CC SR 20180515 F - AQMD Letter RE Hydrofluoric AcidRANCHO PALOS VERDES CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: 05/15/2018
AGENDA REPORT AGENDA HEADING: Consent Calendar
AGENDA DESCRIPTION:
Consideration and possible action to send a letter to the South Coast Air Quality
Management District (AQMD) regarding the use of hydrofluoric acid (HF) and modified
hydrofluoric acid (MHF) at refineries in Torrance and Wilmington
RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION:
(1) Authorize the Mayor to sign a letter to the AQMD supporting rulemaking to phase
out the use of HF and MHF at South Bay refineries.
FISCAL IMPACT: None
Amount Budgeted: N/A
Additional Appropriation: N/A
Account Number(s): N/A
ORIGINATED BY: Kit Fox, AICP, Senior Administrative Analyst
REVIEWED BY: Gabriella Yap, Deputy City Manager
APPROVED BY: Doug Willmore, City Manager
ATTACHED SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS:
A. Draft letter to AQMD (page A-1)
B. April 28th AQMD Refinery Committee agenda (page B-1)
C. Daily Breeze article regarding April 28th meeting (page C-1)
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION:
At the City Council meeting on April 17, 2018, Councilmember Alegria asked for an item
to be placed on a future agenda to consider sending a letter to the South Coast Air
Quality Management District (AQMD) regarding the use of hydrofluoric acid (HF) and
modified hydrofluoric acid (MHF) at refineries in Torrance and Wilmington. A similar
request had been previously made by Mr. Roger Schamp at recent City Council
meetings as public comments regarding non-agenda items.
HF is a chemical compound used in petroleum alkylation, which is a process involved in
the refining of high-octane gasoline. Upon contact with moisture, HF converts to
hydrofluoric acid, which is highly corrosive and toxic. Adverse impacts from HF release
include severe damage to skin, respiratory system, and bones; and severe irritation to
the eyes, skin and nasal passages. Upon release, the acid vaporizes and forms a toxic
cloud that can travel close to the ground with potentially lethal concentrations. The
1
Torrance and Wilmington refineries are the only two within AQMD’s jurisdiction that use
HF for petroleum alkylation; other refineries in the South Coast air basin use sulfuric
acid in their alkylation units.
In 1991, AQMD Governing Board adopted Rule 1410 to phase out HF by January 1,
1998 with interim control measures. Ultramar Refinery (Valero) filed a lawsuit
challenging AQMD’s authority to adopt the rule and compliance with CEQA. The courts
upheld AQMD’s authority to adopt the rule, but the rule was invalidated due to a
procedural error in circulating the CEQA document. AQMD did not pursue Rule 1410
further because the then-ExxonMobil refinery in Torrance entered into a consent decree
that required HF to be the phased out by 1997, but permitted the continued use of MHF
through December 1994 only if it could be demonstrated that it would not form a dense
vapor cloud upon release. AQMD subsequently signed a memorandum of
understanding (MOU) with the Ultramar Refinery in Wilmington to phase out the use of
pure HF by 2005.
According to background information on the AQMD website, Torrance Refining
Company, LLC is one of six large refineries in AQMD’s jurisdiction. The refinery is
subject to numerous AQMD rules and regulations pertaining to refining operations and
equipment. Located at 3700 W. 190th St. in Torrance and covering 750 acres, it refines
gasoline, diesel fuel, aviation fuels, liquefied petroleum gases, coke and sulfur. In
February 2015, a large explosion in an air pollution control device ejected heavy metal
parts, narrowly missing a unit that contains highly-toxic modified hydrofluoric acid
(MHF). As a result of air pollution violations during the explosion and subsequent
restart of the refinery, then-owner ExxonMobil paid a $5.5 million penalty to AQMD, of
which $2.77 million has been committed to fund community benefit projects. In 2016,
AQMD released a request for proposals (RFP) and hosted a community meeting on the
use of the settlement monies for projects that provide public health and quality of life
improvements.
New Jersey-based PBF Energy purchased the refinery and took over operations on July
1, 2016. In 2016, the refinery experienced several power cuts and, as a result,
conducted unplanned flaring. In February 2017, PBF agreed to an administrative order
by the independent AQMD Hearing Board requiring the facility to improve power
reliability and reduce air pollution from power-related flaring incidents. The Hearing
Board will maintain jurisdiction over the order until all its requirements are completed.
While the refinery must meet specific milestones and deadlines under the order, the
overall effort will take several years to complete.
