Loud Noise, Steam Plume From AES Power Plant on Studebaker Rd Weds Night (Oct. 28) Was Faulty Valve, Prematurely Released Steam
Not Over-Pressurization, Not Emergency...But Company's Lack of Timely Info For Public Concerns Us
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(Oct. 29, 2015, 10:31 a.m.) -- LBREPORT.com received reports of a loud noise and steam plume at about 10:15 p.m. Wednesday (Oct. 28) said to have come from the AES Alamitos natural gas power plant, a 2,000 MW, natural gas fueled facility at 690 Studebaker Rd.
And they were right...although it took nearly twelve hours for us to get confirmation and an explanation from AES. Stephen O'Kane, Manager of Sustainability and Regulatory Compliance for the area, told LBREPORT.com shortly before 10:00 a.m. today (Oct. 29) that a steam pressure release valve had a premature release last night (Oct. 28.) Mr. O'Kane said the plant has many of these valves as a safety release measure to prevent over pressurization of the system...and what happened last night wasn't due to an over-pressurization but a valve that released steam when it shouldn't have. It wasn't smoke; it was steam and lasted about five minutes starting at about 10:12 p.m.
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A reader reported at the time: "Incredibly loud, brought worried neighbors out of their homes here in Belmont shore. White smoke/steam [editor note: it was steam not smoke] was visible, like they were venting high pressure for several minutes. Definitely NOT usual for them." This morning, a reader said on Facebook that they heard it from the area of Clark/Stearns.
LBFD Public Information Officer / Firefighter Brian Fisk confirmed that there was no emergency response from LBFD...and added that from his personal experience (as a former nearby neighbor) these releases happen periodically. (He's right; they do; but last night's release was a "normal" release; it was a faulty valve.)
LBREPORT.com tried last night (11 p.m. hour Oct. 28) and this morning (Oct. 29 before 8 a.m.) to reach AES reps by phone; the company provides no contact phone numbers or emails we could find on its website for after-hours information; it does list some phone numbers but they go to a "leave a message" voice mail/answering machine.
We politely communicated to Mr. O'Kane our dissatisfaction with AES' lack of an after-hours contact number for after-hours information. In our opinion, AES should provide an after-hours contact number, or email address, and at minimum use available social networks (Facebook or Twitter to provide information on such incidents (emergency or otherwise.) We hope the company makes those changes on its own, but we do plan to bring this issue to the Public Utilities Commission's attention and will urge that agency to require AES to do so. We think residents (and the press) in and around a large natural gas fired facility should be able to access information on such incidents in a 21st century digital manner.
If you heard or saw what took place last night, we're interested in knowing where you were (large cross-streets) and if you happened to capture a photo, please email it to us at mail@LBReport.com.
What happened last night wasn't an emergency..but about two and half years ago, there was one. On March 20, 2013, LBREPORT.com reported that residents reported what they said sounded like an explosion at the AES plant that sent a plume of steam skyward.
Mar. 20, 2013: Scene several minutes after incident.
AES provided this March 20, 2013 release on what occurred...and it doesn't use the word "explosion":
[AES text] At 7:44 a.m. [March 20, 2013], Unit 3 at the AES Alamitos Generating Station experienced a rupture in a five-inch pipe that carries high pressure steam and water to the boiler. When the rupture occurred, an immediate shutdown of the Unit was initiated and the site’s emergency response procedures were followed.
The police and fire responded quickly and were on standby while AES verified that all people were safe and accounted for.
"Safety is a top priority at AES -- for our people, contractors and the community," said Plant Manager Weikko Wirta. "We appreciate the responsiveness and professionalism of the Long Beach fire and police departments and we are grateful that no one was injured."
The release of steam caused a large visible plume and excessive noise for approximately 45 minutes until the Unit was fully depressurized and taken out of service.
"We always strive to be a good neighbor and are sensitive to the impact the noise may have had on the community," said AES Southland President Eric Pendergraft. "We responded as quickly as possible to shutdown the facility minimize the impact."
AES Alamitos is a 6-unit, 2,000 MW natural gas-fueled power plant, which can provide enough electricity to power approximately two million homes.
[End archival coverage]
"Safety is a top priority for AES Alamitos -- for our workers and our neighbors," the company website states. "We're proud that we haven't experienced a single Lost Time Accident in over 12 years.
Again: what took place last night (Oct. 28, 2015) wasn't an emergency...but since such things can happen, we think timely information should be more available than it currently is.
The AES website says the facility on Studebaker Rd. is a 2,000 MW, natural gas fueled power plant...and one of the largest in Southern CA. The company website indicates it was built between 1955 and 1967 and owned and operated by SCE until sold under an industry restructuring in the late 1990s...and AES Southland purchased former SCE generating facilities in Long Beach (Studebaker Rd.), Huntington Beach and Redondo Beach in 1998.
[AES website text] We’re currently working on plans to replace the current site with cleaner, more efficient and attractive generating facility. Our plans will eliminate use of ocean water for cooling, increase the local taxes we pay, and we'll continue to be an important source of local jobs and revenue -- not just during the modernization phase, but for years to come. Please visit our New Projects page to learn more...
...Recent changes to California environmental law require power plants to significantly reduce the use of ocean water for cooling. This provides an opportunity to ensure a cleaner, more reliable energy future by replacing our existing plant with a modern natural gas power plant that is more efficient and responsive to California's electricity needs...
The Alamitos Energy Center (AEC) [new facility] will be a natural gas-fired, combined cycle, air-cooled power plant with the capacity to power millions of homes and businesses. AEC can serve both peak and intermediate loads, and can provide system stability by delivering reactive power, voltage support, frequency stability and rotating mass -- in the heart of the critical Western Los Angeles' local reliability area.
It will not only provide Long Beach with a sustainable and economically viable future, -- but also help California meet its aggressive green energy goals by helping integrate more renewable power. It will also have much lower stacks and far superior "curb-appeal" than the existing plant.
