3.9 HAZARDS AND HAZARDOUS Environmental Setting. Hazardous Materials Area of Influence. Polychlorinated Biphenyls

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1 3.9 HAZARDS AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS Environmental Setting The proposed Project would involve construction activities and increased throughput during operations that could increase the potential for spills or leaks of petroleum products and cement, which is a dry powder but becomes highly alkaline in solution with water. The proposed Project would not involve risk of fire or explosion hazards from sources such as tanker vessels, oil tanks, or refineries. Therefore, in accordance with the POLB Risk Management Program (RMP), this section does not include a risk of upset analysis and associated hazard footprint analysis Area of Influence The area of influence for hazards associated with releases of hazardous materials (e.g., spills and leaks) and existing soil and groundwater contamination would include the Project site and adjacent harbor waters. Refer to Section 3.1, Geology, Groundwater, and Soils, and Section 3.4, Hydrology and Water Quality, for a description of the area of influence for those resources Setting Cement Cement is a solid, grey, off-white, or white, odorless powder that is not combustible or explosive in and of itself. Cement may contain trace amounts of calcium oxide (also known as free lime or quick lime), free magnesium oxide, potassium and sodium sulfate compounds, chromium compounds, nickel compounds, and other trace compounds (Lafarge North America, Inc. 2011). Cement is made from materials mined from the earth and is processed using high heat in cement kilns. Cement manufacturing is not proposed as part of the proposed Project. Material Safety Data Sheets for Portland cement (e.g., Lafarge North America, Inc. 2011) indicate that cement is not considered a hazardous substance under CERCLA, RCRA, the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA), or the Toxic Substances Control Act. Similarly, the U.S. Department of Transportation does not classify cement as a hazardous material. However, cement is considered by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)/Mine Safety and Health Administration to be a hazardous chemical. A single, short-term exposure to the dry powder presents little or no hazard. However, because cement becomes highly alkaline when mixed with water, exposure of sufficient duration to wet cement, or to dry cement on moist areas of the body, can cause serious, potentially irreversible, tissue (i.e., skin, eye, respiratory tract) damage due to chemical (caustic) burns, including third degree burns (Lafarge North America, Inc. 2011). Hazardous Materials Hazardous materials are the raw materials for a product or process or waste products that may be classified as toxic, flammable, corrosive, or reactive. Hazardous materials related to the proposed Project include PCBs and asbestos containing materials (ACMs). Polychlorinated Biphenyls Historically, PCBs were widely used as a fire retardant and insulator in the manufacture of transformers and capacitors, due to their ability to withstand exceptionally high temperatures. Fluid-filled electrical transformers, capacitors, and circuit breakers manufactured prior to June 1979 may contain PCBs. Similarly, natural gas pipelines constructed prior to 1981 may contain PCBs. Use of this substance was banned in 1979 based on its identification as a human carcinogen. PCBs may be present in pre-1979 electrical equipment. Any electrical equipment, including but not limited to transformers that contain PCBs at concentrations greater than or equal to 50 parts per million (ppm), is considered PCB-contaminated electrical equipment. Any transformer that contains PCB concentrations greater than or equal to 500 ppm is considered a PCB transformer. Discovery of PCBcontaminated electrical equipment or PCB transformers requires EPA notification, removal of such equipment or transformers, and sampling and characterization of adjacent soils. Natural gas pipelines containing less than 500 ppm PCB must be drained of fluids and either abandoned in-place or disposed of in a non-rcra landfill, scrap metal recovery MCC CEMENT FACILITY FINAL EIR

2 oven/smelter, or EPA-permitted PCB disposal facility. Pipelines containing greater than 500 ppm PCB must either be incinerated or disposed in a PCB-regulated landfill. Asbestos Containing Materials ACMs were used in building materials and utilities until the 1960s. Buildings that were constructed prior to 1970 may contain such materials. It is now recognized that ACMs may be harmful if inhaled or ingested. This occurs most commonly if the materials are disturbed, such as during demolition activities. The EPA has classified ACMs as a hazardous air pollutant, in accordance with Section 112 of the CAA. ACMs may be present in old utility lines to be demolished as part of the Project. Surveys for ACMs are required by 40 CFR prior to demolition of structures and associated infrastructure. Oil Production Facilities The Project site is located within the Wilmington Oil Field, the third largest oil field in the U.S. Several oil wells are located in a fenced area, which is not owned or operated by MCC, immediately north of the Project site (Figure 1.5-1). Associated buried pipelines (oil, gas, and water) connect the wells to oil separation facilities, including storage tanks, immediately east of the Project site, along Pier F Avenue. Improperly abandoned oil wells can potentially result in gas migration to the surface, which in turn could create a health hazard. Information pertaining to potential soil and groundwater contamination associated with adjacent oil field