On Wednesday, April 26, 2017, 9 a.m. at the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) Auditorium, 21865 Copley Drive, Diamond Bar, CA 91765, the SCAQMD Hearing Board will consider the Torrance Refining Company’s (TORC) petition for a short variance and alternative operating conditions related to a planned maintenance period (also known as Turnaround).

TORC is making every effort to minimize flaring that occurs during a Turnaround. As part of our goal during Turnaround, TORC is proactively seeking permission from the SCAQMD Hearing Board to install a temporary hydrogen vent, designed and built to industry standards, to safely vent clean excess hydrogen directly to the atmosphere rather than flare this hydrogen for approximately three weeks. Safely venting this clean hydrogen would not result in excess emissions to the atmosphere and would significantly minimize flaring emissions that could occur over the approximate three-week period if the TORC was required to flare the hydrogen.

Hydrogen venting is already permitted by the SCAQMD in at least one other refinery and at various hydrogen plants in Southern California.

At the April 26th hearing, TORC will have experts available to testify as to the safe design and safety features of the proposed hydrogen vent, and operational experience with safely operating hydrogen vents.

For more information about the April 26th hearing, please contact the SCAQMD Public Advisor at 909-396-2432 or by email at PublicAdvisor@aqmd.gov.