Interagency Refinery Task Force

A fire at the Chevron refinery in Richmond in August 2012 raised public questions and concerns about refinery safety and emergency response in California. Following a directive from the Governor’s July 2013 report on “Improving Public and Worker Safety at Oil Refineries,” CalEPA formed an Interagency Task Force on Refinery Safety in August 2013. The Task Force membership includes ten state agencies, U.S. EPA, and local agencies from areas of the state that contain refineries. They will work collaboratively to achieve the highest possible level of safety for refinery workers and local communities, and prepare for and effectively respond to emergencies if they occur.

Click here to learn more about the Task Force.

Safety Forums

The Interagency Refinery Task Force held a Refinery Safety Forum in Torrance on April 23, 2018.  It focused on the California Air Resources Board and the California Air Pollution Control Officers Association’s “Refinery Emergency Air Monitoring Assessment Report (REAMAR) – Objective Two,” the efforts of the South Coast Air Quality Management District related to the REAMAR, the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment’s “Analysis of Refinery Chemical Emissions and Health Effects,” and CalEPA’s Regulated Site Portal. To learn more, read the Refinery Safety Forum presentations and watch the video.

Public Meetings

Beginning in 2018, two of the task force’s meetings each year will be public meetings, pursuant to Assembly Bill 1649 (Muratsuchi, 2017).

Future Meetings:

October 26, 2023, Hybrid
1:00-2:30pm
Frank Hotchkin’s Memorial Training Center (formerly Naval and Marine Corp Reserve Center)
1700 Stadium Way, Rm 200 Los Angeles, CA 90012
Agenda (PDF)
Agenda en español (PDF)
Agenda in Lao (PDF)

Past Meetings:

April 20, 2023 hybrid
1:00-3:00pm
Agenda (PDF)
Agenda en español (PDF)
Agenda in Lao (PDF)

November 10, 2022 online
1:00-2:30pm
Agenda (PDF)
Agenda en español (PDF)
Agenda in Lao (PDF)

April 21, 2022 online
1:00-2:30pm
Agenda (PDF)
Agenda en español (PDF)
Agenda in Lao (PDF)

October 21, 2021 online
1:00 – 3:00pm
Agenda (PDF)
Agenda en español (PDF)
Agenda in Lao (PDF)

August 19, 2021 online
1:00 – 3:00pm
Agenda (PDF)
Agenda en español (PDF)
Agenda in Lao (PDF)

July 8, 2021 online
Agenda (PDF)
Agenda en español (PDF)
Agenda Lao (PDF)
DRAFT: Conversion of Petroleum to a Renewable Fuels Facility (PDF)
DRAFT: Conversion of Petroleum to a Renewable Fuels Facility en español (PDF)
DRAFT: Conversion of Petroleum to a Renewable Fuels Facility Lao (PDF)
July 8 meeting PowerPoint Presentation (PDF)

April 29, 2021 online
Agenda (PDF)
Agenda en español (PDF)
Agenda Lao (PDF)

October 22, 2020 online
Agenda (PDF)
Agenda en español (PDF)
Agenda Lao (PDF)

June 25, 2020 online
Agenda (PDF)
Agenda en español (PDF)
Agenda Lao (PDF)

April 16, 2020 Rescheduled to June 25, 2020

October 17, 2019 in El Segundo
Agenda(PDF)

April 11, 2019 in Fairfield
Agenda (PDF)

October 11, 2018 in Wilmington
Agenda (PDF)

April 5, 2018 in Richmond
Agenda (PDF)

New Reports: Air Monitoring

In September 2017, the state issued two reports on improving air monitoring at refineries and in surrounding communities, in support of Task Force goals. A press release, issued on Sept. 28, 2017, provides additional summary information.

  • Refinery Emergency Air Monitoring Assessment Report (PDF) — This draft report provides recommendations to improve emergency and routine air monitoring, and to better inform surrounding communities during incidents that result in increases in pollution or toxic releases. It was produced by the California Air Resources Board and the California Air Pollution Control Officers Association, in conjunction with the Interagency Refinery Task Force. This follows a 2015 report (PDF) on Objective 1: Delineation of Existing Capabilities (PDF). Additional information is available on the CARB’s Refinery Air Monitoring website.
  • Analysis of Refinery Chemical Emissions and Health Effects (PDF) – This addendum to the air monitoring report lists chemicals emitted from refineries and prioritizes them based on their emission levels and toxicity. This analysis can be used to inform discussions on which chemicals to monitor. It was produced by the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment in conjunction with the Interagency Refinery Task Force.

 

Regulatory Changes: Safety and Prevention

New regulations to strengthen workplace and environmental safety at oil refineries across the state were approved by the Office of Administrative Law in July and August 2017. The regulations implement key recommendations of the Governor’s Interagency Working Group on Refinery Safety, and are the result of a multi-year effort, including extensive public input and consultation with workers, industry, NGOs, local agencies, and communities. The regulations were developed by the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR), the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) and the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA).

 

Proposed Regulatory Changes: Emergency Response

The California Office of Emergency Services is proposing additional regulatory amendments to implement recommendations of the Governor’s Interagency Working Group on Refinery Safety.