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Valero (26003), Norco
LDEQ Accident Report
| Accident # | 140457 |
| State Police # | 12-03743 |
| Accident Date | 2012-06-13 |
| Report Date | 2012-06-15 |
| Follow-up Date | 2012-08-03 |
| Follow-up: | Yes |
Pollutants Released
| Pollutant | Duration | Point Source | Greenhouse Gas | Criteria Pollutant | Ozone forming chemical | Amount of Release |
| Carbon Monoxide | 13m | wet gas compressor | NO | YES | NO | 60.0 pounds |
| NOx | 13m | wet gas compressor | NO | NO | YES | 11.0 pounds |
| Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) | 13m | wet gas compressor | NO | NO | YES | 23.0 pounds |
| Sulfur Dioxide | 13m | wet gas compressor | NO | YES | NO | 1,037.0 pounds |
| Hydrogen Sulfide | 13m | wet gas compressor | NO | NO | NO | 3.0 pounds |
| Particulate Matter | 13m | wet gas compressor | NO | YES | NO | BRQ |
Accident Classified As: Reportable Quantity
Cause of Problem: Equipment Failure
The Wet Gas Compressor malfunctioned when operators were warming Coke Drum D. Shortly after switching to Coke Drum D, pressure on the unit spiked and the Fractionator overhead became overloaded. The temperature increased 20 degrees and caused the Interstage drum to become overwhelmed with condensing liquid. The compressor tripped on high interstage level resulting in flaring.
Discharge Preventable - Yes
This incident was reasonably preventable.
Notes/Remedial Actions
As a result of this incident, the maximum hourly combined permitted emissions for H2S and SO2 were exceeded as well as the reportable quantity. Emissions were minimized by restarting the wet gas compressor. The facility will now hold an operations stand down with each shift to review the incident and stress the importance of following all standard operating procedures. The facility is also adding a line to the console check sheet to verify that the tap water is blocked in before warming up drums prior to switching drums.
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