The South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD), the air pollution control agency for Orange County, Calif., and major portions of Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside counties, has approved three measures that seek to reduce sulfur emissions from oil refineries, lead emissions from battery recyclers and cumulative air toxics risk from a number of sources across the Southland Region.
“The region will benefit from these landmark actions to improve local air quality and protect public health,” says William Burke, chairman of the South Coast AQMD governing board.
The updated emissions requirements for battery recyclers require the two large lead-acid battery recycling facilities in the region—Exide Technologies in Vernon, Calif., and Quemetco in City of Industry, Calif.—to reduce emissions to a level that meets the more stringent federal health standard for lead. The Clean Communities Plan outlines 23 measures designed to reduce exposures to toxic air contaminants throughout the region.
Under Rule 1420.1, the South Coast AQMD requires the two battery recyclers to meet the federal outdoor air quality standard for lead of 0.15 micrograms per cubic meter beginning Jan. 1, 2012.
Under the rule, facilities must reduce direct emissions from lead-acid battery recycling operations as well as lead dust. Specifically, facilities must add additional emission control devices, develop additional measures to be implemented if a facility exceeds 80 percent of the lead standard, increase public notifications and enhance source testing and air monitoring efforts.