PROTECTING AMERICANS FROM HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS—State PIRG Advocate Meghan Purvis appeared on PBS’s NOW to advocate stronger chemical security rules for oil refineries nationwide. At over 100 facilities in the country, there is enough hydrofluoric acid to put one million people’s lives at risk.

In Philadelphia, Pa., the Sunoco oil refinery holds enough hazardous hydrofluoric acid to put one million of the refinery’s neighbors at risk in the event of an accident or terrorist attack.

And there are 49 more oil refineries like this one in the country.

So says a new report by state PIRG Advocate Meghan Purvis entitled “Needless Risk: Oil Refineries and Hazard Reduction,” which details the risk oil refineries pose to surrounding communities in the event of an emergency.

“Oil refineries pose a needless risk to millions of people across the country because of the hydrofluoric acid they store on site,” said Purvis, appearing on PBS’s NOW on July 15. “We need Congress to act to prevent devastating releases of chemicals from oil refineries and other chemical companies.”

Hazardous To Public Health
Across the country, petroleum refineries, chemical plants and other industrial facilities use and store large amounts of hazardous chemicals that could be released in the event of an accident or terrorist attack.

Such releases could endanger thousands or even millions of people who live in communities in close proximity to these facilities. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 106 facilities would each endanger at least 1 million people in the event of a worst-case chemical release.

Many of these facilities, however, present an unnecessary risk to their surrounding communities— because safer alternatives exist. Industries often have multiple options for carrying out similar processes, and some of these options are inherently safer than others.

“We’re very aware of the dangers that these plants pose,” said Tex- PIRG Advocate Luke Metzger. “The July explosion in Fort Worth has us working to increase the safety and security of these sites, so that we don’t see another Valley Solvents situation endangering the lives of people.”

Oil Refineries Stand Out
Petroleum refineries stand out as a stark example of the needless risk posed by such facilities in the event of an attack or accident as well as the opportunity to mitigate this risk by using safer alternatives to hydrofluoric acid. The acid is a catalyst in alkylation, the chemical process by which high-octane gasoline is made.

Key findings of the report include:

• Of the 148 petroleum refineries in the U.S., 50 use hydrofluoric acid in their processing or store it on-site. The remainder use safer alternatives, including modified hydrofluoric acid and sulfuric acid.

• The companies operating refineries using hydrofluoric acid with the most people residing in their vulnerability zones include Sunoco, Valero Energy Corporation, Marathon Ashland Petroleum, ConocoPhillips, CITGO, and ExxonMobil, each endangering at least 2 million people.

• Many companies owning refineries using hydrofluoric acid also operate refineries without that technology. ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, Valero Energy Corporation and Marathon Ashland, for example, own refineries using hydrofluoric acid as well as refineries that use other technologies.

Congress is deliberating the issue of chemical security, and holding a series of hearings this summer before drafting legislation. The state PIRGs have long advocated requiring chemical facilities to use safer alternatives wherever possible.