Refinery Initiative Analysis

The city of Torrance will hire a consultant to analyze the potential cost if Councilman Dan Walker’s initiative to end the use of hydrofluoric acid at the Mobil Oil Corp. refinery becomes law.

The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to pay an accounting firm $5,000 for a preliminary report, which is due May 2. The council will then decide whether to request a more detailed analysis, which could cost between $30,000 and $40,000, city officials said.

The Walker initiative would limit the storage of acutely toxic hydrofluoric acid to 250 gallons. The Mobil refinery typically has on hand 29,000 gallons of hydrofluoric acid, which is used to boost the octane of unleaded gasoline.

Most other South Bay refineries use less-toxic sulfuric acid as a catalyst to boost octane. Mobil has estimated that it would take at least two years and cost about $100 million to convert the refinery to sulfuric acid.

The report will examine, among other things, the tax revenues lost by the city if the Mobil refinery stops making high-octane gasoline, if the refinery is closed to convert to sulfuric acid or if the refinery closes permanently.

City officials said it is not clear how broad the preliminary analysis will be.

“We don’t know exactly what the report would study,” said Kathy Keane, assistant to the city manager. “It could go from the sublime to the ridiculous.”