Study of Hazardous Materials

The Torrance City Council has delayed action on an ordinance to tighten controls on the use and storage of acutely hazardous chemicals in the city.

The council Tuesday was to consider whether to hire a law firm to study further regulating acutely hazardous materials used by more than a 100 companies throughout Torrance. Instead, City Atty. Kenneth L. Nelson suggested that the council delay action until Aug. 29 to give staff more time to study current state, county and federal laws on hazardous materials.

Nelson said he wants his office and the Fire Department to further study the issue before the city spends money on an outside firm.

The suggestion for tighter restrictions came during a council meeting in May, when Councilman Tim Mock requested that city staff draft a proposed ballot measure to tighten controls on all hazardous chemicals in the city.

Mock said he wanted the measure to require industries to obtain a conditional-use permit to use and store acutely hazardous chemicals. A panel of experts would review the safety of a chemical’s use on a case-by-case basis before issuing a permit, he said.

He said the proposed measure might also provide voters with an alternative to a ballot initiative in March, which would restrict the use of acutely hazardous hydrofluoric acid at the Mobil Oil Corp. refinery.

Since then, council members have indicated that they are no longer interested in a ballot measure but would still favor tighter restrictions on hazardous materials, Nelson said.