As a result of the recent series of incidents at the Torrance refinery, AQMD’s Refinery
Committee held an investigative hearing in April 2017 to gather information about
refinery safety and operations from experts and regulators, as well as feedback from
community groups and residents. After a series of working group meetings were
conducted in 2017, the Committee held public meetings on January 20, 2018, and April
28, 2018 (Attachment B).
2
During this same period, opponents of the use of HF and MHF in South Bay refineries—
mostly notably, the Torrance Refinery Action Alliance—mobilized to urge AQMD to
phase out the use of these chemicals. Letters opposing the continued use of HF and
MHF have been submitted to AQMD by the cities of Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach
and Redondo Beach; by some individual city councilmembers from Torrance and
Carson; and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, among others.
The focus of the efforts of the Refinery Committee has been to reach consensus
between the refiners and the surrounding communities to amend Rule 1410 to phase
out the use of HF and MHF at the Torrance and Wilmington refineries. Early drafts of
Rule 1410 suggested that it would be completely phase out within 8 years, with more
recent drafts of the rule suggesting that the use of HF and MHF be phased out in 5-6
years. The refinery operators are opposed to any phasing out of the use of HF and
MHF. At the conclusion of the recent Refinery Committee meeting (Attachment C), it
was the Committee’s consensus to stop short of recommending a ban on HF and MHF,
and to direct its staff to further research additives that could reduce the risk of creating a
toxic gas cloud during an accidental release. The Committee expects to receive this
report back in 90 days, after which it may make a formal recommendation to the AQMD
Governing Board.
The closest portions of Rancho Palos Verdes to the Torrance refinery are generally
upwind, roughly 6 miles to the south and at a higher elevation than the refinery. The
refinery in Wilmington is located roughly 5 miles from the City boundary, and also
generally upwind and at a higher elevation. As such, the direct effects of an accidental
release of HF or MHF at either refinery upon the City should be limited. However, as
the City Council has previously expressed regarding the Rancho LPG butane storage
facility in San Pedro, it is in the best interest the public health, safety and general
welfare for industrial land uses to avoid storing or using highly dangerous or toxic
substances in close proximity to residential neighborhoods. Therefore, Staff has
prepared a draft letter to the AQMD in support of the adoption of rules to that minimize
the exposure of the public to the hazards associated with HF and MHF (Attachment A).
ALTERNATIVES:
In addition to the Staff recommendation, the following alternative action is available for
the City Council’s consideration:
1. Do not authorize the Mayor to sign a letter to the AQMD regarding the use
of HF and MHF at South Bay refineries.
3
May 15, 2018
Dr. Clark E. Parker, Sr., Chair, Refinery Committee
South Coast Air Quality Management Governing Board
21865 Copley Dr.
Diamond Bar, CA 91765
SUBJECT: Support for Proposed Rule 1410
Dear Chair Parker and Members of the Refinery Committee:
On behalf of the Rancho Palos Verdes City Council, I want to take this opportunity to urge
the Refinery Committee to recommend that the South Coast Air Quality Management District
Governing Board take timely and decisive action to phase out the use of hydrofluoric acid
(HF) and modified hydrofluoric acid (MHF) at the South Bay refineries located in Torrance
and Wilmington. As you know, these are the only refineries within the District’s jurisdiction
that continue to use these highly-toxic chemicals in their petroleum alkylation processes.
We understand that the District originally promulgated Rule 1410 in 1991 to phase out HF by
January 1, 1998, with interim control measures. As a result of legal challenges brought by
the refineries, the courts eventually upheld the District’s authority to adopt Rule 1410, but it
is was invalidated due to a procedural error in circulating the CEQA document. Although the
operators of both refineries eventually reached agreements with the District to phase out HF
by the late 1990s to early 2000s, neither refinery has yet met its obligations under these
agreements to discontinue the use of these chemicals.
In light of the narrowly-averted disaster at the Torrance refinery in February 2015, we believe
it is high time for the District to exert its legal authority to adopt Proposed Rule 1410 to phase
out the use and storage of HF and MHF at these refineries. We believe that this can be
accomplished in a manner that protects the health and safety of surrounding residents and
communities, protects the safety and livelihoods of refinery workers, protects the motoring
public from unreasonable increases in motor vehicle fuel prices, and protects the investments
of the refinery operators.
