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Source of October Long Beach-Seal Beach "Mystery Stink" ID'd; SCAQMD Cites Crude Oil Tanker Berthed In LB


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(November 9, 2018, 3:05 p.m.) -- Over a period spanning (literally) years, LBREPORT.com has reported periodic "mystery stinks" (that government officials more gently call "area odors") whose source(s) have remained a chronic, frustrating unknown. But today (Nov. 9) for the first time, SCAQMD publicly identified the alleged source of Oct. 26 Long Beach-Seal Beach-Huntington Beach petroleum-type odors, issuing a Nov. 6 "Notice of Violation" for fugitive emissions it alleged came from a Hong Kong-flagged crude oil tanker that was berthed at Tesoro's marine terminal in Long Beach.

In a Nov. 9 release, SCAQMD indicates it solved the mystery of this incident by partnerinng with fire departments in Long Beach, Seal Beach and Huntington Beach and training their personnel to collect air samples during odor incidents.

In its release, SCAQMD stated in pertinent part:

[SCAQMD release text]...On Nov. 6, SCAQMD inspectors issued a Notice of Violation to GAC North America, the Long Beach-based shipping agent for the Nave Photon oil tanker. The 2-million barrel tanker is flagged in Hong Kong and transports crude oil from Middle Eastern countries to the West Coast of the United States.

SCAQMD inspectors found that seven of 10 inspected pressure release devices on the ship were leaking hydrocarbon vapors well in excess of limits in the agency's Rule 1142 -- Marine Tank Vessel Operations. The leaks were documented with portable hydrocarbon detection devices as well as gas imaging cameras.

According to SCAQMD officials, representatives of Tesoro -- the operator of the terminal where the ship was berthed -- said they would contact the ship owner to ensure that leaking valves are repaired.

SCAQMD started tracking the ship on Oct. 26, when it received three complaints of petroleum-type odors in the Long Beach area. Based on the location of the ship in the Long Beach harbor, which was upwind of the complainants, as well as gas images captured by inspectors showing vapor leaks from the vessel, SCAQMD decided to follow up with an onboard inspection when the ship docked on Nov. 3 at Tesoro's marine terminal.

SCAQMD's investigation is ongoing and inspectors are continuing to evaluate potential violations of other agency rules.

Since Jan. 1, 2016, SCAQMD has received more than 2,000 complaints from residents in Long Beach, Seal Beach and Huntington Beach of petroleum, sulfur and/or chemical-type odors. During these odor incidents, SCAQMD inspectors were not able to identify a source; however, an analysis of wind patterns strongly suggested an offshore source of the odors.

SCAQMD partnered with fire departments in Long Beach, Seal Beach and Huntington Beach and trained their personnel to collect air samples during odor incidents. Analysis of these samples in SCAQMD's laboratory showed higher levels of chemical compounds including several hydrocarbons and sometimes hydrogen sulfide, all indicative of an odor source from crude oil and/or unprocessed natural gas. Crude oil contains dissolved hydrocarbon and sulfur gases that can be released to the atmosphere if not properly contained in the vessel's storage tanks.

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"For the past two years we have devoted extensive resources to finding the sources of periodic foul odors in Long Beach, Seal Beach and Huntington Beach," SCAQMD Executive Officer Wayne Nastri said in angency release. "We will continue to investigate ships and any other potential sources in an effort to identify and mitigate these coastal odors."

SCQMD says if you detect foul odors, you should call the agency's 24-hour complaint line at 1-800-CUT-SMOG or file a complaint at www.aqmd.gov.

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