How You Can Help

Make Your Voice Heard

  • Sign our online petition here.

Contact South Coast Air Quality Management District

Thank SCAQMD Governing Board member Judy Mitchell and Wayne Nastri, Acting Executive Officer, for acting in the interest of public safety.  Let the AQMD know you support Rule 1410, want the rule making process accelerated, and will accept nothing less than a MHF/HF ban by January 1, 2020.

Contact your Elected Officials

Call, email, or write to your elected officials to demand that they support a ban on hydrofluoric acid (HF) and modified hydrofluoric acid (MHF) no later than January 1, 2020. They should support SCAQMD’s proposed Rule 1410 with accelerated rule making and a January 1, 2020 deadline. They should also support Al Muratsuchi’s proposed California legislative bill banning MHF with expedited permitting and a January 1, 2020 deadline. Additionally, urge officials to start public information campaigns on the dangers of MHF and hold community drills to prepare for an MHF release should one occur before a ban is put in place.

These officials represent districts threatened by MHF at the Torrance Refining Company and/or Valero Wilmington refinery:

Submit a Letter to the Editor

The following South Bay and Los Angeles newspapers accept Letters to the Editor:

Speak at a Torrance City Council Meeting

Attend a Torrance City Council meeting to give a 3-minute comment. Show up at 6:30 if possible to sign in for comments.

Torrance City Council Meetings
Every Tuesday at 7:00pm
Torrance City Hall, 3031 Torrance Bl. Torrance, CA 90503

Here are general guidelines for comments. Demand that the city:

  • Acknowledge MHF dangers are equivalent to HF’s. Stop making discredited safety claims.
  • Create MHF specific community emergency plans for a MHF release at the refinery and from trucks on our streets. Conduct practice drills with the community in every area.
  • Conduct an accurate education campaign on MHF risks as visible as the coyote campaign.
  • Advocate with the state and SCAQMD for a MHF/HF ban at Torrance and Valero Wilmington.
  • Unite with neighboring cities discuss legal strategy, tactics, and fight together for a ban.
  • Work with neighboring cities to extend the range of the siren and warning systems to be clearly audible seven miles from the alkylation unit.  A sectored system is needed.
  • Discuss a Torrance Chemical Review Board ordinance to control hazardous materials.

More information on City Council meetings

Unite with Neighboring Cities

Speak at City Council/Neighborhood Council meetings at any city in the greater South Bay to inform them of the danger. Ask them to:

  • Officially support a ban on MHF/HF by the SCAQMD or the California legislature.
  • Conduct a community information campaign educating residents about the dangers of MHF.
  • Plan and practice emergency drills in the community to prepare for an MHF release.

A partial list of cities and neighborhoods threatened by MHF includes: Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, Lawndale, Gardena, Hawthorne, El Segundo, Carson, Compton, Rancho Palos Verdes, Palos Verdes Estates, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, Long Beach, and neighborhoods of Los Angeles near the Valero Wilmington refinery such as Harbor City, Harbor Gateway, and San Pedro.

Come to a Meeting and Stay Connected

TRAA is a democratic grassroots organization with no outside funding or agenda, up against a powerful industry. The community must launch a strong effort to convince (force, really) government and regulators to eliminate MHF/HF from the refinery by Jan. 1, 2020.   Work with us, even if only a couple hours a week.

TRAA Meetings
Every first and third Monday of the month
6:00 to 7:45pm
Sizzler Restaurant, 2880 Sepulveda Bl. Torrance, CA 90505
Our group meets in the meeting room in the back of the restaurant

Please join our email list and Like our Facebook Page to stay informed and find out how you can be involved in our efforts. You can also contact us at info@safetorrancerefinery.org: make connections, get educated, help plan, coordinate, and launch efforts to be carried from our homes and our neighborhoods. The time bomb that is 250,000 lb. MHF is ticking away.

Get the Word Out

Please “like,” comment on, and share every one of TRAA’s  Facebook posts. Typically we have 2-4 per week.  Most people don’t know MHF exists.  Others have been told by Torrance that (1) MHF “remains on” or “falls to” the ground, and (2) no accident will ever happen, and (3) if it did, emergency systems would keep us safe. Our Facebook posts, taken together, build a coherent argument backed by scientific evidence that none of those claims are correct. Sharing posts with the facts about MHF helps all of us to better understand the issues and spreads word to others. Please also share this website.

We Give Presentations

If you are interested in learning more, or if you are part of an organization in the South Bay that you want us to speak to, email us at info@safetorrancerefinery.org. We give presentations to homeowners associations, nonprofits, environmental groups, school groups/PTAs, Chambers of Commerce, and other organizations to raise awareness about hydrofluoric acid.