Sincerely,
Susan M. Brooks
Mayor
cc: Refinery Committee Members
Rancho Palos Verdes City Council
Doug Willmore, City Manager
Gabriella Yap, Deputy City Manager
Kit Fox, AICP, Senior Administrative Analyst
A-1
DR
A
F
T
NOTICE OF THE SCAQMD
REFINERY COMMITTEE MEETING
REFINERY COMMITTEE:
Dr. Clark E. Parker, Sr., Chair
Mayor Larry McCallon, Vice Chair
Mayor Ben Benoit
Dr. Joseph K. Lyou
Mayor Pro Tem Judith Mitchell
Dr. William A. Burke, Ad Hoc Member
Saturday, April 28, 2018 – 9:00 a.m.
Torrance City Council Chambers
3031 Torrance Boulevard
Torrance, CA 90503
AGENDA
Items are expected to be completed in the order listed below. However, items may be
taken in any order.
1. Welcome / Opening Remarks Dr. Clark E. Parker, Sr.
Committee Chair
2. Introduction
Wayne Nastri
Executive Officer
3. Staff Presentation – Status Update of PR1410
Dr. Philip M. Fine
Deputy Executive Officer
Planning and Rules
4. Health Effects from Exposure to Sulfuric Acid
and Hydrofluoric Acid (HF)
Dr. Craig A. Merlic
Professor
Department of Chemistry
and Biochemistry
UCLA
B-1
5. Elected Officials
(3 minutes each)
6. Refineries
TORC
Valero
(10 minutes each)
7. TRAA Presentation
Dr. Sally Hayati
President
(10 minutes)
8. Union Representatives (10 minutes)
9. Public Comments
Members of the public may address the Committee
concerning any agenda item before or during
consideration of that item (Govt. Code Section
54954.3). Speakers may be limited to one (1)
minute each. The agenda for this meeting is
posted at SCAQMD Headquarters, 21865 Copley
Drive, Diamond Bar, CA, and Torrance City Council
Chambers at 3031 Torrance Boulevard, Torrance,
CA, at least 72 hours in advance of the
meeting. At the end of the agenda, an
opportunity is provided for public comment on
matters within the Committee’s authority.
(1 minute each)
10. Refinery Committee Discussion Committee Members
11. Closing Remarks Committee Members
Adjournment
Document Availability
All documents (i) constituting non-exempt public records, (ii) relating to an item on the
agenda, and (iii) having been distributed to at least a majority of the Committee after the
agenda is posted, are available prior to the meeting for public review at the South Coast
Air Quality Management District Public Information Center, 21865 Copley Drive, Diamond
Bar, CA 91765, and will also be available at the meeting site on the day of the meeting.
Americans with Disabilities Act
The agenda and documents in the agenda packet will be made available, upon request, in
appropriate alternative formats to assist persons with a disability [Govt. Code Section
54954.2(a)]. Disability-related accommodations will also be made available to allow
participation in the meeting. Any accommodations must be requested as soon as practicable.
Requests will be accommodated to the extent feasible. Please contact Denny Shaw at 909-
396-2386 from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, or send the request to
dshaw@aqmd.gov.
- 2 -
B-2
SCAQMD REFINERY COMMITTEE April 28, 2018
Torrance, California
Status Update on PR1410 –
Hydrogen Fluoride Storage and
Use at Petroleum Refineries
B-3
SUMMARY OF JANUARY 20 TH 2018 REFINERY
COMMITTEE MEETING
•SCAQMD staff presented initial rule concepts
•Approximately 100 speakers testified with almost an equal
number of people supporting or opposing a ban of MHF
•Refinery Committee direction to staff:
Return to the Refinery Committee in 90 days
Work with key stakeholders to reach consensus
8 year implementation timeframe is too long
If consensus cannot be reached, the Refinery Committee will direct
staff on how to proceed
2 B-4
SCAQMD MEETINGS SINCE THE LAST REFINERY
COMMITTEE
3
Torrance Refining
Company (TORC)
SCAQMD staff
February 7, 2018
SCAQMD technical staff
March 7, 2018
SCAQMD staff
April 5, 2018
Valero
SCAQMD staff
February 1, 2018
SCAQMD staff
March 8, 2018
Dr. Parker and SCAQMD
staff April 4, 2018
Torrance Refinery
Action Alliance
SCAQMD staff
March 23, 2018
Dr. Parker and SCAQMD
staff April 4, 2018
B-5
SUMMARY OF STAFF’S INITIAL RULE CONCEPT
Rule
Adoption
1 Year 2-3 Years
8 Years Tier III
Mitigation
Tier I
Mitigation
Tier II
Mitigation
Enhancements
to Existing
Mitigation
Automated
