p.m., he said.

Councilman Dan Walker, a vociferous critic of the refinery, noted during the council meeting that Mobil had placed an ad in a local newspaper Tuesday criticizing the city for failing to support the refinery’s plans to hold an open house for about 12,000 residents.

The ad, which was addressed “Dear Torrance Neighbors,” said: “On August 18th, Mobil received a letter from the City of Torrance informing us that we would not be allowed to hold an Open House at our refinery. This arbitrary action is unfair to Mobil and it is unfair to the citizens of Torrance.”

The oil company--which is being sued by Torrance in an effort to regulate the refinery--was planning to spend up to $200,000 for jugglers, clowns, hot dogs, hamburgers, a Ferris wheel, a carousel, information booths and bus tours of the refinery.

But in a letter released earlier this month, the city expressed concern about safety at the refinery and suggested that Mobil hold its “public relations” events at a large city park.

Walker said the recent fire demonstrates that the city was right not to support the open house. “Just as the newspaper (that contained the ad) was hitting the front porch, we had another incident at Mobil,” he said.

Safety Concerns

In an interview last week, Mock said that his proposal to require permits for companies using acutely hazardous chemical was prompted by concern over safety at the Mobil refinery.

Under his proposal, permits would be issued on a case-by-case basis by the city’s Chemical Review Board, he said. The board, which includes a chemical engineer and members of the Fire and the Building and Safety departments, would be able to prohibit or set restrictions on the storage and use of acutely hazardous chemicals, he said.

City officials said the Chemical Review Board has met three times since it was formed in the late 1960s to consider a request by Hi-Shear Corp. to use explosives in its manufacturing process. The board’s decisions can be appealed to the City Council.

Mock said his proposal would also allow the board to require some companies to prepare a report that assesses the risk of using and storing acutely hazardous chemicals.

During the council meeting, Mayor Katy Geissert expressed concern that the permit applications that would need review would overburden the board and the City Council.

“Wouldn’t there be hundreds of permits?” she asked.

Councilwoman Dee Hardison said the proposal should also regulate the transportation of acutely hazardous chemicals. Councilman Bill Applegate asked that the staff find out if the state Legislature is considering or has considered similar laws.

More Information Requested

After about 30 minutes of discussion, the City Council voted to have city staff study the proposal and return with more information within 60 days.

The council rejected a recommendation to hire a law firm to help the staff prepare a permit process and the necessary ordinances.