Environment Report for Edison Plant Reviewed

About two dozen Redondo Beach residents attended a public meeting Tuesday night to respond to a long-awaited environmental report on a proposed pollution-fighting system for Southern California Edison Co.’s local power plant.

The report, released about two weeks ago, recommends that the utility install a selective catalytic reduction system at its Redondo Beach generating plant to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxide pollutants.

The system would use pure ammonia to break down pollutants into a harmless form of nitrogen and water. To reduce the risks of contamination during a possible spill, the South Coast Air Quality Management District recommends that the power company transport and store the ammonia in a diluted, rather than pure, form.

Although several residents asked questions about the recommendations Tuesday, none gave formal testimony on the matter. The AQMD will accept written comments from the public until Nov. 2 before deciding whether to certify the report. If the report is certified, the agency will issue Edison a construction permit to install the equipment, officials said.

Edison had previously proposed transporting anhydrous, or pure, ammonia to the site and storing it there, but that plan was scrapped after city officials objected, saying residents could face severe health risks.

Under state law, Edison must substantially reduce emissions of nitrogen oxide by 2000. The timetable gives the utility until December, 1993, to install the first of four selective catalytic reduction devices at the Redondo Beach generating station.