LA Bucket Brigade : Refinery Accident Database

Chalmette Refining (1376), Chalmette

Releases of Benzene

LDEQ Accident Number Accident Date	Point Source(s)	Notes	Amount of Release
84418 2005-12-09	Slop Oil Line	Cause: A leak had occurred from a slop oil line between a benzene storage take and a larger, aromatics feed storage tank. Followup: No Notes: At approximately 0345 hours on December 9, 2005 refinery personnel identified a hydrocarbon odor on the refinery property. The area was located within the refinery, along the south side of the Hydrodesulfurization Unit. After investigating the odor it was determined that a leak had occurred from a slop oil line between a benzene storage tank and a larger, aromatics feed storage tank. Liquid recovered was returned to refinery slop oil for processing. Excavated soils were containerized on staged on site pending proper disposal at an off site disposal facility. When the situation was discovered, the transfer was stopped immediately, ending the incident. The line has been removed from service and inspected in order to implement an appropriate repair plan. The section of the line which resulted in this release is being replaced with new piping. The refinery claims that the liquid released was contained on refinery property and recovered via vacuum truck. No migration off of refinery property or to groundwater has been observed. Excavated soils were containerized and staged on site pending proper disposal at an off site disposal facility. *The quantity of benzene and slop oil, although listed as separate pollutants below have one quantity totally 288 pounds (39.3 gallons).	288.0 pounds
83685 2005-11-07	Tank 72 (D-72)	Cause: During periodic rounds and gauging of tank 72 (D-72), refinery operations personnel observed slop oil overflowing from tank 72. It was determined that the tank had experienced an unanticipated sure in inventory between manual gauging events. The release was caused by the unanticipated malfunction of tank gauge equipment. Followup: Yes Notes: Chalmette Refining reported a release of oil (Slop Oil) and Benzene on 1/7/05. Calculations performed after the incident indicate the greater than a reportable quantity of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) was also released during this incident, as such, emissions calculations for VOCs are included in this follow-up report. Hurricane Katrina caused damage to the electronic tank gauge (telepulse) system for tank 72 (D-72). As mitigation step, periodic manual gauging of D-72 was implemented based on anticipated tank inventory movement. At approximately 2345 hours on 11/7/05 during periodic rounds and gauging of tank 72, refinery operations personnel observed slop oil overflowing from tank 72. It was determined that the tank had experienced an unanticipated surge in inventory between manual gauging events. Since the tank receives inventory from multiple sources the reason for the unexpected increase in inventory was no immediately evident. Oil (as slop oil) released from refinery tank 72 (D-72) via overflow. Slop oil and water was released to the carthen tank containment dike. A portion of the slop oil components evaporated to the air. Transfer to tank the was stopped ending the incident. Transfer out of the tank to the other storage was initiated, lowering the level. Vacuum Trucks were dispatched in order to recover released liquids. The electronic tank gauge for tank 72 has been repaired and placed back in service. Liquid released was contained within the tank dike area and recovered via vacuum truck. Refinery personnel have begun removing soils that appear to have come in contact with spilled slop oil and will remove all stained soil for off site disposal. Currently, migration outside of the tank dike or to groundwater is not suspected. Released liquids that did not volatilize were contained within the tank dike area. Liquids were recovered via vacuum truck and placed into refinery tankage for re-processing. Excavated soils are being placed in roll-off containers, characterized and properly disposed of.	11.5 pounds
76040 2005-01-07	D-6305	Cause: During a transfer of gasoline to tank 6303 (D-6303), gasoline was observed leaking from the side of tank 6305 (D-6305). Tank 6305 later was determined to have been unintentionally filled past capacity, causing overflow to leak through tank side vent. 123,836 pounds of gasoline released to the ground. Report documents amounts volatilized. However, total amounts released to environment in report attached do not add up to 123,836. States 123,836 lbs of flammable organic liquid 'including' the benzene, xylene, and VOCs. Followup: Yes Notes: Contained liquid in tank area and recovered via vacuum truck. Water and foam applied to minimize volatilization and migration into soil. Note that report attached to letter contains information about other compounds released to the environment. Air monitoring report and soil sampling report were requested and provided by letters dated 1/18/05 and 2/28/05, which are attached to the report file. Field interview form states that 582 bbls of gasoline were released, but everything else states 481 bbls. The quantities of pollutants listed in this report were the portion that Chalmette Refinery claims were volatilized; under the Reportability of Liquid Product and Chemical Spills, the Notification Instructions lists that the quantities released were 123,836 lbs of oil (gas), 2748 lbs flammable gases, 980.8 lbs benzene, 8173.2 lbs xylenes. Further in report it is declared that 2747.7 lbs of pollutants were released offsite. Accutest Lab summary of soil testing adds Toluene and TPH-GRO to pollutant list.	22.0 pounds
