Around the state

at fertilizer plant

near Fairfield

SUISUN CITY — Fearing a possible propane tank explosion, the California Highway Patrol on Friday closed off a 5,000-foot radius around a fire at a fertilizer manufacturing plant near Fairfield.

The three-alarm grass and structure fire began just after 5 a.m. in an unincorporated part of Suisun City, about 45 miles northeast of San Francisco and a few miles from Travis Air Force Base, according to the county fire department.

As the flames spread Friday afternoon, firefighters grew concerned about the possible explosion of a propane tank on the premises, said CHP spokesman Willy Williford. The CHP was blocking people from coming closer to the fire than 5,000 feet in every direction, he said.

It was not yet known what caused the fire at EB Stone & Son, Inc. or whether the burning materials were toxic, said Suisun City Fire Chief Mike O’Brien.

"Our biggest concern is the chemicals in the fertilizer, and we have a team on the scene doing air monitoring,” he said.

O’Brien said he believed most of the smoke was coming from piles of organic materials such as peat moss, wood chips and compost located behind the factory buildings. Those piles are extremely flammable, he said, and were expected to continue burning for a couple of days.

The facility’s main warehouse building and an office building next to it were likely to be destroyed, O’Brien said. A cement plant next to the property had been evacuated but no other businesses were being threatened. The factory is located in a rural area, with no homes or schools nearby.

Firefighters were able to contain a 20-acre grass fire on the plant property Friday morning. No injuries were reported from the blaze, but the area was under a high-wind warning.

State utility regulators approve new liquefied natural gas rules

SAN FRANCISCO — State utility regulators approved new rules that clear the way to import liquefied natural gas to help satisfy California’s growing demand for electricity. Despite opposition from environmentalists, community activists and air quality officials, all five members of the California Public Utilities Commission approved the regulation Thursday.

As demand for natural gas grows while supplies dwindle, the energy industry has been investing billions of dollars to liquefy and ship the fuel across oceans as liquefied natural gas, or LNG. The commission’s decision did not approve any specific LNG projects, but set rules for them, including several proposed facilities along the coast of California and Mexico that would import liquefied gas from Russia, Australia and other regions.

Commissioners set standards for safety, quality of imported LNG and set procedures for utilities to contract for supplies.

Michael R. Peevey, president of the California Public Utilities Commission, said the decision would help ensure future natural gas supplies for the state by setting the rules for gas importers and others.

But Ratepayers for Affordable Clean Energy, a coalition that opposes liquefied natural gas projects, said it planned to file a lawsuit Monday, claiming the rules should meet the California Environmental Quality Act.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District also vowed to "aggressively challenge” the commission’s decision. District Executive Officer Barry Wallerstein said the rules would worsen air pollution by allowing use of foreign LNG that burns hotter and emits more harmful emissions than natural gas formulations currently in use.

<