Chevron Refinery Flaring Event Monday Noticed In Manhattan Beach

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA — The Chevron Refinery just north of Manhattan Beach in El Segundo had an unplanned flaring event yesterday [Monday, Nov. 16] starting at 12:06 p.m. as reported to the South Coast Air Quality Management District. The flaring event was registered as an "Emergency Flaring."

According to SCAQMD, an "Unplanned Event" is "used for emergencies caused by equipment failure, power outage, or other unanticipated event which requires the refinery to dispose of the gases in order to prevent harm to workers, the community, or to the environment."

SCAQMD also says on it s website, "A gas flare, also known as a flare stack, is a gas combustion device used in a variety of industrial plants. In petroleum refineries, flares are used as safety devices to prevent over pressure of equipment via planned and unplanned flaring."

Listed as an "Unplanned Flare Event Notification #632933," the notice "was submitted by Chevron Products Co. at 324 West El Segundo Boulevard. Monday's event concluded at 4:34 p.m., according to SCAQMD.

Anyone concerned about air quality during such an event can contact SCAQMD by calling (800) CUT-SMOG.

Jeff Wilson, Chevron spokesperson, told Manhattan Beach Patch, "... yesterday afternoon the Refinery experienced an equipment malfunction at one of its process units that resulted in the temporary use of one of the facility’s safety flares. We immediately made the appropriate agency notifications of this unplanned flare activity, including the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) who is the regional government agency overseeing our emissions monitoring, reporting and compliance. We also closely monitored our new network of state-of-the-art fence line air emissions monitoring systems, and the temporary flaring event did not trigger and exceedances under the SCAQMD’s Rule 1180 fence line air emissions regulation, which went into effect January 1 of this year. The equipment malfunction has been remedied and we are now back to routine operations."