A list of “In The News” posts appear in the right-hand column of every webpage. Be instantly alerted via email when a new item is posted on “In The News” by entering your email address in the Follow “In The News” box that appears on every webpage. Subscribe to the TRAA Newsletter to stay up-to-date.
The exact cost for Big West Oil’s conversion of its HF alkylation unit to Honeywell UOP’s ISOALKY technology at its North Salt Lake refinery has not been widely disclosed in public announcements by the companies involved.
However, a report referencing a 2017 article in the Oil & Gas Journal indicated that the retrofit for a similar project at the nearby Chevron Salt Lake City refinery (the first complete conversion) had an estimated cost of about $67 – $87 million.
Big West Oil announced in November 2021 that it had selected the ISOALKY technology for the revamp of its existing HF unit. Project costs for conversions of this nature can vary based on the specific refinery’s size, scope of work, and capacity.
How much for the conversion at Wynnewood from HF to KSAAT?
The publicly estimated cost for the conversion of the Hydrofluoric (HF) acid alkylation unit to KBR’s Solid Acid Alkylation Technology (K-SAAT) at CVR Energy’s Wynnewood refinery has been cited in company updates and regulatory filings.
CVR Energy originally estimated the overall capital investment for the HF mitigation and yield-enhancement project at Wynnewood to be about $90 million.
More recently, a CVR Energy executive stated that the company now expects the total cost of the project to be $135 million to $140 million.
This project involves replacing the existing HF Reactor/Settler section with the K-SAAT solid acid technology, which is intended to increase alkylate yield and eliminate the use of liquid hydrofluoric acid for safety and environmental benefits.
These actual costs are a tiny fraction of the claims made by the local refineries, and demonstrate their lack of objectivity about the matter. Why should we believe them?
Please view and learn from this documentary about the Torrance Refinery explosion of 2015, and the local efforts to remove the dire threat posed by the continued use of Hydrogen Fluoride (HF) at our South Bay refineries.
Produced by Olivia Rosenbloom in 2019 and newly released, “Near Miss” shows the work at both the City of Torrance and the AQMD to require the refineries to convert to a practical and safer alternative in their processes. Watch it HERE.
Jesse Marquez, founder and executive director of the Coalition for a Safe Environment, died on Nov. 3 after being in a coma following a Jan 13th accident where he was hit by a car in a crosswalk.
Jesse was a friend and supporter of TRAA and very active in local politics, especially regarding refineries and the ports. Read more in this Random Lengths article and from the Los Angeles Times.
Do you live near an oil refinery in Carson, Wilmington, or Torrance?
Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles
are conducting a study on whether the retirement of oil refineries affects
air pollution exposure and respiratory health for nearby residents. Even though it isn’t about HF specifically, it should provide an excellent opportunity to provide more information about the hazards of living near the refinery.
Eligibility Criteria
– 18 years old or older
– Living within 2km of a refinery for at least 1 year
– Do not smoke any tobacco products
Study Requirements
– Wear a wristband for 7 days
– Health survey
– Blood pressure & lung function measures
Participants will receive $50
To learn more about how to participate, please follow this link:
forms.gle/ZbpMhTCQNLstWegY9
or contact
Lara Cushing, PhD: lcushing@ucla.edu
Marinelle Villanueva: msvillanueva@ucla.edu
Call/Text: (323)-909-2553
An El Segundo refinery fire has renewed questions about who is investigating the state’s oil industry after serious accidents. With the U.S. Chemical Safety Board defunded, California has yet to fill the gap.
An excellent article from CalMatters, the only nonprofit newsroom devoted solely to covering issues that affect all Californians.
As the Trump administration moves to weaken the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, California still hasn’t said whether any agency, department or authority will take charge of a comprehensive investigation when a refinery erupts — something that’s happened twice this year.
The lack of oversight and investigation is especially critical when it involves an HF-using refinery, where the threat to the entire community is a dire. While it does not specifically discuss HF or the Torrance Refinery, it does question who if anyone is still watching over the refineries and what it poses for our safety. A must read.
