To: Board of Supervisors
From: Anna Roth, Health Services Director
Report Title: Hearing Regarding an Ordinance Amending the County's Industrial Safety Ordinance
?Recommendation of the County Administrator ? Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. OPEN the public hearing; RECEIVE testimony and public comments; and CLOSE the public hearing.
2. ADOPT Ordinance No. 2024-14.
3. DETERMINE that the adoption of Ordinance No. 2024-14 is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15061(b)(3) because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that this activity could have a significant effect on the environment.
4. DIRECT the Director of Conservation and Development, or designee, to file a CEQA notice of exemption with the County Clerk and the State Clearinghouse.
5. AUTHORIZE the Health Services Director, or designee, to pay the Department of Conservation and Development $25 for processing the notice of exemption, and the County Clerk $50 for filing the notice of exemption.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There will be no impact to the General Fund. Revenue from the ISO Fees will fund the costs associated with staff time for implementing the amendments.
BACKGROUND:
On Tuesday October 15, 2019, at approximately 13:48, the NuStar Facility had a fire and explosion involving two ethanol storage tanks. The first tank caught fire at approximately 13:48 and the second tank caught fire shortly thereafter. Prior to the event both tanks were static and contained less than 3,000 barrels of denatured ethanol each. With the exception of routine inspection and monitoring activities by facility personnel and contractors, there was no activity in the tank farm at the time of the fire. The terminal was evacuated. Emergency response vehicles were onsite within minutes and began response by directing water and firefighting foam to mitigate the fire and cool adjacent tanks. A grass fire began on the hillside adjacent to th...
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