Mitigation and
Increased
Monitoring
“Fail-Safe”
Mitigation -
Containment
Phase-Out
of MHF
8 Years
B-6
Cannot Support
REFINERIES’ RESPONSE TO INITIAL RULE CONCEPT
Rule
Adoption
Tier III
Mitigation
“Fail-Safe”
Mitigation -
Containment
Phase-Out
of MHF
Tier II
Mitigation Tier III
Mitigation
“Fail-Safe”
Mitigation -
Containment
Phase-Out
of MHF
Automated
Mitigation and
Increased
Monitoring
Support Concepts for
Tier I and II Mitigation
and Timeframe
Tier II+
Mitigation
Automated Mitigation,
Increased Monitoring
and Elements of
Tier III Mitigation
Enhancements
to Existing
Mitigation
Tier I
Mitigation
2-3 Years 1 Year
8 Years
8 Years
B-7
Cannot Support Support Phase-out of MHF in 4 years
TRAA’S RESPONSE TO INITIAL RULE CONCEPT
Rule
Adoption
Tier I
Mitigation
Tier II
Mitigation
Enhancements
to Existing
Mitigation
Automated
Mitigation and
Increased
Monitoring
Tier III
Mitigation
“Fail-Safe”
Mitigation -
Containment
1 Year 2-3 Years
8 Years
8 Years Tier III
Mitigation
Phase-Out
of MHF
“Fail-Safe”
Mitigation -
Containment
Phase-Out
of MHF
4 Years
B-8
KEY ISSUE #1
REFINERIES ASSERT THEY
CANNOT CONVERT TO
EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES
BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT
COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE
AND PROVEN
RESPONSE:
7
•Sulfuric acid alkylation is commercially
available
•Further demonstration of emerging
technologies at scale is desirable
•Proposed Rule 1410 can include
phase-out with:
•Technology assessment
•Participation of refineries in
demonstration projects
B-9
STATUS OF TECHNOLOGIES
•Sulfuric acid alkylation currently available
•Approximately 50 refineries in the nation use sulfuric acid alkylation units
•With the exception of TORC and Valero, all other California refineries use sulfuric acid
•Valero’s refineries in Louisiana and Texas are completing installation of new sulfuric
acid alkylation units
•Emerging technologies
•Solid acid catalyst alkylation being used at a petrochemical plant in China –
Application is 2,700 bpd in 2015
•Ionic liquid catalyst at Chevron Salt Lake City refinery in Utah –
5,000 bpd HF Alkylation conversion 2017 to 2020
8 B-10
KEY ISSUE #2
REFINERIES CANNOT
SUPPORT A PHASE-OUT
BECAUSE CONVERSION TO
SULFURIC ACID WILL NOT
GENERATE ANY RETURN ON
INVESTMENT
RESPONSE:
9
•In addition to capital and operating
costs, the decision to phase-out MHF
should consider public safety and
health effects
•Difficult to quantify the financial
impact of the risk associated with an
off-site release of MHF
•TORC’s Burns and McDonnell study1
estimated the conversion cost of a
sulfuric acid alkylation unit of $600
million with an additional $300 million
for acid regeneration
1 Burns and McDonnell - Alkylation Study & Estimate, 2017 B-11
SULFURIC ACID ALKYLATION COST ESTIMATES
•Burns & McDonnell estimate
included alkylation unit and post
processing equipment
Estimated Cost: $600 Million
•SCAQMD staff and Norton
Engineering agree post processing
replacement not needed for
conversion
Estimated Cost: $300 Million
Post Processing Alkylation Unit
•Installation at Valero more
challenging than TORC due to space
constraints
B-12
POTENTIAL BENEFIT OF
NEW TAX CUT AND JOBS ACT
•New Tax Cut and Jobs Act – “full expensing” provision allows the deduction of 100%
cost of investments from taxable income in every year for up to five years
•Estimated cost of sulfuric acid alkylation approximately $300 million dollars –
Amortized over 5 years:
•TORC’s most recent turnaround cost was more than $250 million – Extraordinary
turnaround that included the majority of its refinery process units
11
Millions of Dollars
Capital Expenses Tax Savings
Annual Average ~$70 ~$15
Five-Year Total ~$350 ~$75
B-13
•Any impacts would be temporary
•Can incorporate a staggered
implementation schedule to reduce
supply impacts, if any
•Planned phase-out is different than an
unplanned shutdown – less disruptive
•Refineries can stockpile or purchase
alkylate to minimize downtime
•Future California gasoline demand
projected to decrease1 minimizing
potential supply impacts, if any
KEY ISSUE #3
A RULE THAT AFFECTS ONLY 2
REFINERIES GIVES A MARKET
ADVANTAGE TO THE OTHER
REFINERIES AND WILL
