ARROYO GRANDE, Calif. -- Oil company, Phillips 66 is asking San Luis Obispo County permission to expand its refinery in Arroyo Grande to pump more.
The company wants to increase its oil production by 10 percent but has to go through several county environmental review boards to get approval.
Phillips 66 wants to increase its oil production by 4,500 barrels a day.
Air Pollution Quality Control District calculated the amount of increased pollution and compared it with its safe threshold.
"We looked at ozone precursors like reactive gases and nitrogen oxide, particulate matter and green house gas emissions," says Aeron Arlin Genet of the San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Quality Control District. "There weren't any impacts that were significant."
"There is no new construction of the refinery," says Phillips 66 Spokesperson Rich Johnson. "The existing equipment is capable of processing more crude oil."
Now, the company hopes the county will permit it to produce even more.
"We looked at public safety, noise, land use, public services, water resources and air quality and found that there were no significant and unavoidable impacts," says Arlin Genet.
The San Luis Obispo County planning commission will consider the company's proposal in a hearing tomorrow.
Following that hearing, the company will still have to go before the Air Pollution Quality Control District in January.
