Kate Chappell, 17, leading the April 20 demonstration at the Torrance Refinery.
TORRANCE—As the 7th anniversary of the 2015 Torrance Refinery explosion approaches Feb. 18, Supervisor Janice Hahn is renewing her effort to require local refineries to convert from deadly Modified Hydrofluoric Acid or MHF to safer alternatives.
“The 2015 explosion at the Torrance Refinery was bad, but it easily could have been catastrophic,” said Supervisor Hahn. “A heavy piece of debris came inches away from hitting a tank of MHF that day. We can’t assume we will be so lucky next time, whether that is another refinery accident, an earthquake, or God-forbid, an attack. MHF is too dangerous to have in our refineries and our communities will not be safe until it is gone.”
MHF is a highly toxic chemical that is used to make high-octane gasoline. At room temperature, it can form a dense ground-hugging cloud that could be deadly to anyone who comes in contact with it. Even a small accidental release of MHF during refinery operations could be catastrophic and result in mass casualties. Only two refineries in the State of California, the Torrance Refinery and the Valero Refinery in Wilmington, continue to use MHF.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Feb, 15, unanimously passed a motion by Supervisor Janice Hahn addressing the public safety concerns regarding the continued use of MHF at local refineries. The approved motion includes:
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