operations is discussed in Section 3.1, Geology, Groundwater, and Soils. Past Accidents and Spills The California Office of Emergency Services (OES) maintains the Response Information Management System (RIMS) database that includes detailed information on all reported hazardous material spills in California. All spills that occur within the Port, both hazardous and non-hazardous, are reported to the OES and entered into the RIMS database. This database includes spills that may not result in a risk to the public, but could still be considered an environmental hazard. During 2010, 2011, and 2012, there were 94, 55, and 31 incidents, respectively, in the Port that resulted in investigations (POLB 2013). Past spills ranged in size and type of materials spilled, including both nonhazardous petroleum and hazardous substances. The causes of these spills were extremely varied and included incidents such as: 1) recreational boats pumping oil from their bilge; 2) incidental spills of hazardous materials used in boat maintenance; 3) fuel dock and bunkering accidents; 4) incidental spills from onshore vehicles; 5) pipeline spills; 6) container spills; and 7) large commercial vessels discharging oil-contaminated ballast water. The LBFD typically completes 100 to 250 spill responses annually; however, many of these are small enough for immediate cleanup and are too small to warrant an incident investigation (Los Angeles/Long Beach Harbor Safety Committee 2013). Fire Protection and Emergency Response The proposed Project site is served by seven LBFD stations. The closest fire station is Station #15, which is located at 202 Pier F Avenue, less than 1 mile from the Project site. Other organizations that provide emergency assistance include the LBPD, USCG, Department of Homeland Security, United States Customs, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the CDFW. Public services are discussed in Section , Public Services Regulatory Setting The Project would be subject to numerous federal, state, and local laws and regulations as a result of storage and use of small quantities of maintenance-related hazardous materials and hazardous waste. Regulations applicable to the Project are designed to regulate hazardous materials and hazardous wastes. These regulations also are designed to limit the risk of upset during the use, transport, handling, storage, and disposal of hazardous materials. Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (42 U.S.C. Section ) The goal of RCRA, a federal statute passed in 1976, is the protection of human health and the environment, reduction of waste, conservation of energy and natural resources, and elimination of MCC CEMENT FACILITY FINAL EIR

3 hazardous waste generation as expeditiously as possible. The Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments (HSWA) of 1984 significantly expanded the scope of RCRA by adding new corrective action requirements, land disposal restrictions, and technical requirements. The corresponding regulations in 40 CFR provide the general framework for managing hazardous waste, including requirements for entities that generate, store, transport, treat, and dispose of hazardous waste. Hazardous Waste Control Law (California Health and Safety Code, Chapter 6.5) As noted previously, small quantities of hazardous materials and petroleum products would be used during Project demolition and construction activities. The Hazardous Waste Control Law implements the federal RCRA cradle-to-grave waste management system in California and is the basic hazardous waste law for California. California hazardous waste regulations are in Title 22, Division 4.5, Environmental Health Standards for the Management of Hazardous Wastes. The program is administered by the DTSC. Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act (42 U.S.C et seq.) Project operations would require the delivery and storage of up to 500 gallons of urea solution which would be subject to community right to know regulations. Also known as Title III of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA), the Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act (EPCRA) was enacted by Congress as the national legislation on community safety. This law was designated to help local communities protect public health, safety and the environment from chemical hazards. To implement EPCRA, Congress required each state to appoint a State Emergency Response Commission (SERC). The SERCs were required to divide their states into Emergency Planning Districts and to name a Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) for each district. EPCRA provides requirements for emergency release notification, chemical inventory reporting, and toxic release inventories for facilities that handle chemicals. Hazardous Material Release Response Plans and Inventory Law (California Health and Safety Code, Chapter 6.95) As noted above, small quantities of hazardous materials and petroleum products would be used during Project demolition, construction, and operational activities. This state right-to-know law requires businesses to develop a Hazardous Material Management Plan or a business plan for hazardous materials emergencies if they handle more than 500 pounds, 55 gallons, or 200 cubic feet of hazardous materials. The business plan includes an inventory of all hazardous materials stored or handled at the facility above these thresholds. This law is designed to reduce the occurrence and severity of hazardous materials releases. The Hazardous Materials Management Plan or business plan must be submitted to the Long Beach Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA), which administers hazardous materials management programs of the Department of Health and Human Services