Here’s why AQMD committee chose enhanced safety measures over a ban on MHF at refineries in Wilmington and Torrance

Supervisor Janice Hahn and Rolling Hills Estates City Councilwoman Judy Mitchell cast the dissenting votes against allowing use of HMF to continue. Refinery officials applauded the decision. Anti-MHF activists vowed to fight on. Improved safety systems at two South Bay refineries are preferable to a phase-out and eventual ban of modified hydrofluoric acid, a subcommittee […]

Air Quality Regulators Don’t Look Eager To Ban A Deadly Refinery Acid

Ever since the 2015 explosion that rocked the Torrance Refinery, environmentalists and community groups have agitated for a ban on the use of deadly hydrofluoric acid at the two remaining California refineries that still use it. They were disappointed when the Refinery Committee of the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s governing board voted 3-2 […]

Madison County Health Department receives national grant for oral health

Wampsville, N.Y. — With money from the Barclay-Giel Seed Grant, the Madison County Department of Health will be launching an oral health community campaign. “We here at the Health Department are pleased to announce that we have been awarded the $7,500 grant to launch an Oral Health Community Campaign in Madison County,” said Eric Faisst, director of […]

Officials say air tests from refinery fire showed no immediate danger. EPA data show company has past high-priority violations.

City officials said Friday afternoon that air testing taken during the day at the site of the refinery fire in South Philadelphia showed no immediate cause for alarm for workers at the site or residents nearby. “Preliminary testing both at the site of the refinery and in the adjacent community has shown no ambient carbon […]

Blocks away from South Philly refinery explosion, residents saw what looked ‘almost like a nuclear disaster’

The city was still shrouded in early morning darkness when something deeper and more ominous than a passing thunderstorm rippled across South and Southwest Philadelphia, driving people out of their beds. One by one, residents darted to their windows and front steps, wondering if they’d discover some mundane explanation — a ruptured gas main, a […]

Explosions rip through South Philadelphia refinery, triggering major fire and injuring 5

A series of explosions and a massive fire ripped through a South Philadelphia oil refinery early Friday, injuring five workers. Firefighters contained the blaze at Philadelphia Energy Solutions (PES) within a couple hours, but it was still burning Friday evening. The blaze was not yet cool enough for firefighters to safely turn off the refinery’s […]

TO ADD OR NOT TO ADD: Board votes against putting flouride in Sneedville’s drinking water

SNEEDVILLE — Due to its controversial nature and the community not asking for the addition of the substance, the Sneedville Utility District Board voted unanimously on June 13, 2019, to not add flouride to its public water supply. After earlier discussions about possibly adding fluoride to drinking water, the Hancock County Eagle received letters ‘for’ […]