Tag: politics

Trump Moves to Eliminate Chemical Safety Board – Majority Opposes It

(From Wikipedia) The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (USCSB), generally referred to as the Chemical Safety Board (CSB), is an independent U.S. federal agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents. The CSB conducts root cause investigations of chemical accidents at fixed industrial facilities

The CSB was authorized by the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 and became operational in January 1998. According to the Senate legislative history, the board’s main role is to investigate chemical accidents, determine their causes, and help prevent similar incidents. Congress gave the CSB an independent mandate, specifying that no other agency or executive branch official may direct its activities.

(From Truthout) However, the Trump administration has asked Congress to eliminate it – the only independent federal agency that investigates major chemical accidents – while systemically rolling back environmental regulations, including rules designed to protect communities from toxic spills.

But new polling suggests a bipartisan majority of voters are increasingly worried about toxic chemicals and want stronger federal protection from air and water pollution, which can increase health care costs.

A nationwide poll of 2,025 registered voters released on June 3 suggests Trump’s deregulatory agenda is not meeting the expectations of voters after the president promised to deliver the “cleanest air and water on Earth” during his 2024 campaign.

By an 8 to 1 margin, voters across the political spectrum said the EPA should prioritize protecting public health from toxic pollution over reducing regulations — even if it means higher costs. The cost of health care remains a top concern, and 81 percent said the rollback of EPA regulations is shifting the burden of pollution “onto families through medical bills and long-term health consequences.”

“They aren’t buying the idea that rolling back protections makes life more affordable … pollution prevention is part of protecting families from costs they cannot afford,” said John Ray, senior director at YouGov, which conducted the poll, in a call with reporters on June 3.

TRAA Mourns the passing of friend and activist Jesse Marquez

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.

US EPA adopts halfway measures that fails to protect communities from hydrofluoric acid (HF)

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

Torrance Refinery Action Alliance (TRAA)’s 9th Anniversary of a near-release of deadly HF – SAVE THE DATE

 Informational gathering & rally

Join us on Saturday, February 17th from 10am until 1pm @ Columbia Park, Prairie Ave. (north of 190th St.) in Torrance, CA

Learn more about the dangers of Hydrofluoric Acid (HF/MHF) used at the Torrance & Wilmington refineries, hear from experts & elected officials, and rally for the safer community we all deserve! Join us in telling Valero Energy Corporation (based in Texas) & PBF Energy, Inc. (based in New Jersey) that communities deserve safer places to live, learn, and work! 

While these private companies rake in hundreds of millions of dollars off of the South Bay, their investment into safer chemicals and safe practices remains lacking. Let’s make sure these two oil refining companies are protecting the safety of all children at nearby schools, of elderly people out for a walk, of our pets and wildlife, and for all! TRAA says, “OUR LIVES ARE WORTH THE COST TO CONVERT!”

For more information about the dangers of HF/MHF, a list of commercially-available alternatives to the deadly chemical, and the status of the fight for safer communities/working conditions, visit us at www.traa.website & join our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/TorranceRefineryActionAlliance

9 years ago, the Torrance Refinery narrowly missed a mass release of toxic HF/MHF. If the 40-ton piece of equipment had landed mere feet closer, the tank of Hydrofluoric Acid (aka HF/MHF) would have been damaged, leading to a potentially catastrophic, mass casualty event. People within a 5.3 mile radius of the refinery would have been put at risk for possible death or serious, irreversible damage to their health from the resulting deadly, ground-hugging gas cloud.

For years, people have rallied across the country for the refineries that use HF/MHF to convert to any of the safer, commercially-proven & available alternatives. Elected officials have attempted to pass legislation to require safer chemical usage at refineries. Government agencies have struggled to enforce safety measures. 

WE NEED YOUR HELP MORE THAN EVER! 

Join the fight for a safer community to live and work!

(Optional) RSVP using the event link: https://fb.me/e/58UqCsz33 

Torrance Refinery Action Alliance (TRAA)’s 9th Anniversary of a near-release of deadly HF – SAVE THE DATE

 Informational gathering & rally

Join us on Saturday, February 17th from 10am until 1pm @ Columbia Park, Prairie Ave. (north of 190th St.) in Torrance, CA

Learn more about the dangers of Hydrofluoric Acid (HF/MHF) used at the Torrance & Wilmington refineries, hear from experts & elected officials, and rally for the safer community we all deserve! Join us in telling Valero Energy Corporation (based in Texas) & PBF Energy, Inc. (based in New Jersey) that communities deserve safer places to live, learn, and work! 

While these private companies rake in hundreds of millions of dollars off of the South Bay, their investment into safer chemicals and safe practices remains lacking. Let’s make sure these two oil refining companies are protecting the safety of all children at nearby schools, of elderly people out for a walk, of our pets and wildlife, and for all! TRAA says, “OUR LIVES ARE WORTH THE COST TO CONVERT!”

For more information about the dangers of HF/MHF, a list of commercially-available alternatives to the deadly chemical, and the status of the fight for safer communities/working conditions, visit us at www.traa.website & join our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/TorranceRefineryActionAlliance

9 years ago, the Torrance Refinery narrowly missed a mass release of toxic HF/MHF. If the 40-ton piece of equipment had landed mere feet closer, the tank of Hydrofluoric Acid (aka HF/MHF) would have been damaged, leading to a potentially catastrophic, mass casualty event. People within a 5.3 mile radius of the refinery would have been put at risk for possible death or serious, irreversible damage to their health from the resulting deadly, ground-hugging gas cloud.

For years, people have rallied across the country for the refineries that use HF/MHF to convert to any of the safer, commercially-proven & available alternatives. Elected officials have attempted to pass legislation to require safer chemical usage at refineries. Government agencies have struggled to enforce safety measures. 

WE NEED YOUR HELP MORE THAN EVER! 

Join the fight for a safer community to live and work!

(Optional) RSVP using the event link: https://fb.me/e/58UqCsz33