TITLE
Recommendation to request City Manager to work with South Coast Air Quality Management District to determine potential health, safety, and/or environmental impacts to Long Beach residents caused by the high levels of hexavalent chromium found recently in the City of Paramount, and report back to the City Council.
DISCUSSION
In October 2016, the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) began investigating two metal processing facilities in the city of Paramount after detecting hexavalent chromium, a potent cancer-causing metal, which reached up to 350 times the normal levels. In late November, LA County public health officials directed both companies, Aerocraft Heat Treating Company and Anaplex Corporation, to take immediate action to reduce emissions, including suspending operations if necessary to eliminate danger to the public.
AQMD has noted that breathing high levels of hexavalent chromium for many years can increase a person's risk of developing lung cancer. Hexavalent chromium compounds are used as pigments in dyes, paints, inks, and plastics. They are also added to paints, primers, and other surface coatings.
In January 2017, the AQMD Hearing Board approved an abatement order requiring Aerocraft Heat Treating Company to suspend operations emitting the toxic compound until monitoring data shows hexavalent chromium levels drop to a safer level below one nanogram per cubic meter of air. Similarly, Anaplex Corporation was ordered to cut its hexavalent chromium emission to below one nanogram per cubic meter or they will face a shutdown similar to Aerocraft.
Given that the location of the toxic compound was detected only a few thousand feet from the Long Beach city line, we have a responsibility to determine if Long Beach residents have been negatively impacted by the air quality in Paramount.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no significant fiscal impact for this report.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
R...
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