TRAA Updates: Torrance “Responds” to Hazard Control Request, Reports on Chemical Safety Agency Closure

Torrance Finally Responds to TRAA’s FOIA Request – Kind Of

Although refineries are required to conduct a Hierarchy of Hazard Control Analysis or HCA and produce its results, Torrance Refinery Action Alliance has fought for years to acquire a copy. On June 9, TRAA reported in a little-known regulation established in 2017; refineries that use hydrofluoric acid or HF, an exceptionally dangerous chemical that can cause mass casualties in a few minutes, “are required to conduct a Hierarchy of Hazard Control Analysis or HCA of its units on a repeating five-year cycle. A hazard control analysis requires the refinery to enumerate the hazards of each process, and to assess whether higher order safety measures are feasible” [like using a vastly safer chemical], – from a letter sent by Torrance Refinery-PBF to TRAA, 2018.

The first five-year cycle ended October 2022 and somebody has been playing “hide the football” ever since. (See this Article from June 2023 for background).

Then,TRAA received a highly-redacted copy of the HCA report. In fact every word of every answer was redacted. This is the sort of stonewalling the City of Torrance and the refinery have done since the beginning. Absolutely no information was provided.

Details: For images go to, https://tinyurl.com/Torrance-and-FOIA-request

White House Proposes Shutting Down Chemical Safety Agency

Torrance Refinery Action Alliance June 3 shared a report by The Washington Post. It states that an independent agency that investigates chemical disasters — including fatal fires and explosions at chemical plants and oil refineries nationwide — would shutter by October 2026 under little-noticed language in White House budget documents released Friday.

The proposal to eliminate the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board is almost certain to face pushback from lawmakers in both parties. President Donald Trump repeatedly called for zeroing out the agency’s funding during his first term, only for Congress to maintain or increase its budget.

This time, however, Trump is trying to seize greater control of independent agencies, testing the limits of presidential power. The Supreme Court last month refused to immediately reinstate a pair of independent regulators fired by the Trump administration, saying the president may have the authority to oust them.

Details: Link to read for free: https://wapo.st/4dHupNU