HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrdinance #3004 ORDINANCE NO. 3004
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING TITLE 17
OF THE HUNTINGTON BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE TO ESTABLISH
METHANE DISTRICT REGULATIONS
SECTION 1• Findings and Purposes
WHEREAS, in order to implement the goals and objectives of
reducing the hazards within the City of Huntington Beach of methane
gas;
The adoption of an enabling ordinance for these programs is in
the public interest and promotes the public health, safety and
general welfare.
ACCORDINGLY, this ordinance establishes procedures and
standards which:
1. Establish methane gas overlay district.
2 . Ensure the mitigation of hazard from methane gas .
ACCORDINGLY, the City Council of the City of Huntington Beach
hereby amends Title 17 of the Huntington Beach Municipal Code by
adding Section 17. 04.085 entitled Huntington Beach Methane District
Regulations .
SECTION 2 : The Huntington Beach Municipal Code is hereby
amended to add new Section 17. 04 .085 to read as follows :
17. 04 .085 The Uniform Building Code is hereby amended by
adding thereto new Chapter 55 entitled "Methane District Regulations"
to read as follows :
"Section 5501 Purpose This Division sets forth the minimum
requirements of the City of Huntington Beach for new building
construction in the defined methane overlay districts . It is also
the purpose of this chapter to reduce the hazards presented from
accumulations of methane gas by requiring the appropriate testing and
mitigation measures for all new buildings in the methane overlay
districts .
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"Section 5502 Definitions . For the purposes of this
division, the following definitions shall also be applied.
A. FLAMMABLE GAS shall mean any gaseous substance capable
of sustaining combustion or explosion.
B. GAS DETECTION SYSTEM shall mean one or more electrical
devices capable of continuous monitoring for the
presence of flammable gasses and containing an audible
alarm capable of alerting occupants that a hazardous
atmosphere exists . The system and all devices which are
a part of the system shall be subject to building
department and fire department approval.
C. METHANE GAS shall mean the hydrocarbon substance
commonly known as "natural gas, " chemical formula
CH4 . For the purposes of definition in this chapter,
natural gas from the distribution system of a utility
company is exempted and excluded from the scope of
application of the provisions of this chapter.
D. METHANE GAS OVERLAY DISTRICT shall mean those districts
within the City of Huntington Beach as defined in
Section 5503 .
E. QUALIFIED ENGINEER shall mean a civil engineer currently
registered in the State of California and possessing
experience in the design of subsurface gas control
systems.
F. VENT SYSTEM shall mean a system or device which gathers
or collects flammable gasses and releases these gasses
in a specified manner and location.
"Section 5503 Overlay Districts. Boundaries of the districts
set forth herein are measured from centerline to centerline of
indicated streets unless otherwise described, and are graphically
depicted by the copy of the map designated "Methane Overlay
Districts, " which is on file with the Department of Community
Development and the Fire Department.
The Methane District boundaries are as follows . Note that the
directions of. north, south, east, west, and similar directions are
general in nature only.
District One: Saybrook Lane south from Edinger Avenue to
Davenport Drive, east on Davenport Drive to Algonquin Street, south
on Algonquin Street to Warner Avenue, east on Warner Avenue to Bolsa
Chica Street, north on Bolsa Chica Street to Edinger Avenue, west on
Edinger Avenue to Saybrook Lane.
District Two: All land on both sides of Pacific Coast
Highway northwest from the City Boundary at the Santa Ana River to
the City Boundary at the Bolsa Chica Bluffs, then following the City
Boundary northeast to Edwards Street, Edwards Street north to Slater
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Avenue, Slater Avenue east to Gothard Street, Gothard Street south to
Ellis Avenue, Ellis Avenue east to Newland Street, Newland Street
south to Adams Avenue, Adams Avenue east to the City Boundary at the
Santa Ana River, City Boundary south along the Santa Ana River to
Pacific Coast Highway.
"Section 5504 Plan Required. All proposed subdivisions,
divisions of land, developments of property, and new buildings within
the methane overlay districts shall be reviewed by the Fire
Department. The Fire Chief may require a plan for the testing of
site soils for the presence of methane gas. Such plan shall be
subject to the approval of the Fire Department, and may include, but
shall not be limited to, hammer probes, pneumatically driven probes,
and core hole samples with monitoring for the presence of methane
gas . The Fire Chief may require other actions as deemed necessary to
insure the safety of the development or building site.