INCREASE GASOLINE PRICES
RESPONSE:
12
1 California Energy Commission, Transportation Energy Demand Forecast 2018-2030, November 2017
California Energy Commission
Gasoline Demand for Light-Duty Vehicles1
B-14
ACCIDENTS HAPPEN
•“Near-miss” accident at Exxon Mobil in 20151
40 ton piece of electrostatic precipitator landed within 5 feet of the
MHF acid settler
•Sulfuric acid alkylation accident at Tesoro Martinez in 20142
Released 84,000 pounds of sulfuric acid injured two employees
•HF Release at Marathon Petroleum Corporation, Texas City in
19873
Vapors emitted under pressure for over 2 hours
More than 1,000 people injured
•Explosion at Valero Texas City April 19, 20184
Early reports stated fire erupted in refinery's depropanizer tower
Uncertain at this time if HF was released from alkylation unit
13
MHF Acid
Settlers
40 Ton
Debris
1 Chemical Safety Board - ExxonMobil Torrance Refinery Investigation Report, 2017
2 Chemical Safety Board - Tesoro Martinez Refinery Process Safety Culture Case Study, 2016
3 Texas City Journal; Where a Chemical Leak Seems an Acceptable Risk, 1987
4 San Antonio Business Journal; Fire at Valero's Texas City Refinery Remains Under Investigation, 2018
Exxon Mobil Refinery
B-15
TOP THREE U.S. REFINERIES USING HF/MHF
ALKYLATION IN DENSELY POPULATED AREAS
Alkylate: 26,500 BPD
298,000 People within 3 Miles
Nearest Residence ~3,200 Feet
Alkylate: 25,500 BPD
245,000 People within 3 Miles
Nearest Residence 1,500 Feet
Alkylate: 20,000 BPD
153,000 People within 3 Miles
Nearest Residence ~4,100 Feet
14
#1
Philadelphia Energy Solutions
#2
Torrance Refining Company
#3
Valero Wilmington Refinery
B-16
RELATIVE RISK OF HF AND MHF
15
•MHF modestly increases rainout - HF
exposure would still occur
•Material Safety Datasheets for HF
and MHF list the same hazards
EMERGENCY OVERVIEW: Clear, colorless, corrosive fuming liquid with an
extremely acrid odor. Forms dense white vapor clouds if released. Both liquid and vapor
can cause severe burns to all parts of the body. Specialized medical treatment is required
for all exposures. B-17
CURRENT STAFF RECOMMENDATION FOR TWO
POSSIBLE RULE APPROACHES
•Option A: Tier 1+ Mitigation with Phase-out in 5 years
•“Tier 1+” Mitigation: Enhancements to existing and some automated mitigation
implemented within 1 year
•Phase-out MHF no longer than 5 years
•Option B: Tier 1 and 2 Mitigation with Longer Phase-out
•Tier 1 Mitigation: Enhancements to existing mitigation implemented within 1 year
•Tier 2 Mitigation: Automated mitigation implemented within 2-3 years
•Technology assessment in 2 years
•Phase-out MHF no longer than 6 years
•If technology assessment concludes additional time needed, phase-out MHF no longer
than 8 years
16 B-18
TWO POSSIBLE RULE CONCEPTS TO CONSIDER
Rule
Adoption
1 Year 5 Years
Option A
Rule
Adoption
1 Year 2-3 Years
Option B
Tier I+
Mitigation
Phase-Out
MHF
Tier I
Mitigation
Phase-Out
MHF
Phase-Out
MHF
Tier II+
Mitigation
6 Years 8 Years
If Technology Assessment
Concludes Additional Time Needed Technology
Assessment B-19
5/1/2018 More safety measures, but no eventual ban on potentially lethal refinery chemical used in Torrance, Wilmington, AQMD panel sa…
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By NICK GREEN | ngreen@scng.com | Daily Breeze
PUBLISHED: April 28, 2018 at 6:17 pm | UPDATED: April 30, 2018 at 1:03 pm
A crowd packed the auditorium of Torrance City Hall for the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s Refinery Committee’s
meeting Saturday morning. (Photo: Axel Koester for SCNG)
A subcommittee of Southern California’s pollution watchdog stopped short of recommending Saturday to its governing
board that toxic modified hydrofluoric acid be phased out at refineries in Torrance and Wilmington, but did agree the
plants need to implement additional safety measures.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District’s Refinery Committee also directed the agency’s staff to find out more
about an additive in the acid used to reduce the risk of creating a toxic gas cloud during an accidental release, including
the level currently in use at the two refineries. The committee wants a report back on the issues in 90 days.
