On Thursday, October 4, the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) ordered Anaplex Corporation to temporarily curtail all operations and processes emitting hexavalent chromium. This is the seventh time the facility has been placed into curtailment since adopting the stipulated order for abatement in January 2017.
“This latest curtailment at Anaplex, while disappointing, is evidence that the public health protective measures put in place by SCAQMD are working,” said John Moreno, Paramount City Manager.
SCAQMD’s air monitors recorded levels of hexavalent chromium above the trigger threshold of 1.0 nanograms per cubic meter (ng/m3) starting on September 23, 2018. Each level is an average of three 24-hour samples collected over a period of about a week.
The following table shows recent levels of hexavalent chromium at two SCAQMD monitors downwind of Anaplex:
| Date | Site #14 | Site #15 |
| September 23 | 0.08 | — |
| September 26 | 0.22 | 0.29 |
| September 29 | invalid | 0.18 |
| October 2 | 1.26 | 5.81 |
| Average | 0.5 | 2.1 |
*Hexavalent chromium levels in ng/m3, with background level of hexavalent chromium subtracted
Anaplex will not be able to resume operations of any equipment with the potential to emit hexavalent chromium until SCAQMD determines that the average of three most recent samples is below 1.0 ng/m3.
“As a result of this latest spike, City staff will be in contact with AQMD officials to inquire if other measures can be done to put a stop to the spikes coming from Anaplex,” Moreno stated.
To view the latest monitoring results, please visit the SCAQMD website.
Comments are closed.