and the LBFD, Fire Prevention Division. The state has integrated the federal EPCRA reporting requirements into this law; once a facility is in compliance with the local administering agency requirements, submittals to other agencies are not required. Other Requirements As discussed below in Impact HAZ-2, the proposed facilities are not expected to store, handle, or transport substantial quantities of hazardous materials or petroleum products in significant quantities, and spill impacts would be localized and readily remediated. Therefore, due to the small quantities involved, the provisions of the Port s Risk Management Plan would not be applicable to the Project Impacts and Mitigation Measures Significance Criteria Criteria for determining the significance of impacts related to hazards and hazardous waste are based on the CEQA Guidelines Appendix G Environmental Checklist. A significant impact would occur if the Project would: HAZ-1: Result in an accidental release hazardous materials that would adversely affect the health and safety of the general public or workers; or HAZ-2: Result in inconsistency with the Risk Management Program. MCC CEMENT FACILITY FINAL EIR

4 Methodology Hazards and hazardous materials impacts were evaluated primarily by evaluating the potential for spills during construction and operations. Impacts would be considered significant if the Project meets any of the significance criteria identified above. The assessment of impacts is based on the assumption that an individual NPDES permit would be prepared for storm water discharges or coverage would be obtained under the General Construction Activity Storm Water Permit, in order to contain construction- and operationallyinduced stormwater runoff Alternative 1 Proposed Project Construction Impacts Impact HAZ-1.1: Project construction would not result in an accidental release of hazardous materials that would adversely affect the health and safety of the general public or workers. Project construction would include demolition of utilities remaining from the Pacific Banana facility, grading, soil excavation, and new facilities construction. Small quantities of hazardous materials and petroleum products would be used during Project demolition and construction activities. Demolition and construction equipment could spill oil, gasoline, or other fluids during normal usage or during refueling. However, because of the small volumes typically involved with construction equipment, any spills would be short term and localized. Construction would be subject to the General Construction Activity Storm Water Permit, which establishes procedures to contain stormwater runoff. A construction SWPPP would be completed in association with the NPDES permit. NPDES permit-mandated BMPs would govern spill containment during demolition and construction activities, in accordance with City Planning and Building Department BMP guidelines (City of Long Beach 2012). Applicable BMPs include, but are not limited to, temporary spill containment booms and berms for vehicle and equipment fueling and maintenance; appropriate solid and hazardous waste management practices; and contaminated soil management. Project plans and specifications would be reviewed by the LBFD for conformance to the Long Beach Municipal Fire Code as a standard practice. ACMs may be present in old utility lines proposed for demolition as part of the Project. Similarly, PCBs may be present in pre-1979 electrical equipment and natural gas pipelines. Disturbance of such materials would be harmful if inhaled or ingested during demolition and disposal activities. Where required, ACM and PCB surveys would be completed in accordance with federal and state regulations. In the event that hazardous levels of ACMs and PCBs were detected, a contractor licensed to handle such materials would properly remove and dispose of these materials offsite. Implementation of standard health and safety protocol during potential remediation activities (refer to Section 3.1, Geology Groundwater, and Soils), such as respiratory and skin protection, would prevent health and safety impacts to onsite personnel. Project demolition and construction activities would be required to comply with all existing hazardous waste laws and regulations, including the federal RCRA and CERCLA, and CCR Title 22 and Title 26. The Project would comply with these laws and regulations, ensuring that potential hazardous materials handling would occur in an acceptable manner. Impact Determination Implementation of standard BMPs, proper use and storage of hazardous materials and petroleum products, and proper removal of ACMs and PCBs, in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local regulations, would result in less than significant impacts related to accidental release of hazards and hazardous materials. Since impacts from hazards and hazardous materials would be less than significant, no mitigation is required. Operational Impacts Impact HAZ-1.2: Project operations would not result in an accidental release of hazardous materials that would adversely affect the health and safety of the general public or workers. The MCC facility is a bulk terminal for unloading cement (including Portland cement and related materials such as blast furnace slag, pozzolans, MCC CEMENT FACILITY FINAL EIR

