Environmental organizations are taking a stand against the use of hydrogen fluoride at refineries across the United States, citing its potential dangers to human health and the environment.
The Clean Air Council, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit, along with California’s Communities for a Better Environment and the Natural Resources Defense Council, has filed a lawsuit urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to impose new regulations regarding this hazardous chemical.
“Honestly, this chemical … is the stuff of nightmares,” stated Annie Fox, a staff attorney at the Clean Air Council.
Hydrogen fluoride is employed primarily as a catalyst in the production of high-octane gasoline at about 40 refineries across the nation.
In addition to its use in fuel production, it is utilized in the manufacturing processes of refrigerants, herbicides, and pharmaceuticals.
The chemical is particularly concerning due to its ability to travel significant distances when released into the environment, posing serious health risks to individuals exposed to it.
At high levels, hydrogen fluoride can cause severe burns and can damage internal organs, underscoring its dangerous nature.
While some refineries use sulfuric acid—less hazardous in terms of community safety—for similar purposes, the risks associated with hydrogen fluoride remain a pressing concern for nearby populations.
The lawsuit has been spurred by concerns arising from a 2019 incident at the Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery in South Philadelphia, which involved an explosion and fire that resulted in a hydrogen fluoride release.
Fortunately, much of the chemical was successfully diverted during the incident, preventing significant harm to the surrounding community.
However, the event heightened public awareness regarding the risks entailed in the use of hydrogen fluoride, especially as the refinery has since been shut down and dismantled, with plans to convert the site into a warehouse distribution center.
In their lawsuit, the environmental groups contend that the threat posed by hydrogen fluoride leaks is both substantial and increasing.
Earlier this year, they petitioned the EPA to ban its use in refineries altogether, especially in light of the Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery fire and ongoing risks linked to the Monroe Energy refinery in Trainer, Pennsylvania.
Yet, the EPA rejected this petition, prompting the nonprofits to seek intervention from a federal judge in California to compel the agency to mitigate the identified risks associated with hydrogen fluoride.
“If we are successful, we will never know the impact that we had, because a major disaster will have been prevented before it could happen,” Fox explained.
Monroe Energy’s Trainer Refinery poses a notable risk; a worst-case scenario leak could potentially endanger nearly 2 million individuals living within a 17-mile radius, according to a filing made to the EPA in 2022, which was referenced in the lawsuit.
Facilities that handle significant quantities of hydrogen fluoride are required by the EPA to submit risk management plans.
A recent event at the Trainer refinery—a power outage resulting in a flaring incident—caused an unsettling odor in neighboring Delaware, rekindling concerns regarding the refinery’s vulnerability to accidents involving hydrogen fluoride.
Fox highlighted that the refinery has had several recent incidents, which she believes reflect the aging and reliability challenges of the equipment.
In contrast, Monroe Energy representatives argue that safety is a top priority for the company.
Spokesperson Adam Gattuso stated that over $2 billion has been invested in equipment upgrades since the refinery’s restart more than a decade ago.
Safety measures for the alkylation unit include the use of cameras, laser sensors, specialized paint that changes color upon contact with hydrogen fluoride, and regular inspections of numerous points throughout the facility.
Furthermore, Gattuso assures that the refinery has a system in place that safely diverts hydrogen fluoride in emergency situations.
Meanwhile, records from the EPA indicate that a nearby refinery in Paulsboro, New Jersey, also dealt in hydrogen fluoride as recently as 2020.
However, inquiries regarding the current status of chemical use at that facility have gone unanswered by PBF Energy, the refinery’s owner.
The American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, a trade association representing many refineries, has asserted the importance of hydrogen fluoride as an efficient fuel alkylation catalyst, highlighting that it requires less volume than alternatives, which is beneficial for consumer costs.
The group maintains that the potential for a life-threatening injury resulting from hydrogen fluoride exposure near refineries is statistically lower than the likelihood of being struck by lightning.
The 2019 explosion at Philadelphia Energy Solutions has since served as a poignant reminder of the latent dangers associated with hydrogen fluoride.
The Chemical Safety Board has categorized the incident as a near-miss, emphasizing the potential consequences had the situation escalated.
The sequence began with a leak from a deteriorated pipe elbow in the alkylation unit, which subsequently released a cloud of hydrogen fluoride and flammable propane.
Fortunately, an employee activated a system that drained approximately 300,000 pounds of the chemical away from the fire before any catastrophic damage occurred.
Fox remarked that the community was fortunate, noting that if the response had been delayed, the incident might have turned disastrous.
Ultimately, more than 5,000 pounds of hydrogen fluoride escaped into the atmosphere, with some contained through a water spray system activated manually 40 minutes into the fire.
However, the system was damaged during the incident, preventing remote activation.
Steve Owens, then the interim authority of the Chemical Safety Board, commented on the incident, stating, “the local community in Philadelphia fortunately was not seriously harmed, but given the refinery’s location, it could have been much worse.”
He further stated that the incident should serve as a wake-up call for the industry, underscoring the need to prevent similar future occurrences.
In the aftermath, the Chemical Safety Board issued recommendations for the EPA to prioritize inspections of refineries using hydrogen fluoride.
They also advocated for a thorough evaluation process every five years to ascertain whether safer alternatives could be employed instead of hydrogen fluoride.
The board urged the EPA to undertake a multiphase review to determine if hydrogen fluoride presents an unreasonable risk and if regulations should be strengthened to mitigate such risks.
Despite the urgency expressed by the Chemical Safety Board following the Philadelphia Energy Solutions incident, the Trump administration proposed significant budget cuts that could impact the agency’s operational capacity.
The draft appropriations bill revealed by a House committee aimed to reduce the Chemical Safety Board’s budget by nearly 50%.
Meanwhile, the EPA seems to be taking actions aligned with the recommendations following the 2019 incident.
In 2023, the agency announced an enforcement initiative targeting inspections and compliance assessments at facilities handling hydrogen fluoride and other hazardous chemicals.
This initiative stemmed from a series of recent incidents linked to the release or potential release of highly toxic hydrogen fluoride.
Moreover, in the previous year, the EPA requested additional information from chemical manufacturers regarding the health risks meeting a foundational requirement in the multi-step process recommended by the Chemical Safety Board.
This evaluation may eventually prompt the EPA to impose more stringent regulations concerning hydrogen fluoride, contingent upon the prioritization of the chemical for risk assessment and a subsequent determination of any unreasonable risks.
Recognizing the pressing situation, environmental nonprofit organizations continue to advocate for change.
Earlier this year, they submitted a petition urging the EPA to prohibit the use of hydrogen fluoride in petroleum refining, bolstered by evidence of numerous documented leaks over the years.
They highlighted concerns about aging refinery infrastructure, the increasing vulnerability of refineries to extreme weather conditions exacerbated by climate change, and the feasibility of safer alternatives to hydrogen fluoride.
However, the EPA dismissed their petition as “deficient” in May, asserting that the information provided did not substantiate claims of “unreasonable risk” nor did it demonstrate regular exposure occurrences.
In light of this rejection, the nonprofit organizations are now appealing to a court to mandate the EPA to advance the regulatory process.
Their objective is for the court to require the EPA to deliver a proposed regulation governing hydrogen fluoride usage within one year of the ruling and to finalize that regulation the following year.
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