"Chemical Engineering News," December 11, 2009 reported that the US Chemical Safety and Risk Investigation Bureau (CSB) announced that a series of recent refinery in hydrofluoric acid (HF) began investigating the spill to promote its 51 refineries hydrogen Status using hydrofluoric acid. CSB requested in July 2009 hydrofluoric acid spill occurred in the United States Citgo refinery to evaluate its safety hydrofluoric acid alkylation unit.

US refineries use about 1/3 of a hydrofluoric acid alkylation catalyst to produce high-octane gasoline. Hydrofluoric acid leaked into the air will burn the skin, eyes and tissues, and even cause death. Citgo hydrofluoric acid leak caused fire continued for two days, killing at least 4000 lbs of hydrofluoric acid leakage, burns two employees, refinery security systems destroyed. But another estimate, during the accidental discharge of about 42,000 lbs hydrofluoric acid, CSB said that now we can not determine the amount of hydrofluoric acid refinery security system acquisition. The refinery relies water spray system to absorb HF vapor leakage, but within hours the site water supply depleted. Then use saline injected from a nearby pipeline remedies, but the pipeline rupture, damage to the pump. Refinery emissions of hydrofluoric acid and CSB accident finds controversial final accident investigation report will be completed in August this year, when, in addition to publishing cause of the accident and the degree of harm, will also propose to reduce the hydrofluoric acid spill measure.