LA Bucket Brigade : Refinery Accident Database

Shell Chemical East (26336), Norco

LDEQ Accident Number Accident Date	Point Source(s)	Notes	Amount of Release
136479 2012-01-12	Relief valve in the OL-5 Process Unit	Cause: While making an inspection round on January 12, 2012, OL-5 operators found that a relief valve in the OL-5 Process Unit was leaking out of the vent connection. Process data does not indicate that the relief valve reached a high enough pressure to open. This relief valve has a bellows and the bellows top flange ring was found to be cracked in the rolled edge. The crack was approximately 1.5" long, and is believed to be a manufacturing defect. The valve has been returned to the manufacturer for inspection. Followup: No Notes: The operators immediately stopped the pump that supplies the pressure to this relief valve and the relief valve was blocked in per mitigation plan. The crack was approximately 1.5" long, and is believed to be a manufacturing defect. The valve has been returned to the manufacturer for inspection. The discharged was released mainly to a stormwater concrete containment area. There is some evaporation into the atmosphere. Vacuum truck cleaned up remaining material. Only benzene was above a reportable quantity during this leak.	Benzene: 55.8 pounds Xylene: 6.2 pounds Hexane: 0.3 pounds Toluene: 18.0 pounds 1,3-Butadiene: 0.7 pounds Styrene: 4.6 pounds Ethylbenzene: 1.7 pounds Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs): 52.7 pounds