5 and fly ash) at Berth F208 from bulk cargo vessels. MCC stores the product in a warehouse and loading silos and loads the product onto customer trucks via three truck loading racks. The Project would include construction of additional storage capacity, upgrades to ship unloading equipment, and lease of the adjacent lot (former Pacific Banana site) for additional cement storage silos and wharf access. Cement dust is abrasive and causes erosion of conveyance systems, such as hoses and pipes. To prevent spillage of abrasive cement, the unloading facilities are fully enclosed in rubber and steel pipes. Rubber hoses are used to transport the cement from the ship unloader to the loading manifolds and from there, via steel pipes, to the warehouse. Every bend in the steel pipes of the truck loading facility contains a cowl, which acts as secondary containment in the event of primary pipe failure due to the abrasive cement. As previously indicated, prolonged exposure to wet cement, or to dry cement on moist areas of the body, can cause serious, potentially irreversible tissue (i.e., skin, eye, respiratory tract) damage due to chemical (caustic) burns, including third degree burns. All handling of cement by personnel would be conducted in accordance with OSHA requirements. Project operations would also require the delivery and storage of urea solution, which is injected into the SCR system upstream of the catalyst, where it reacts under heat to produce ammonia and facilitate NO x removal. A small amount of ammonia is emitted from the stack in the form of ammonia slip (Section , Impact AQ-6). The DoCCS has a storage capacity of 500 gallons of urea. The Material Safety Data Sheets for urea indicates that urea is hazardous in the event of skin contact (irritant), eye contact (irritant), ingestion, or inhalation. In addition, urea may be combustible at high temperature. Similar to cement, all handling of urea by personnel would be conducted in accordance with OSHA requirements. An outdoor, small quantity hazardous materials storage area, including 5 to 55 gallon containers on containment pallets and covered with heavy duty plastic, would be used during future operations as it has been in the past. Forklifts would be fueled onsite via fuel trucks. Fuel storage tanks would not be permanently located on-site. Small quantities of paint would also be stored in a maintenance building (URS Greiner Woodward Clyde 2009). Impact Determination Hazardous substances and petroleum products could potentially be spilled or exposed during Project operations, resulting in health and safety impacts to onsite personnel and/or the environment. However, use of the robust cement containment infrastructure and implementation of standard BMPs, established in a site-specific SWPPP, would reduce these short-term impacts. The existing SWPPP (URS Greiner Woodward Clyde 2009) would be updated in association with the NPDES permit to reflect post-construction, operational conditions. Spill prevention and control measures are detailed in the SWPPP. Implementation of the SWPPP, in combination with proper use and storage of hazardous materials and petroleum products, would result in less than significant impacts related to hazards and hazardous materials. Since impacts from hazards and hazardous materials would be less than significant, no mitigation is required. Impact HAZ-2: Project operations would not result in inconsistency with the Risk Management Program. As previously discussed, the Port RMP (POLA and POLB 1981), which includes the Risk Management Plan (POLB 1981), is an amendment to the certified Port Master Plan. The RMP was required by the CCC as a means for judiciously managing, controlling, and directing proposed developments in order to prevent, insure, protect against, and minimize the risks of loss or significant adverse impacts, due to potential hazards within and surrounding the POLB. The RMP is primarily concerned with the transfer, handling, storage, and transport of hazardous liquid bulk cargoes. Because the Project does not include the transfer, handling, storage, and transport of hazardous liquid bulk cargoes, the RMP does not apply to the Project. Similar to baseline Project site operations, hazardous materials and petroleum product storage and use would generally be limited to less than 450 gallons, stored in multiple 5 to 55 gallon containers (URS Greiner Woodward Clyde 2009). MCC CEMENT FACILITY FINAL EIR

6 Impact Determination Because the proposed facilities are not expected to store, handle, or transport substantial quantities of hazardous materials or petroleum products, and spill impacts would be localized and readily remediated, the risk associated with the Project would be minimal. Also, the Project would not be subject to the RMP due to the minimal quantities of hazardous materials that would be handled during operations. Therefore, the Project would not result in inconsistency with the RMP and no impacts would occur Alternative 2 Reduced Throughput Alternative The Reduced Throughput Alternative would be the same as the proposed Project except that only two cement silos and only one additional truck lane would be constructed to permit loading beneath the two new silos. Impacts related to hazards and hazardous materials would be similar to but less than those described under Impact HAZ-1.1 for the Project because the extent of construction activity causing shortterm impacts would be reduced. The MCC facility would generate operational impacts including: unloading cement from ships, handling and storing cement, and loading trucks to transport the cement product to outlying distribution facilities. The facility would store and handle small quantities of hazardous materials and petroleum products similar to baseline conditions. Under this alternative, operations would require the same number of personnel as the proposed Project, but throughput would be reduced. Therefore, operational impacts would be similar to but less than those described for Impact HAZ-1.2. As with the Project, implementation of this alternative would result in less than significant impacts. Since impacts from hazards and