“This is the largest transformation governments have to do, which is to re-work the global energy system to decarbonize it,” he said.

Exposure to hydrofluoric acid can cause serious injury or death, and the chemical has posed a threat since an explosion and fire ripped through the refinery in June.

The firm is among several chosen in 2018 by the state’s Office of General Counsel to provide legal services related to criminal procedures, if needed, to about 30 state agencies. Several environmental lawyers say they’ve never heard of the Department of Environmental Protection using a criminal defense attorney, and wonder why the agency felt the need to do so.

Hydrofluoric acid is ‘special’ and ‘very dangerous’ — and there are 33,000 gallons of it at the Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery that need to be neutralized. It will require a lot of careful work.

“You’re not going to hear me say we can dictate what happens on that site, but I think we can have some influence on what happens at that site,” Philadelphia Managing Director Brian Abernathy said.