Home | Search | Emissions | Pollutants | About the Database |
Accident # | 140047 |
State Police # | 12-03315 |
Accident Date | 2012-05-26 |
Report Date | 2012-06-01 |
Follow-up Date | 2013-02-28 |
Follow-up: | Yes |
Pollutant | Duration | Point Source | Greenhouse Gas | Criteria Pollutant | Ozone forming chemical | Amount of Release |
Sulfur Dioxide | 19m | wet gas compressor | NO | YES | NO | 1,214.0 pounds |
Hydrogen Sulfide | 19m | wet gas compressor | NO | NO | NO | 3.0 pounds |
Carbon Monoxide | 19m | wet gas compressor | NO | YES | NO | 65.0 pounds |
NOx | 19m | wet gas compressor | NO | NO | YES | 12.0 pounds |
Particulate Matter | 19m | wet gas compressor | NO | YES | NO | BRQ |
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) | 19m | wet gas compressor | NO | NO | YES | 25.0 pounds |
Accident Classified As: Reportable Quantity
The wet gas compressor in the delayed coking unit had malfunctioned resulting in excess SO2 emissions at flares 1 and 2.
This incident is till under investigation.
Gas from coker was combusted in Flare 1 and Flare 2 and the resulting combustion byproducts rapidly dispersed. Emissions were minimized by restarting the wet gas compressor. This incident is still under investigation. No procedures or preventative measures have been identified at this time. A "30 day follow up report" was submitted on February 28, 2013 citing that the root cause failure analysis report had been submitted for the incident. The document only lists 3 actions Valero plans on taking: "1. We will communicate this incident to all affected personnel. 2. Operations will implement a guidance document to reduce set points by 15 degrees Fahrenheit on loss of LCO charge heater. 3. Improve cracking beds operation stability by limiting the temperature delta. Add a high priority alarm to the DCS." The February 28th letter does not provide the root cause of the accident.
Connect With Us: