Chemical Board Gets 2nd Life

Torrance City Council members have voted to revive the city’s dormant chemical board and find a special consultant to help create new guidelines to control hazardous chemicals.

Under modifications approved Tuesday, the four-person board will consist of the city’s fire chief, building and safety director and city manager, or their designees, with a chemical consultant paid to serve as secretary, staff and adviser.

The board has only convened three times since it was formed in 1960 to create a city chemical code, a staff report said. Such a code has never been presented to the City Council.

Staff members had recommended that the council expand the board’s duties and order it to begin work on a new chemical control program, but the council instead assigned those issues to its public safety committee for further review.