On Thursday evening a huge explosion and fire engulfed the Chevron Refinery in El Segundo. (See reports in the Daily Breeze and the Los Angeles Times).
In response, TRAA has issued the following statement:
The Torrance Refinery Action Alliance (TRAA) is deeply concerned, yet not surprised, about the explosion and fire at the Chevron El Segundo Refinery. While we are glad to hear there have been no reported injuries or deaths, the incident reminds everyone in the South Bay of the inherent dangers of petroleum refining, especially in such proximity to densely populated areas. We are also deeply concerned for the safety of the refinery workers who are closest to danger.
While the El Segundo Refinery did not use Hydrofluoric Acid (HF), the incident nonetheless demonstrates why threatening chemicals such as HF should not be stored on refinery premises where they are subject to accidental release. Refineries in the South Bay must take immediate action to phase out hazardous chemicals, like HF, to ensure that their workers and the communities that surround them are safe from catastrophic releases. Ironically, Chevron has been a leader in this field having developed a commercially proven alternative, successfully converted their one HF unit in Utah and sold it to other HF refineries.
We also urge elected officials and regulatory agencies to take action. Today’s fire serves as a wake-up call for those in government to heed the warnings our organization has been making to them for ten years. We demand there be a serious effort to remove hazardous chemicals, like HF, from refineries that have consistently proven themselves to be unsafe to the people around them.
In a related article, the Times reports on the history of safety and environmental violations at the Chevron Refinery, and how little is being done. And it was considered one of the better refineries in the area.
TRAA is joining with Earthjustice, California Communities Against Toxics and other groups in trying to stop a bad bill allowing metal shredders to avoid adequate regulation of their dangerous toxic air emissions. This bill – SB 404 – is currently in the State Assembly, and we want to support any opposition in fighting against those toxic emissions.
Groups sue to ban toxic chemical used at local refineries
The Daily Breeze published this article on July 20th covering the NRDC/CBE/CAC lawsuit against the EPA. It begins:
Efforts to more strictly regulate a toxic chemical used to make high-octane gasoline at refineries across the nation, including at PBF Energy’s Torrance Refinery and the Valero Refinery in Wilmington, are once again ramping up.
This time, several environmental organizations, including the National Resources Defense Council, Communities for a Better Environment and the Philadelphia Clean Air Council, have sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over its regulation of the chemical, hydrofluoric acid, and its modified counterpart.
To access it, follow the link and click on the article in the lower right – it should bring up the entire text is a readable window. If it doesn’t display the July 20 paper or if you have trouble accessing it here is a copy.
Community and environmental groups filed suit to force the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to address the threat of an unnecessary and dangerous chemical used in dozens of American refineries despite its potential to form toxic acid clouds.
Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Clean Air Council (CAC) and Communities for a Better Environment (CBE) are filing the suit after the EPA rejected the groups’ petition to address the needless risks from use of hydrogen fluoride (HF)—an extremely corrosive chemical that, if released to the air, can form a lethal, ground-hugging plume that can travel for miles, causing severe injury or death to anyone in its path. More than forty oil refineries across the country—currently owned by companies including ExxonMobil, Marathon, Valero, and Delta Airlines, among others—use HF.
TRAA has been collaborating on this effort for over a year and a half. We are not a client but a collaborator and encouraged by the filing of this lawsuit.
Read more from the NRDC Press Release.
The floods in Texas and recent tornadoes in Kentucky, Tennessee and Missouri demonstrate that we NEED effective federal government capabilities to identify and warn about
impending natural disasters, and to help recovery after disasters (natural or not) occur. Yet, the Trump administration’s 2025 budget slashed FEMA’s funding by $646 million and eliminated over 2,000 staff positions, reducing its workforce by nearly a third. As Trump put it, “We want to wean off FEMA.” As Kristi Noem commented on the Texas floods: “I think what we’ve seen here is exactly what President Trump has envisioned for FEMA.” — Local News
What does this portend for a possible HF release at our, or any, HF refinery? Are we truly on our own in case of a local disaster?
Torrance Refinery Action Alliance 