The two South Bay refineries are the only ones in the state still using the potentially lethal chemical.
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Board member Joe Lyou, president and chief executive officer of nonprofit group The Coalition for Clean Air,
characterized the committee’s position in not recommending a ban as simply not possessing sufficient information.
“I wish alternative technologies (to using hydrofluoric acid) were further along,” he said. “I don’t think they’re at a place
we can mandate (using them).”
At least one board member said he was reticent to phase out use of the chemical now because the potential cost in the
hundreds of millions of dollars could mean closure of the twin refineries, which employ hundreds of workers.
The board’s mid-afternoon decision came at the end of a lengthy meeting Saturday at Torrance City Hall attended by
more than 500 local residents and blue-clad refinery workers.
Hydrofluoric acid is considered one of the world’s most dangerous chemicals, capable of forming a toxic gas cloud if it is
inadvertently released, experts say. It is so “highly hazardous” it’s basically considered a “systemic poison,” UCLA
professor and chemical safety expert Craig Merlic told the board.
The modified form of the chemical in use locally possesses an additive that inhibits the formation of a toxic gas cloud,
but at most only provides a 30 percent reduction – and likely less – in its size, AQMD staff said.
That was largely why the board directed staff to discuss the additional safety measures with the two refineries, which
will include enhancements to current safety measures such as more automated systems in the event of an accidental
release and increased HF monitoring.
It was clear many on the board had reservations about the continued use of HF, with Rolling Hills Estates Councilwoman
Judy Mitchell being the most blunt.
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VIEW COMMENTS
“A risk well-managed may well be a risk too great,” she said, echoing the title of a study published a few years ago that
advocated getting rid of HF. “In my opinion, it is an unacceptable risk.”
A lack of information about the properties of HF, a proprietary chemical manufactured by Honeywell, hampered the
board’s ability to reach any decision, several panelists said.
“We want to find out from Honeywell the minimum percentage of additive needed to mitigate the risk of an accidental
release,” said Sam Atwood, AQMD spokesman, after the meeting.
Board members were frustrated that it appeared no one had tested the modified hydrofluoric acid’s capability of
providing an increased level of safety and that answers to some basic questions about the chemical were unavailable.
That was in part due to trade secrets, but also was related to the “extreme challenge” posed by conducting tests on such
a hazardous chemical, AQMD staff said.
“To have the comfort of hard data, we don’t have that,” conceded Wayne Nastri, AQMD chief executive officer, who
admitted the agency didn’t know for sure the percentage of additive employed at the refineries.
The public debate was triggered three years ago by an explosion and fire at the Torrance refinery. A U.S. Chemical Safety
Board assessment of the explosion said debris from the blast narrowly missed a tank containing hydrofluoric acid,
falling just short of a release of the highly toxic chemical. Some experts and activists fear such a release could be
catastrophic, putting many lives at risk in the surrounding community.
Exxon Mobil sold the refinery to PBF Energy in 2016.
Sally Hayati, president of grassroots group Torrance Refinery Action Alliance, called the decision to at least improve
refinery safety systems a “victory of sorts” that wouldn’t have occurred without the public outcry over HF.
“We look at it as the first step,” she said. “This is just the start of what needs to be done.”
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Nick Green
Nick Green
Veteran journalist Nick Green is the beat reporter for the cities of Torrance, Carson and Lomita and
also covers the South Bay's rapidly growing craft beer industry for the Daily Breeze. He has worked for
newspapers on the West Coast since graduating in 1987 from the University of Washington and lives in
Old Torrance with his wife and two cats. Follow him on Twitter @NickGreen007 and @BeerGogglesLA.
Follow Nick Green @NickGreen007
Tags: business,community,fire,health,local-news,public safety,South Bay,
Top Stories Breeze,Top Stories LBPT,Torrance Refining Company
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