(BAN AERA AIRA AIR District (Baad) has reached an agreement with Chevron on a new system to monitor air pollution at the Richmond refinery that will bring to reinforced the hydrogen sulfide, which is a wonderful and perhaps dangerous gas that has not been previously monitored according to the airfoot standards.
Chevron is the first of the five oil refineries in Baad from nine provinces to reach an agreement with the air area after it was considered all the programs of monitoring the duel in refineries insufficient and “rejection” in October 2023.
The agreement announced by the air area on Tuesday will implement a new and more powerful monitoring system for hydrogen sulfide, increasing data sharing, and further societal awareness from the company.
Chevron also agreed to pay a penalty of $ 100,000 to the air area and agreed to pay more sanctions if the settlement agreement was violated, according to the air area.
Hydrogen sulfide, or H2S, is a dangerous, in colorless gas that is heavier than air and is a dual product of the refining process. It can smell a smell like corrupt eggs with low concentrations and also referred to as sewage gas, swamp gas, wet stinky, and wet sour, according to the US Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA).
Health effects can occur even at low levels and include tearing eyes, headache, nausea and vomiting. Exposure to sulfur dioxide can cause consciousness or death, according to OSHA.
The previously required air area was in the Gulf to monitor gas using the “open line” monitoring system, which used a beam of light to measure the presence of hydrogen sulfide over a large area.
But in 2022, Chevron and others told the plans of monitoring their eagles, which discover pollutants on the edge of characteristics, or fencing, was incomplete and needed to reshape them. When companies presented their new plans the following year, each of them considered organizational compliance.
The shortcomings of the Chevron, and the necessary corrections revolve around the number of data points that will be created by the monitoring technology, which is supposed to reach a certain point every hour and a separate. Other issues revolve around how data is coordinated, transferred to organizers and keeping them for general review.
Under the settlement agreement, Chevron will install a network of four “points screens” that will have a lower discovery threshold for hydrogen sulfide. They discover gas at some points instead of large spaces and are said to be more accurate than the open line used. It is also more reliable in bad weather conditions, such as thick fog, which hindered open line screens, according to Pad.
“This settlement goes beyond what is required, and reflects the adherence of the air area to transparency, enforcement and public health,” said Philip Fine, Executive Director of the Air District. “It raises the tape of transparency and reaching society to air quality data, which represents a positive example of this industry.”
the The website that Chevron keeps Reporting air quality data to the public will now retain data for five years, instead of the current three months, and make data to be downloaded.
A spokesman for Chevron said the agreement would mainly enhance the monitoring that the company had already undertaken in the refinery.
“We know that data and transparency are important to our society and we are proud to be the first refinery in the Gulf region to move forward in these improvements,” the company said in a statement.
Chevron will also hold a community meeting to discuss his monitoring program at some time before the end of the year, but it was not scheduled to be held after Wednesday.
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