"Section 5505 Testing Required. Testing for the presence of
methane gas shall be required to be carried out in accordance with
the approved plan. Results of such testing shall be submitted to the
Fire Department for review and analysis.
"Section 5506 Mitigation Required. Anomalously high levels
of methane gas in the near surface or subsurface soil layers may
require mitigation before any grading, development, or building
construction is allowed to take place. Such mitigation may include,
but is not limited to, the venting of abandoned oil wells,
underground gathering and collection systems for gasses, vent
systems, and flared vent systems . Other systems, devices, or
components may be required as deemed necessary by the Fire Chief in
order to insure the safety of the development and buildings .
If the mitigation measure do not reduce the soil
concentrations of methane to an acceptable level, or if other
contaminants are present in the methane at a level which poses a
threat to health and safety, further development may be halted until
such time as the site is rendered safe from these hazards.
"Section 5507 Isolation Barriers Required New buildings
which fall under the provisions and requirements of this article may
require the installation of a continuous, flexible, permanent, and
non-permeable barrier underneath all floor and foundation areas.
Such barrier shall have and maintain a gas-tight seal around all
penetrations in the barrier, and shall be a type approved by the
Department of Community Development and the Fire Department.
"Section 5508 Access. All methane gas mitigation systems
required by this article shall be made accessible to city personnel
for the purposes of monitoring, maintenance, and evaluation for
effectiveness .
"section 5509 Areas Outside of Established Methane Overlay
District Boundaries. Upon the determination of the Fire Department
that hazard may exist from methane intrusion at a geographical
location or area outside the boundaries established in Section 5503
above, the Fire Department may enforce any or all of the
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provisions of this article as deemed necessary by the Fire Chief to
preclude potential hazards from fire or explosion from methane gas
accumulations .
"Section 5510 Additional Remedial Measures If the
concentration of flammable gas in any building in the city reaches or
exceeds twenty-five percent (25%) of the minimum concentration which
forms an ignitable mixture with air at ambient temperature and
pressure, the owner of such building shall hire a qualified engineer
to investigate, recommend, and implement mitigating measures. Such
measures shall be subject to the approval of the Department of
Community Development and the Fire Department. "
SECTION 3 • Severability
If an section,
o y subsection, part, subpart, paragraph,
clause or phrase of this ordinance, or any revision of the ordinance
is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional; the
remaining sections, subsections, parts, subparts, paragraphs, clauses
or phrases shall not be affected, but shall remain in full force and
effect.
SECTION 4
This Ordinance shall take effect and be in full force
thirty (30) days from and after the passage thereof. The City Clerk
shall cause each ordinance to be posted in three places designated by
the City Council within the City and to be published by title with a
brief summary at least once within fifteen days after its adoption in
a daily, semi-weekly or weekly newspaper, published in the County or
the City and circulated in the City, which is selected by the City
Council for that purpose.
REST OF PAGE NOT USED
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PASSED AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of
Huntington Beach at a1f94Bff9Sdmeeting thereof held on the 5th
day of July 1989 .
Mayor- pro-Tempore
ATTEST: APPROVED AS TO FORM:
City Clerk City Attorney`l3 -g9
REVIEWE ND APPROVED: INITIATED AND APPROVED:
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City Administrator �Chie�fFfi�re Department
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Ord. No. < 3004
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF ORANGE ss:
CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH 3
I, CONNIE BROCKWAY, the duly elected, qualified City
Clerk of the City of Huntington Beach and ex-officio Clerk of the
City Council of the said City, do hereby certify that the whole number
of members of the City Council of the City of Huntington Beach is seven;
that the foregoing ordinance was read to said City Council at a regular
meeting therof held on the lgth day of June
19 89 , and was again read to said City Council at a regular adjourned
meeting therof held on the 5th day of July , 1989 and
was passed and adopted by the affirmative vote of at least a majority of
all the members of said City Council .
AYES: Councilmembers:
i
MacAllister. Green Winchell , Mays, Silva, Erskine
NOES: Councilmembers:
None
ABSENT: Councilmembers:
Bannister
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crdnarco has been pubiowinftD*pmgV, City -Clerk and ex-officio Clerk
of the City Council of the City
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