hazardous materials would be less than significant, no mitigation is required. Also similar to the proposed Project, this alternative would result in no impacts with respect to Impact HAZ-2, since the RMP would not be applicable to this alternative due to the minimal quantities of hazardous materials that would be handled during operations Alternative 3 - No Project Alternative Under the No Project Alternative, no new construction would occur; therefore, construction related Impact HAZ-1.1 would not occur. The MCC facility would generate operational impacts including: unloading cement from ships; handling and storing cement; and loading trucks to transport the cement product to outlying distribution facilities. The existing facility would store and handle small quantities of hazardous materials and petroleum products similar to baseline conditions. MCC facility throughput would be limited by the truck loading capacity of the existing three truck loading lanes. As a result, operational impacts would be similar to but less than those described for Impact HAZ-1.2. Similar to the proposed Project, Impact HAZ-2 would not occur, since the RMP does not apply to the No Project Alternative based on the minimal amounts of hazardous materials that would be handled during operations. Similar to the proposed Project, implementation of this alternative would result in less than significant impacts. Since impacts from hazards and hazardous materials would be less than significant, no mitigation is required Cumulative Impacts The proposed Project, along with other related projects proposed in the POLB and POLA, would increase the potential for impacts with respect to minor spills of hazardous materials and petroleum products, during both construction and operations. Spill-related impacts at the Project site would be localized and not expected to reach navigable waters of the Port. The probability and potential extent of spills of other related projects would vary, depending on the type and volume of hazardous materials involved. The LACFD has developed a risk criticality matrix, based on accidental spill or release probability and severity of consequences to people or property, in order to identify the operational risk criticality. Because the MCC facility is not expected to store, handle, or transport substantial quantities of hazardous materials or petroleum products, the risk MCC CEMENT FACILITY FINAL EIR

7 criticality matrix is not applicable to the proposed Project. This matrix would apply to a limited number of other related projects, especially those that transport and store large volumes of petroleum products or hazardous materials, such as the proposed tank installation at the Chemoil Marine Terminal. The risk criticality analysis would identify which mitigation measures are necessary to reduce impacts to less than significant for applicable projects. Related projects within the Project area are predominantly berth and terminal expansion, such as the Middle Harbor Redevelopment Project, Piers G & J Terminal Redevelopment project, and the Pier S Marine Terminal and Back Channel Improvements Project or traffic circulation improvements undertaken by the POLB and POLA, such as the Terminal Island Rail Projects, Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility, the Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement Project, and the I-710 (Long Beach Freeway) Major Corridor Study. Projects unrelated to cargo handling in the ports include the POLA Charter School, Port Police Headquarters (San Pedro), and the San Pedro Waterfront Enhancement Projects, none of which would be expected to handle significant amounts of hazardous materials. In general, each POLB and POLA project is subject to regulatory standards that must be achieved during construction and operation. All projects individually undergo rigorous safety, fire preparedness, and environmental (NEPA/CEQA) reviews. As a result, any potential hazards or risks are evaluated and measures to minimize those risks are implemented. Mitigation measures for future projects would be expected to be consistent with applicable standards, regulations, and permits required, thus reducing potential impacts from hazards and hazardous materials. For example, construction SWPPPs would be required in association with an NPDES permit for all future projects. Future project demolition, construction, and operations would be required to comply with all existing hazardous waste laws and regulations, including the federal RCRA and CERCLA, CCR Title 22, CCR Title 26, and other hazards and hazardous waste related regulations described in Section , Regulatory Setting. Compliance with these laws and regulations in other projects would be expected to reduce impacts to the extent feasible. In summary, the proposed Project would contribute minimally to cumulative impacts from hazards and hazardous materials from other projects. Compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations governing packing, labeling, and transporting and manifesting hazardous materials, along with emergency response to hazardous materials spills, would minimize the potential for adverse public safety impacts associated with all cumulative projects. The proposed Project s construction and operation would not contribute to cumulatively significant hazards and hazardous material impacts. Therefore, the proposed Project s contribution to cumulative impacts would be less than cumulatively considerable Mitigation Monitoring Program Since impacts on hazards and hazardous materials would not occur, no mitigation measures are necessary. Thus, no mitigation monitoring program is required. MCC CEMENT FACILITY FINAL EIR

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