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Valero (1238), Meraux

LDEQ Accident Report

Accident #102011
State Police #08-00025
Accident Date2008-01-02
Report Date 2008-01-08
Follow-up Date 0000-00-00
Follow-up: Yes

Pollutants Released

Pollutant Duration Point Source Greenhouse Gas Criteria Pollutant Ozone forming chemical Amount of Release
FCC Catalyst1h 35mFLARE - Main Airblower at the #2 FCC, C3/C4 Splitter/ FCCU FractionatorNONONOBRQ
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)1h 35mFLARE - Main Airblower at the #2 FCC, C3/C4 Splitter/ FCCU FractionatorNONOYES576.0 pounds
Nitrogen Oxide1h 35mFLARE - Main Airblower at the #2 FCC, C3/C4 Splitter/ FCCU FractionatorNOYESYES43.0 pounds
Sulfur Dioxide1h 35mFLARE - Main Airblower at the #2 FCC, C3/C4 Splitter/ FCCU FractionatorNOYESNO40.0 pounds
Propane/Propylene Mix1h 35mFLARE - Main Airblower at the #2 FCC, C3/C4 Splitter/ FCCU FractionatorNONONO15,446.0 pounds

Accident Classified As:

Cause of Problem: Equipment Failure

the refinery experienced an automatic safety shutdown of the Main Air Blower at the #2 FCC, resulting in the release of FCC catalyst from the #2 FCC ESP stack (EPN #2-77). As MOUSA attempted to start the unit and achieve balanced operations in the refinery, the C3/C4 Splitter experienced a malfunction, resulting in a large flame with smoke emissions at the North Flare. The events may have been related and are under investigation. (Maybe an air pocket got into the system and caused this -see #102043)

Discharge Preventable -

Notes/Remedial Actions

This incident report includes two citizen complaints and a self report from Murphy to the LDEQ. Incident #102043, 102007, 102011, and 102050 are all regarding the same incident as best I can tell. In Murphy's report, they acknowledged that the eventresulted in significant flaring from the FCC main column overhead receiver and the C3/C4 Splitter. Also, MOUSA claims that they received three complaints of visible emissions but no allegations of impact. The LDEQ report states that some particulateter was released to the neighborhood and that at the time of the incident there was a north/northwest wind. NOTE- at the time of this report the incident was under investigation. However, no follow-up report was provided to the Bucket Brigade.