Air resources: refinery-related community air monitoring system.

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on how air districts will determine 'substantial evidence'.

Refinery Air Monitoring System

The bill requires regional air districts to create guidance allowing refineries to exclude certain pollutants from monitoring if they cannot be produced by the facility.

What This Bill Does

• Requires regional air districts to develop guidance for fence-line monitoring systems at petroleum refineries.
• Allows refineries to provide substantial evidence to exclude specific pollutants from monitoring if those pollutants are not generated by their facilities.
• Authorizes air districts to exclude certain pollutants from monitoring based on substantial evidence provided by the refinery.

Who It Names or Affects

• Petroleum refineries
• Regional air pollution control and quality management districts

Terms To Know

Fence-line monitoring system

A system that monitors air pollutants near the boundary of a refinery to detect emissions from its processes.

Substantial evidence

Evidence that is relevant, material, and adequate to support a conclusion.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify how air districts will determine what constitutes 'substantial evidence'.
• It is unclear if the bill will lead to changes in existing monitoring practices or costs for refineries.
• No state reimbursement is required, but local agencies may still incur costs from implementing new guidance.

Official Summary Text

SB 1039, as amended, Grove.
Air resources: refinery-related community air monitoring system.
Existing law requires a refinery-related community air monitoring system to be installed near each refinery, as provided, and requires the monitoring system to include equipment capable of measuring compounds emitted to the atmosphere from refinery processes. Existing law requires owners or operators of petroleum refineries to develop, install, operate, and maintain a fence-line monitoring system in accordance with guidance developed by the appropriate regional air pollution control district or regional air quality management district.
This bill would
prohibit
require
guidance adopted to implement the fence-line monitoring system
from requiring the system to monitor emissions of substances that cannot be generated by the facility that is being monitored.
to include a process for a petroleum refinery to provide substantial evidence to the appropriate air district to exclude a pollutant for monitoring in a fence-line monitoring system and would authorize the air district to exclude a pollutant for monitoring at a petroleum refinery fence-line monitoring system if the air district determines that substantial evidence supports certain considerations.
Because the bill would require air districts to revise their guidance related to the fence-line monitoring system, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF