(April 7, 2019, 10:30 p.m.) — The Los Angeles County Dept. of Public Health has urged the South Coast Air Quality Management District to strengthen the text of a draft rule to ensure it will direct immediate enhanced mitigation measures and implement a phase-out as soon as possible of Modified Hydrofluoric Acid (MHF) used by the Valero Wilmington Refinery on LB’s western border and the Torrance (ToRC, formerly Exxon-Mobil) refinery. The L.A. County agency says it believes “there is currently enough information to conclude that a large-scale MHF release, although a low-probability event, would have potentially catastrophic impacts on surrounding community.”

In an April 2, 2019 letter to SCAQMD Executive Officer Wayne Nasri, the L.A. County Health Dept’s Deputy Director For Health Protection, Angelo Belloromo, MS, REHS, QEP voices concern that as “currently designed,” AQMD draft Rule 1410 “would facilitate additional hazard and risk assessment of MHF that could lead to [its] continued use for the next ten years or longer.” The County Health Dept. and urges AQMD to revise the draft rule text to “ensure immediate enhanced mitigation measures and implement a phase-out of MHF as soon as possible.”

In support of its position, the L.A. County Dept. of Public Health letter states:

The two area refineries are the only CA refineries that use MHF, which consists of roughly 93-94% Hydrofluoric acid (HF.), HF is highly corrosive and on release forms an expanding ground-hugging cloud that travels over distances in whatever direction the prevailing wind takes it, dissipating gradually over distance. MFH is brought to the two refineries via tanker trucks that travel along southland freeways [introducing another quantum of regional risk rarely discussed.]

 

AQMD staff PPT, agenda item 25, Feb. 1, 2019 AQMD staff PPT, agenda item 25, Feb. 1, 2019 Scientists say that depending on the amount released, its concentration, distance and length of exposure, HF has the ability to kill or inflict long-term injuries (absorbed into the body, damaging internal organs and bones. AQMD staff PPT, agenda item 25, Feb. 1, 2019 AQMD staff PPT, agenda item 25, Feb. 1, 2019 AQMD staff PPT, agenda item 25, Feb. 1, 2019 AQMD staff PPT, agenda item 25, Feb. 1, 2019 (To view AQMD’s accompanying Feb. 1 PPT presentation in full, click here.) AQMD staff has indicated that an MHF release would strain the ability of nearby hospitals and medical personnel to handle large numbers of patients who would require specialized treatment for MHF injuries. AQMD staff estimates the two refineries could convert to using a safer chemical (sulfuric acid) while acknowledging that such a conversion could cost the oil companies a few hundred million dollars, which AQMD staff considers manageable when amortized over time and benefiting from new tax laws. The two refineries, their workers’ unions and various business interests oppose a phase-out, say their use of MHF has been safe, cite existing safety measures and support increased “mitigation” measures that would allow their continued use of MHF. A number of area elected officials have urged AQMD to phase-out/ban use of MHF. They include the L.A. County Board of Supervisors, Congressmembers Ted Lieu, Nanette Barragan and Maxine Waters, the office of CA Attorney General Xavier Becerra, Assemblyman Al Maratsuchi and the City Councils of Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach. Long Beach Mayor and City Council Mum On MHF

 

To date the Mayor and City Council of Long Beach — L.A. County’s second largest city — haven’t taken a voted position on the issue.

LBREPORT.com “Follow the MoneY” coverage, citing publicly filed campaign finance documents, shows that Valero (which owns the LB-adjacent Wilmington refinery) and the politically active unions that support continued use of MHF have both campaign and/or “officeholder” accounts of LB’s Mayor and a number of Council incumbents (including Councilwoman Lena Gonzalez, now running for a LB-Huntington Park state Senate seat.).

Garcia for Mayor 2018

• 04/05/18: $400Lena Gonzalez for City Council 2018
• 09/07/17: $400
• 04/05/18: $400Suzie Price for City Council 2018
• 05/17/17: $400 (from “Valero PAC, Long Beach)”
• 04/04/18: $400Suzie Price Officeholder Account
• 06/29/18: $400Stacy Mungo for City Council 2018
• 04/5/18: $400
• 05/31/18: $400Roberto Uranga for City Council 2018
• 04/7/18: $400
• 05/23/18: $400Rex Richardson for City Council 2018
• 04/07/18: $400And below are contributions to LB’s Mayor and Council incumbents from two politically active unions that submitted written comments to AQMD opposing a proposed rule that would phase out MHF at the Valero Wilmington and Torrance ToRC refineries.

