Irvine asphalt plant cited again for bad smell – Orange County Registry

Residents of Northeast Irvine, long fed up with the smell and suspected to have poisoned it from the nearby All American Asphalt plant, are welcoming a new violation notice issued to the company that says disciplinary action will be taken. First official penalty in over a year gives hope that regulators will take their complaints more seriously.

The plant is largely hidden from view in the foothills of Loma Ridge, but is located a mile from the nearest houses. Since 2019, more than 1,200 complaints about the smell of burnt asphalt and rubber have been filed with the South Coast Air Quality Administration. In which, the district has issued 6 notices of violations about the company’s odor and once related to operating machinery without a license. The company has also been fined $53,500 so far for the violations.

But since the October 2020 breach, more than 14 months have passed until the announcement was made on Friday, January 14. In its latest breach notice, the district said the company took steps to address the odor, “resulting in a significant reduction in complaints. compared to last year.”

Kim Konte, who lives within two miles of the factory, countered that the problem never went away. Residents, mainly from the Orchard Hills and Northwood neighborhoods, have simply become frustrated with filing complaints because of what she describes as poor enforcement.

“The (district) complaint process is very flawed,” said Konte, who helped found the group Non Toxic Neighborhoods.

In particular, inspectors can take hours to respond to complaints, allowing time for odors to disperse, she said. Also, she said, the district doesn’t always respond to messages left by residents.

In addition to the Air Quality Management District, Konte and other concerned neighbors contacted Senator Dave Min, D-Irvine. Min, in turn, contacted the California Department of Air Resources, which Konte said helped the residents involved understand the data and processes. She also believes that the board’s involvement is motivating the district to take more proactive action.

“We are definitely seeing a shift in the right direction from (the district). The Air Resources Board “confirms that it has met with (district). We think increased pressure from (the board) has caused (the school district) to react more quickly. Last week was a sign that they will finally do their job. “

Feedback regulator

Nahal Mogharabi, a spokesman for the Air Quality Management District, denied Konte’s claim that the Air Resources Board had anything to do with the latest violation notice and said it was the result of “regulations” our standards”.

“(District) is an independent agency,” Mogharabi said. “No other government agency participates in our complaint response program, nor has any agency caused any change in the way we respond to complaints. This community was and still is one of our top priorities. ”

He said the time it takes for inspectors to respond to complaints can range from a few minutes to the next day, depending on the number of inspectors available and the number of complaints. By 2021, he said, county inspectors had responded to more than 15,000 complaints across the four counties.

He also said inspectors respond to all complaints “but many times our calls and texts are not returned.”

The district reported that emissions measured in the area were within acceptable limits.

Konte said residents have complained of nosebleeds, headaches and sore throats. She wants All American Asphalt to be classified under the federal Clean Air Act as a Title V business. The designation is triggered by the amount and type of emissions, and could allow for tighter regulation. and regulatory oversight. All of America’s Asphalt should have been listed as a Title V operation since 2018, she said.

Mogharabi responded that the facility had complied with a February 2021 request to submit an application for a Title V license, which is being processed by the district.

All American Asphalt, which declined to comment, built its Irvine plant in 1993 and is authorized to produce up to 121,000 tons of asphalt monthly for local construction projects. Initially, there were no houses near the factory, but that changed as Irvine grew.