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.
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.
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.
On March 1, the EPA released its Chemical Disaster Prevention Rules. Following that, TRAA released this Press Release:
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced the release of a final revision to the Risk Management Plan (RMP) rule governing 11,740 facilities using dangerous chemicals, including 40+ oil refineries that use hydrofluoric acid (HF), a deadly chemical capable of causing thousands of deaths in a few minutes. (see attached “Summary Info Sheet”) (link)
The new RMP rule includes many positive improvements and states its goal is “to protect the health and safety of all communities by requiring industry to prevent accidental releases of dangerous chemicals that could otherwise cause deaths and injuries, damage property and the environment, or require surrounding communities to evacuate or shelter-in-place”. EPA 3/1/24. For some positive developments see the statement from Environmental Justice & Health Alliance (link).
However, the Rule fails to protect vulnerable Environmental Justice burdened communities living near HF refineries in 20 states. The EPA recognized that HF units are vulnerable to accidents, natural disasters, and terrorist acts. However, the new rule does not meet the standard set by California Attorney General Rob Bonta and 20 other State AGs in their 2022 letter to the EPA which quoted the US Chemical Safety Board saying that it is “fully within the authority and responsibility of the EPA pursuant to …the [Chemical Disaster Rule] Risk Management Plan (RMP) Rule (40 CFR Part 68.67) as well as through its General Duty Clause.” … “to impose a robust safer technology protocol that will drive the remaining hydrofluoric acid-using refineries to identify and implement safer alternatives”
(Full letter available on request, excerpts (link to AG excerpts)).
The new rule makes significant improvements over the Trump era version by restoring the requirement that HF refineries do an analysis of safer alternatives. It adds for the first time requirements to analyze the “practicality” of these alternatives, requiring HF refineries to state why they are not using safer chemicals. This provides the EPA a tool to “influence” HF refineries toward implementation of conversion. Many of the improvements over the draft rule stem from grass roots advocacy. For example, the United SteelWorkers scored victories in the significant expansion of worker participation in safety processes.
Many of the HF dangers highlighted by TRAA, as well as those alerted to by national security experts, are referenced in the EPA release. Nonetheless, TRAA sees this rule as a three-legged stool without its 3rd leg. Without requiremening conversion to a safer alternative, the rule does little to protect the community from a catastrophic, and potentially deadly, release of HF.
There are significant improvements in response to community demands but for the 14 million people living around HF refineries and the nearly 1,000,000 in Los Angeles County alone, this effort by the Biden administration to improve on the terrible record of the Trump administration is shockingly inadequate. Especially, when it is well known that President Biden and his family live within the circle of risk for the Trainer, Pennsylvania HF refinery. TRAA will not stop calling for exceptional action at the local, state or federal level to remove this exceptional danger of mass casualties.
For Further background info with video links go to http://www.TRAA.Website
TRAA held a successful rally and march on Saturday, thanks to the many efforts of Isabel Douvan Schwartz, Zach Badaouie, Steve Goldsmith and numerous others.
Headline speaker Rep. Maxine Waters gave a rousing speech, as did local activists and politicians. Breaking news: Rep Waters announced that she will raise a bill in the House to force a conversion from HF. After music and speeches, the crowd marched from Columbia Park to the refinery entrance to show them we are still serious in our demand that the PBF Refinery convert from HF/MHF to one of the several “commercially proven, vastly safer alternatives.
A Los Angeles Times article proclaimed “Torrance residents fear continued use of hydrofluoric acid at Torrance Refinery endangers community“, and gave a very positive review of the rally. It also included a PBF statement “We are aware of the misleading and inaccurate claims by the activist group, which they have been making for years,” . TRAA uses only information provide by the oil industry, government agencies or highly vetted experts. We would welcome a dialogue with PBF for them to identify the “misleading statements” so we can clarify or correct any errors. We also want to learn the contents of their report on alternative chemicals that was required by October 2022 and has been hidden by them and the Torrance Fire Department.
In a response to the LA Times article, we wrote the following letter to the editor:
Thanks for your February 17th article on Torrance Refinery Action Alliance’s community demonstration for conversion from deadly chemical HF/MHF used at only two refineries in California — both in LA County — to a vastly safer, commercially-proven alternative. Congressmember Maxine Waters broke the news that she would introduce legislation echoing the words of AG Rob Bonta “to drive the remaining hydrofluoric acid-using refineries to identify and implement safer alternatives”
Torrance Refinery owner PBF, dismissed TRAA as “activists making mis-leading statements.” Statements found on http://www.TRAA.website are from industry, government, or highly-vetted expert sources. We challenge PBF to give specifics on these “misleading statements”, so we can clarify or correct. We advocate for transparency and accountability so why are they hiding the reports required by state regulation on proven safer alternatives.
US Chemical Safety Board states that a large HF release nearly occurred in Torrance in 2015 possibly killing thousands. They urge converting to a vastly safer commercially proven alternative. To us these are not misleading statements, they’re chilling!
Steven Goldsmith, President, Torrance Refinery Action Alliance
Torrance Refinery Action Alliance 