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ExxonMobil Chemical Plant (286), Baton Rouge
LDEQ Accident Report
| Accident # | 137078 |
| State Police # | 12-00783 |
| Accident Date | 2012-02-08 |
| Report Date | 2012-02-15 |
| Follow-up Date | 0000-00-00 |
| Follow-up: | No |
Pollutants Released
| Pollutant | Duration | Point Source | Greenhouse Gas | Criteria Pollutant | Ozone forming chemical | Amount of Release |
| Sodium Hydroxide | 7 h 54 m | Tank SP 1774 | NO | NO | NO | 10,197.0 pounds |
| Caustic Alkali Liquids | 7 h 54 m | Tank SP 1774 | NO | NO | NO | 1,600.0 pounds |
Accident Classified As: Reportable Quantity
Cause of Problem: Human Factors
Valve was left open on tank AP 1774 and product spilled to the ground.
Discharge Preventable - Yes
Notes/Remedial Actions
Release discovered at 6:20 AM. Personnel discovered fresh caustic coming from a hose connected to an open bleeder. The bleeder was inadvertently left open while returning piping to service. Upon discovery, the bleeder was immediately blocked in. The release was stopped within 2 min of discovery. A total of 11,000 gallons of 10% fresh caustic material was spilled to soil. This event resulted in 10,197 lbs of sodium hydroxide released to soil. All material was contained within the tank containment dike and was routed through the wastewater treatment recovery unit. Upon discovery, the bleeder was blocked in and soil remediation was initiated. To prevent recurence the plant said they would review and enforce site standards for inspecting piping prior to returning to service. The contaminated soil was removed and no groundwater impacts were expected. RQ exceeded for sodium hydroxide. LDEQ report says tank AP1774 but SPOC report says tank SP1774.
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