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City of Carson dismayed at AQMD lack of attention after refinery fire

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City of Carson officials are reportedly shocked at the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s (AQMD) lack of care for the health vis-a-vis air quality, of 180,000 residents who live within three miles of the Marathon Refinery fire that took place Feb. 25.

Carson staff and elected officials repeatedly contacted the AQMD during and after the fire for a health risk assessment of the air quality and to provide mitigation measures as warranted.

“Regardless of our ethnicity, where we live, or our wealth, everyone deserves, and the law requires, a transparent and accurate description of what may be affecting our health,” said Carson Mayor Albert Robles. “The residents of Carson and neighboring communities deserve the same appropriate environmental analysis and as warranted mitigation measures to offset the harm that the refinery fire may have potentially imposed and exposed to the community. The AQMD as a lead agency charged with the sole responsibility to ensure our air quality has failed us and failed everyone who cares about clean air.”

“As the refinery fire grew out of control, as a precautionary measure, a long section of the 405 Freeway going-to-and-from Orange County was closed for about 30 minutes; Yet, the same consideration was not given to residents who live closer to the refinery,” added Robles. “Do Carson lives not matter?  We deserve the same consideration for good air quality for our children and residents too. The AQMD is publicly misrepresenting their commitment to the thoroughness of their analysis as to the potential health impacts on Carson residents.”

“AQMD promised to release the data gathered in the hours after the initial explosion, in about 24-hours; but, here we are a week later and they are still not completely forthcoming as the results for two compounds have still not been released,” Robles said. “And if, as the AQMD claims, there were no air quality impacts – release the information regarding the 13 air quality complaints they received from residents. And if they received 13 complaints from residents regarding air quality, why didn’t they take air samples from the residential areas where the complaints came from instead of the two location they did at the perimeter of the refinery as AQMD’s press release indicates.”

The city of Carson lies within an area of Los Angeles that has substantial exposure to multiple refinery operations, which are a major source of stationary emissions within Carson. The AQMD’s sole mission is to mitigate emissions from stationary sources like these. More than 180,000 people live within three miles of the Carson refinery, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

For more information, please contact the city of Carson Public Information Office at (310) 952-1740.

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