Reuters: Regulatory News: UPDATE 2-U.S. refinery workers see risk from hydrofluoric acid

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UPDATE 2-U.S. refinery workers see risk from hydrofluoric acid Apr 17th 2013, 02:42 Tue Apr 16, 2013 10:42pm EDT * Hydrofluoric acid used in 50 US refinery alkylation units -union * HF acid is highly toxic, can travel up to 25 miles * Union says 26 mln people at risk of exposure * Industry bodies defend safety record HOUSTON, April 16 (Reuters) - Safety systems at U.S. crude refineries are not effective enough at preventing the release of highly toxic hydrofluoric acid into the plants and local communities, a union survey of workers showed. The United Steelworkers union released the findings from its survey of employees at 23 U.S. crude oil facilities on Tuesday as part of a campaign to end the use of hydrofluoric acid at refineries. Union officials said 50 U.S. refineries use the acid, placing 26 million people at risk of exposure to a large release of the chemical. Hydrofluoric acid, used in alkylation units that convert refining by-products into octane-boosting additives for gasoline, can cause severe chemical burns and damage the heart and skeleton if it enters the body. It can travel in a large cloud for up to 25 miles from the point of release. A spokesman for the American Petroleum Institute, the oil industry body, defended the safety record of refineries in the United States. "Refineries, which are one of the most heavily regulated sectors in the world, use less than 4 percent (of hydrofluoric acid) in order to provide cleaner burning fuels that are required by government regulations," API spokesman Carlton Carroll said. "Our safety record is strong and we are committed to keeping it that way." The USW began its campaign to halt the use of hydrofluoric acid as a catalyst in alkylation units in 2009, months after an explosion and fire at Citgo Petroleum Corp's Corpus Christi, Texas, refinery. In its final report on the blaze, which severely burned a refinery worker, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board said the 2009 Citgo fire was a "significant near-miss" for a release of hydrofluoric acid into a community. ALTERNATIVE CATALYSTS The USW survey found the 23 refineries had 131 near misses or incidents related to hydrofluoric acid in the last three years. USW International Vice President Gary Beevers said the union, which represents 30,000 U.S. oil industry employees, continues to work with oil company executives to improve hydrofluoric acid alkylation unit maintenance. "They're at risk," Beevers said. "If we have a major release in Houston, hell, it could wipe out a corporate office." The 23 refineries surveyed were in 13 states including California, Illinois, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington. They account for 3.3 million barrels of daily production and employ 12,000 people. The USW has called on refiners to examine alternative catalysts for use in alkylation units. Refiners have argued such a change would cost millions of dollars to replace technology for which they already have adequate safeguards. A spokeswoman for American Fuel and Petrochemicals Manufacturers, the U.S. refiners association, questioned some of the assumptions behind the USW's assessment of risk to communities near the refineries, saying they were based on worst-case scenarios required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. "These scenarios are misleading because they are developed assuming there is no prevention, detection or mitigation systems in place at a facility," Rebecca Adler said. Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints

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