Refuse-to-Energy Plant Gets Reprieve

A pioneering refuse-to-energy plant in Commerce on Wednesday received a variance from emissions standards to allow it to remain in operation pending improvements to its pollution-control equipment.

The hearing board of the South Coast Air Quality Management District voted 4-1 in favor of the variance and continued the hearing until April 27, when precise permit conditions will be set.

In January, the AQMD denied the plant’s permanent operating permit because it exceeded emissions standards for nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide. In addition, plant officials failed to certify a carbon monoxide monitor and to submit a health-risk assessment on the effects of the facility on the neighboring community. The plant had been running on an emergency variance.

Project Manager Michael Selna said $500,000 in improvements will be made in an effort to meet the emissions standards. The monitor is being reviewed for certification, Selna said, and a preliminary health-risk assessment has been submitted to the AQMD.

The plant, which was put in operation in late 1986, burns municipal garbage in a boiler that powers an electrical generator. The plant, which is operated by the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts and the City of Commerce, generates enough electricity to power 20,000 homes.