Galveston injury attorneys note that a team from the U.S. CSB (Chemical Safety Board) is set to look into operations at Citgo’s Corpus Christi alkylation plant. Their presence at the Citgo plant relates to an accident involving release of HF (hydrofluoric acid), a potentially deadly compound, at that plant on Monday.
The Corpus Christi Citgo plant uses the HF in making high-octane gasoline blending substances. HF is highly toxic acid, corrosive, and known to produce fatal cardiac arrest reactions if absorbed in sufficient quantity through the skin. Our Galveston injury attorneys point out that, merely inhaled, HF can sear the linings of the lungs and cause extensive damage.
Citgo says that this week’s accident saw the release of only a minor amount of the acid, that no one was injured, and that the leak was contained by the use of powerful water cannons. The accident prompted the visit of federal safety officials in part because of a prior HF accident in July 2009 that was far more dramatic. In 2009, an explosion and fire resulted when a gas cloud of HF was released. The fire burned for several days, and critically injured two people.
During the first day of the response to this severe accident, Citgo used up almost all of its water mitigation system’s reserves and had to turn to pumping in salt water from the Gulf. But the salt-water transfer system began to falter as hoses ruptured and pump engines failed. The CSB responded by ordering Citgo to make improvements to its emergency water mitigation system and to perform 3rd-party audits on the safety of its HF units at Corpus.
The CSB said that Citgo had met the requirements it ordered in 2011. So this week’s release of HF gas is a concern. The United States contains around 50 aging refineries that use HF alkylation units. Residential neighborhoods and schools surround many of these, like the Citgo plant in Corpus. Our Galveston injury attorneys emphasize that as the infrastructure of these HF alkylation plants continues to age, the sudden release of clouds of toxic HF gas could pose a hazard to area residents and their children.
Win financial compensation for your chemical injury. If you’ve been injured in a work accident or because of a chemical release at a nearby plant, you might have questions about what you can do to claim fair recompense for the burdensome costs of your undeserved injury. Contact the Galveston injury attorneys at Denena & Points for a free legal consultation to discuss your accident. We could answer your questions about how to pursue your valid claim, and the legal options available to you in your quest for justice. Call us toll free at 877-307-9500 or use our online contact features to schedule your free consultation.