The South Coast Air Quality Management District has issued another violation notice to the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant, near El Segundo, for emitting elevated levels of hydrogen sulfide, officials announced Wednesday, July 26.
Fence-line monitoring at Hyperion showed elevated levels of hydrogen sulfide, or H2S, with a maximum one-hour average of 64.60 parts per billion on June 19, according to AQMD, the regulatory agency responsible for air quality in Southland counties. That exceeded the facility’s permit limit for H2S of 20 ppb.
“Prior to the exceedance, Hyperion submitted a notification reporting that it had shut down several air pollution control devices (known as scrubbers) for planned maintenance and repairs,” an AQMD statement said. “The scrubbers were returned to service within seven hours, and the fence-line monitoring system showed H2S levels had returned to typical levels.”
Officials with Los Angeles Sanitation & Environment, which operates Hyperion, were not immediately available for comment.
Hyperion is the region’s largest and oldest wastewater reclamation facility.
In July 2021, equipment there meant to sift debris from wastewater became clogged, causing severe flooding that crippled the plant for weeks. Officials had to release millions of gallons of raw sewage into the ocean to relieve the flooding and prevent Hyperion from going entirely offline.
The aftermath led to a pungent odor that plagued El Segundo residents for weeks as Hyperion officials worked to make imminent repairs. While the odor has abated from its suffocating high point, El Segundo residents and officials have repeatedly said the odor has remained.
AQMD inspectors have responded to more than 5,500 complaints from members of the community and issued about 70 notices of violation to Hyperion for public nuisance in violation of the agency’s Rule 402, along with one notice for excess visible emissions under Rule 401, and three violations of permit…
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