Garcia for Mayor 2018

• 06/08/2017: L.A./OC Building & Construction Trades Council PAC $800
• 03/29/2017 Southern California Pipe Trades Dist. Council 16 $800
• 11/17/2017 Southern California Pipe Trades Dist. Council 16 $1,000Garcia Officeholder Account
• 12/11/2017 L.A./OC Building & Construction Trades Council PAC $500
• 09/27/2018 L.A./OC Building & Construction Trades Council PAC $500
• 11/29/2017 Southern California Pipe Trades Dist. Council 16 $1,000
• 07/17/2018 Southern California Pipe Trades Dist. Council 16 $1,000Lena Gonzalez for City Council 2018
• 07/24/17: L.A./OC Building & Construction Trades Council PAC $400
• 06/20/17: Southern California Pipe Trades Dist. Council 16 $400Lena Gonzalez Officeholder Account
• 03/12/18: L.A./OC Building & Construction Trades Council PAC $750
• 02/10/17: Southern California Pipe Trades Dist. Council 16 $700Lena Gonzalez for State Senate
• 01/18/19: Southern California Pipe Trades Dist. Council 16 $9,300Pearce Officeholder Account
• 12/18/17: L.A./OC Building & Construction Trades Council PAC $500
• 12/18/18: L.A./OC Building & Construction Trades Council PAC $500
• 05/23/17: Southern California Pipe Trades Dist. Council 16 $750
• 02/08/18: Southern California Pipe Trades Dist. Council 16 $750Suzie Price Officeholder Account
• 08/15/17: L.A./OC Building & Construction Trades Council PAC $400
• 06/05/18: L.A./OC Building & Construction Trades Council PAC $750
• 05/23/17: Southern California Pipe Trades Dist. Council 16 $750
• 06/15/18: Southern California Pipe Trades Dist. Council 16 $500Mungo for City Council 2018
• 06/28/17: Southern California Pipe Trades Dist. Council 16 $400Uranga for City Council 2018
• 02/12/18: L.A./OC Building & Construction Trades Council PAC $400
• 06/13/18: L.A./OC Building & Construction Trades Council PAC $400Uranga Officeholder Account
• 03/14/17: L.A./OC Building & Construction Trades Council PAC $500
• 10/02/18: Southern California Pipe Trades Dist. Council 16 $750Al Austin Officeholder Account
• 08/25/17: Southern California Pipe Trades Dist. Council 16 $750Rex Richardson Officeholder Account
• 03/08/18: L.A./OC Building & Construction Trades Council PAC $750
• 02/16/17: Southern California Pipe Trades Dist. Council 16 $750
• 03/19/18: Southern California Pipe Trades Dist. Council 16 $750

• In addition, a political campaign committee self-titled the “Coalition to Restore California’s Middle Class, Including Energy Companies Who Produce Gas, Oil, Jobs and Pay Taxes,” has for more than a year amassed a multi-million dollar warchest from big oil companies and related firms. Since late February 2019, it has spent over $1.1 million in an independent campaign (run separately from Gonzalez’s campaign) to support her selection to the LB-Huntington Park state Senate seat.

State Senate candidate Gonzalez has stated in Facebook text that “As a candidate for State Senate, I will not accept oil company contributions.” That statement is accurate, because the $1.1 million oil-industry PAC sum was spent for its own independent campaign (run separately from Gonzalez’s campaign) to elect her to Sacramento.

Nearly a year ago, the politically powerful Los Angeles County Federation of Labor — which recently endorsed LB Councilwoman Lena Gonzalez’s state Senate bid — submitted written comments opposing a ban on MHF. “There has been no finding that MHF presents a risk to communities surrounding the refineries,” wrote the group’s president, Rusty Hicks in April 2018. His letter can be viewed in full here.

On August 22, 2017, the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce submitted written comments in the Rule 1410 proceeding. (The LB Chamber’s website lists Valero Wilmington as a member of its “Chairman’s Circle” at highest “Diamond” level and indicates Valero Wilmington also has a seat on the Chamber’s governing board.) In an August 22, 2017 letter, LB Chamber President/CEO Randy Gordon wrote in pertinent part:

After viewing the July 6th California Energy Commission presentation made by Gordon Schremp, Senior Fuel Analyst for the California Energy Commission, I have concerns about the impacts of this proposed ban for California’s consumers, our regional economy, and to global air emissions.According to Schremp, a ban could decrease Southern California’s local supply of gasoline for a period of at least two years. These incremental impacts to gasoline costs for consumers and businesses could mean billions of dollars in additional, higher costs. California’s working families and local businesses cannot afford these dramatically higher costs, especially on top of price increases resulting from existing and pending mandates, taxes, and fees.

I am also concerned that potentially reducing refinery output will force us to import our fuels from outside the state — which dramatically increases global air emissions. An analysis by Stillwater and Associates from the July 6th California Energy Commission Meeting found that, because of California’s geographic and infrastructural isolation, a ban would necessitate offshore refiners to “produce the products and ship them half way around the world to the California market. As a result, average spot prices could rise 25 cpg [cents per gallon] more, and ultimately the California consumer would pay the price.”

While we are all concerned about safety, we should acknowledge the lead the Governor has taken with these issues which have already resulted in increased safety regulations for all refineries that are the strongest in the nation.

I strongly encourage Board Members and staff to analyze what these impacts mean for our economy.

A list of the multiple parties submitting comment letters on Rule 1410 can be viewed here.

*Original article online at https://www.lbreport.com/news/apr19/mhflac.htm