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Accident # | 151403 |
State Police # | 13-04432 |
Accident Date | 2013-10-07 |
Report Date | 2013-10-14 |
Follow-up Date | 2014-01-10 |
Follow-up: | Yes |
Pollutant | Duration | Point Source | Greenhouse Gas | Criteria Pollutant | Ozone forming chemical | Amount of Release |
Sulfur Dioxide | 4h | No Information Given | NO | YES | NO | 2,442.0 pounds |
Accident Classified As: Reportable Quantity
On Monday, October 7, 2013 at approximately 09:03 hours, the flare gas management (FGM) compressors overpressured from a planned maintenance shutdown of the waste gas system (WGS) resulting in the intermittent staging of the #1 Flare. The WGS was being taken temporarily out of service for maintenance of the electrical switchgear. During the WGS outage, the waste gas is routed to the FGM compressors for recovery. The increased flow of the waste gas to the FGM compressors caused an overpressure of the recovery system and staged the #1 Flare. According to the 01/10/14 follow up letter the WGS was being taken temporarily out of service for maintenance of an electrical switchgear. During WGS outage, waste gas is routed to the flare gas management (FGM) system compressors for recovery system, resulting in the intermittent staging of the # 1 Flare.
According to Chalmette Refining, the release was not preventable because the planned maintenance activity for the the WGS was necessary to increase liability of the WGS, and could not be a avoided.
The maintenance of the electrical switchgear was completed and the compressors were returned to service to eliminate the gas being routed to the recovery system. All three flare gas recovery compressors were online to minimize flaring during the event. The planned maintenance activity for the WGS will increase the reliability of the system and reduce the likelihood of waste gas being routed to the flare gas recovery system. According to the LDEQ incident report "this event is considered reasonably unforeseeable, therefore qualifies as an upset in accordance with LAC 33:507J Upset Conditions"
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