San Joaquin Refining Company
On December 19, 2019, the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (SJVAPCD) adopted Rule 4460, entitled “Petroleum Refinery Fence Line Air Monitoring.” SJR’s Air Monitoring Plan, required by Rule 4460, was approved by the SJVAPCD on April 7, 2021, and included mandatory monitoring for six compounds: BTEX, H2S, and SO2. Rule 4460 was later amended on October 20, 2022, adding additional compounds to the fence line monitoring list. The amended rule requires real-time monitoring for these additional compounds with the following provision:
“Should the owner or operator of a petroleum refinery propose to not monitor one or more of the specified pollutants, sufficient justification shall be included in the proposed fence line air monitoring plan in accordance with the Rule 4460 Petroleum Refinery Fence Line Air Monitoring Plan Guidelines.”
In a July 17, 2023, letter to SJR from the SJVAPCD, SJR was informed that “to demonstrate that emission levels are either below detection limits or pose insignificant risks, the maximum potential emissions based on equipment capacity should be utilized in the dispersion and risk modeling, instead of estimated actual emissions from the emissions inventory.”
The updated Air Monitoring Plan added naphthalene and also NO2. The updated plan also includes an estimate of pollutant risk associated with maximum emissions based on equipment capacity. The remaining pollutants are either not emitted by SJR, are emitted at mass rates that pose an insignificant risk at the closest sensitive receptor, or real-time monitoring is not possible.
On June 7, 2024, the SJVAPCD approved the amended plan. SJR now proposes to add three 17,000-barrel tanks to store San Joaquin heavy crude oil. The tanks are contiguous to SJR’s southern property line. SJR also proposes to add a point monitor for SO2 and H2S, of the type approved by the SJVAPCD. Otherwise, this plan remains the same as the one approved by the SJVAPCD.
The purpose of this monitoring plan is to evaluate potential hazards to at-risk populations located near the refinery, present a list of air monitoring systems to measure pollutant concentrations at the boundary of the refinery, and provide real-time monitoring information to the public.
