Study Clears Oil Plant, but Neighbors List Health Woes

Separate investigations by state air quality officials and Unocal found no health risks from a Unocal oil-processing plant in the Huntington Harbour area, officials of both agencies told the City Council Monday.

But neighbors and former neighbors of the plant told the council that they don’t believe the findings of either the oil company or the state Air Quality Management District.

Mary Gray, who lived near the plant until August, told council members that her then-15-month-old baby had two seizures from breathing the polluted air there. The baby is now recovering, she said.

The plant, at 4541 Heil Ave., separates water from crude oil that has been pumped from a well off the coast of Orange County.

Many residents of an apartment complex next to the plant have been complaining for more than a year about fumes and odors that they claim have caused breathing difficulty and rashes. The residents have said that neither Unocal nor any public public agency has been attentive to their problems.

Randy Shipley, a representative of Unocal, told the council during a special study session Monday that the company is paying for three environmental and health studies of the plant, separate from the AQMD investigation.

Shipley said that one report has been completed and that its authors found no health risks or dangerous pollutant. The other two investigations, both being done by private firms, are expected to be completed soon.

“We’ve been operating that plant for 30 years with a very good safety record,” Shipley said. “We have found nothing that would pose a health threat.”

Ben Shaw, a representative of the AQMD, similarly told the council that the state’s investigation has found no risk. He said that the AQMD tested the air around the plant on Nov. 3 and 5 and that both tests found fewer pollutants than are normally found in inland cities that are not near oil plants.

“The chemicals in the air were much below the normal levels you’d find them in cities such as Anaheim,” Shaw said.

After the meeting, Gray told reporters, “They’re lying.”

Another former resident of the area, Anonka Rashid agreed, saying, “I think they’re covering up.”

Shipley said Unocal plans another meeting with residents on March 4. He expects at least one more health survey to have been completed by that time and said its results will be released at the meeting.