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Valero (26003), Norco
LDEQ Accident Report
| Accident # | 116428 |
| State Police # | 092188 |
| Accident Date | 2009-07-12 |
| Report Date | 2009-07-17 |
| Follow-up Date | 2009-09-10 |
| Follow-up: | Yes |
Pollutants Released
| Pollutant | Duration | Point Source | Greenhouse Gas | Criteria Pollutant | Ozone forming chemical | Amount of Release |
| Hydrogen Sulfide | 23 minutes | #3 Debutanizer Reflux pump | NO | NO | NO | 324.0 pounds |
| Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) | 23 minutes | #3 Debutanizer Reflux pump | NO | NO | YES | 4,988.0 pounds |
| Propylene | 23 minutes | #3 Debutanizer Reflux pump | NO | NO | YES | 2,195.0 pounds |
Accident Classified As:
Cause of Problem: Equipment Failure
At approximately 1:15 operators noticed that the #3 Debutanizer Reflux pump seal had failed and was releasing process gases ti the atmosphere. Seal failure was caused by a failure in the pump's thrust bearing.
Discharge Preventable - No
This incident was not reasonably preventable. Previous inspections of the pump yielded no reason to take the pump offline.
Notes/Remedial Actions
Deluge water was used to contain the vapors and reduce the risk of fire. The malfunctioning pump was isolated and shut down. A redundant backup pump was started to avoid unit shutdown. Reflux pump thrust bearings will be replaced from 40 degree contact bearings to 15 degree contact bearings.
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