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Valero (26003), Norco

LDEQ Accident Report

Accident #144357
State Police #12-07177
Accident Date2012-11-01
Report Date 2012-11-08
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
Hydrogen Cyanideongoing, annuallyFCCUNONONO788,000.0 pounds

Accident Classified As: Reportable Quantity

Cause of Problem: Equipment Design

Stack testing of the FCCU revealed higher than federally permitted release rates and reportable quantities of hydrogen cyanide gas.

Discharge Preventable - No

This was not reasonably preventable. Testing was initiated as a result of new data available from other refineries using this relatively new EPA test method.

Notes/Remedial Actions

A permit notification will be submitted representing this new data and request an increase in emissions. Testing showed hydrogen cyanide release at 90 lbs/hr. No duration time was given, because emissions are ongoing. Release amount for this database represents one year of HCN emissions and was calculated using the hourly release rate (90 lbs/hr) multiplied by 8,760 hours/year.