Clean Air Council Demands Ban on the Use and Storage of Hydrofluoric Acid in the City of Philadelphia
Dear Councilmembers,
For over fifty years, Clean Air Council has been working to protect everyone’s right to breathe clean air and a healthy environment. Over this time, the City of Philadelphia has worked with our organization to protect air quality and public health for the city’s residents and workers. Today, following the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board’s study of the June 21, 2019 explosion at the PES refinery, Clean Air Council writes to you with an urgent request for action to protect our communities: We ask that City Council promptly enact a ban on the use and storage of hydrofluoric acid in the City of Philadelphia.
Philadelphia narrowly averted catastrophe when PES’s alkylation unit leaked, leading to an explosion that caused over a half million pounds of toxic chemicals to be released, including approximately 5,239 pounds of hydrofluoric acid (HF). HF is a lethal chemical. According to the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, “Upon physical contact with skin, HF penetrates the skin and causes destruction to deep tissue layers and bone. Fatalities have been reported from an HF skin exposure to as little as 2.5% of body surface area. If inhaled, HF can cause severe lung injury and pulmonary edema—fluid in the lungs—which can result in death.” [1] The United Steelworkers have reported that a population of 1.3 million people around PES is at risk from HF.[2] If not for the force and heat of the massive PES explosion propelling the HF high into the atmosphere, the consequences could have been disastrous.
While the remaining HF at PES is being neutralized, this extremely dangerous chemical is still being used at other facilities in Philadelphia, putting over 5.5 million people in the city and surrounding communities at risk. It is critical that City Council recognize the serious threat HF poses to health and safety. A prompt ban of HF use and storage is needed to protect Philadelphia’s residents and workers. Clean Air Council stands ready to serve as a resource and to support City Council in enacting a ban of HF. We will be in touch in the coming weeks to discuss the best path forward.
Sincerely,
Joseph Otis Minott, Esq.
Executive Director and Chief Counsel
Clean Air Council
[1] The full factual update released by the U.S. U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board can be found at: https://www.csb.gov/assets/1/6/pes_factual_update_-_final.pdf.
[2] The full report of the United Steelworkers can be found at: https://www.usw.org/workplaces/oil/oil-reports/A-Risk-Too-Great.pdf.
