Muratsuchi’s five bills focus on phasing out use of Modified Hydrofluoric Acid (MHF), improving community alert systems, and requiring air quality monitors around refineries.
Torrance, CA – Today, Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance) testified at the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) hearing about his California Refinery Jobs and Safety Action Plan, which includes five Assembly bills that will improve public safety at all California refineries. The bills focus on phasing out the use of Modified Hydroflouric Acid (MHF), improving community alert systems and requiring air quality monitors around refineries, among other things.
“The Torrance Refinery must make public safety their number one priority,” stated Muratsuchi. “When the refinery exploded two years ago, my wife, daughter and I lived just a few miles away. Since then, I have worked with local residents to develop a six-point Torrance Refinery Safety Plan. Now, I am introducing a legislative bill package to carry out my plan.”
Assemblymember Muratsuchi’s “California Refinery Jobs and Safety Action Plan” includes the following important Assembly Bills:
- AB 1645 will phase out the use of hydrofluoric acid by California refineries.
- AB 1646 will require the maintenance of a publicly accessible community alert plan which includes notification to residents for emergencies (reverse 911, text, email, PSAs, etc.) and public alerts (alarms, sirens, etc.). How far that notification has to be heard, ways by which the community must be notified, and a number of other community alarms will be included.
- AB 1647 will require refineries to install and maintain air quality monitors at the refinery fence line and in the community, and require that the governing air quality agency publicly report the readings from the monitors in real-time.
- AB 1648 will increase the number of state refinery inspectors at the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal OSHA). A budget request has been made in conjunction with this bill.
- AB 1649 will codify and make permanent the existing Interagency Refinery Task Force created by Governor Jerry Brown.