QUOTE: "It caught me off guard," said Clyde Trombettas, a process safety expert at the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health. Processes using hydrofluoric acid, commonly known as HF, "are just so hazardous … there's a reason why refineries moved away from it."
Gene Cotten, vice president and manager of the Bakersfield plant, ...characterized the facility's overall safety record as "pretty good." He also defended the company's decision to use hydrofluoric acid as part of the expansion. Many refineries have used the chemical safely, including a sister plant owned by Flying J in North Salt Lake, Utah, Cotten said.
HAASE Comments - I would have to contend that ANYTHING can be done safely. And "if" it "nearly double the plant's gasoline production and increase its diesel output 60%" and is better for the environment... safety experts NEED to address the concerns to help make the transition to HF safer and have installed or agreed to install safety modifications that reduce the chemical's tendency to vaporize.
To compete, safety experts need to work with operations to "make it work" or it will just work for someone else in the real world.
As I would agree with SCAQMD:
"Accidents may or may not ever happen … and it has a low probability," said Mohsen Nazemi, a top officer with the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
As I would agree with SCAQMD:
"Accidents may or may not ever happen … and it has a low probability," said Mohsen Nazemi, a top officer with the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
Refineries have used hydrofluoric acid for decades to help produce alkylate, an octane booster and key component of cleaner-burning fuels.
It is important to recognize that this is not a banned compound and that competing companies are using it.