92327 2006-11-29	Rich Solvent Line in Sulfolane Unit	Cause: small leak detected on a rich solvent lin in the Solfolane Unit (06-07211). Small pinhole leak with slow drip. Clamped leak until pipe can be replaced Followup: No Notes: 27 lbs is a large amount for a slow leak lasting 25 min.	27.0 pounds
92297 2006-11-27	No information given	Cause: release escapes from leaking pipe Followup: No Notes: Letter sent to rescind notification of 11/27/6	1.0 pounds
89764 2006-08-05	AE-AOA-05-0109	Cause: faulty level indications device. dehex tower leaked natural gas into tank 2 while the dehex tower was operating in total reflux mode due to upstream unit outages. Followup: No Notes: Main block valve to Tank 2 was blocked in and the Dehex bottoms line was double blocked	30.0 pounds
89056 2006-07-05	No information given	Cause: leak occurred during feed composition change on #1 Pretreater Followup: No Notes: DEQ report with no corresponding letter from CRLLC. Channel bolts tightened. The exchanger gasket surface will be repaired in August during the next schedule pretreater catalyst change-out.	12.0 pounds
88541 2006-06-12	Feed/Effluent Exchanger (E7502 A-f)	Cause: automatic shutdown due to interruption in electrical current, water leak following thunderstorms. Followup: No Notes: Feed to the #1 Pretreater was shut off, steam was applied to the channel head, and water was used to flush naphtha to the refinery oily water system	27.0 pounds
100419 2007-10-23	Tank 1024	Cause: due to heavy rain, personnel were filling Tank 1024 to manage excessive storm water for processing. The tank overflowed. Followup: No Notes: Isolated the tank. 3rd party environmental clean up firm called in to do clean up. Vacuum trucks deployed; foam applied to minimize volatilization of spilled material and absorbent materials used to contain the discharge to the vicinity of the tank.	115.0 pounds
99870 2007-09-30	#2 Flare	Cause: pressure safety valve release Followup: No Notes: Letter states that no RQ's were exceeded
99603 2007-09-19	Hydro-cracker HCU Unit First Stage Reactor	Cause: Hydro-cracker HCU Unit First Stage Reactor malfunction Followup: No Notes: Letter states that no RQ's were exceeded
100575 2007-09-04	#2 Coker Unit	Cause: flare isolation unit on coke drum didn't seal when closed. Opened drum to cut it, flare gas backed into drum to atmosphere. Followup: No Notes: No information given
99113 2007-09-01	Tank D-0036	Cause: cause of leak in Tank is corrosion between new floor and existing walls of the tank. Followup: No Notes: Spill became visible after heavy rain. CRLLC is in the process of emptying, cleaning, and preparing the tank for inspection. CRLLC added an additional corrosion prevention lining to the floor of the Tank prior to putting it back in service. CRLLC has also verified that all other tanks in the same service have lined floors.	28.0 pounds
98528 2007-07-01	#2 Flare	Cause: a third-party hydrogen provider, Air Products, was shut down, followed by the shut down of Louis Dreyfus, limiting ability of CRLLC to minimize flaring Followup: No Notes: CRLLC maintains open communication lines with third-party providers to reduce the impact of any third party upsets that result in supply shortages.	36.0 pounds
98527 2007-06-29	#2 Flare	Cause: a third-party hydrogen provider, Air Products, was shut down, followed by the shut down of Louis Dreyfus, limiting ability of CRLLC to minimize flaring Followup: No Notes: CRLLC maintains open communication lines with third-party providers to reduce the impact of any third party upsets that result in supply shortages.	20.0 pounds
96571 2007-05-27	Naphtha Storage Tank #36	Cause: see notes. Small hole develops in floating roof of tank permitting vapors to escape. Followup: No Notes: Letter written to rescind notification of 5/27 concerning release of VOCs, Benzene, Xylene
96288 2007-05-17	Tank # 1014	Cause: back door of vacuum truck failed releasing diesel gasoline mixture as truck attempted to unload to tank 1014 Followup: No Notes: Truck driver injured when door opened unexpectedly. Letter written to rescind notification of 5/17 concerning release of hydrocarbons and benzene
95178 2007-04-09	Benzene Recover Unit Tank	Cause: Benzene recovery unit tank leak due to external corrosion Followup: No Notes: A containment boom was placed on the visible liquid. Released liquids were recovered via vacuum truck.	0
07-BB005-495 2007-04-07	No information given	Cause: No information given Followup: No Notes: Letter sent to rescind notification of 4/07/07 concerning release of Benzene
110661 2008-11-07	No information given	Cause: a 5 gallon bucket used to catch leaks of released liquids from threads in piping blew over. Followup: No Notes: Letter states that emissions were BRQ.
110391 2008-10-25	#1 Flare	Cause: upset condition in a process unit Followup: No Notes: Letter states that emissions were BRQ.
108944 2008-09-12	Flare #2	Cause: Hurricane Ike causes a scaffold to fall and damage a power line. Power outage causes shut down of Crude 1 and Crude 2 Units Followup: Yes Notes:
108528 2008-08-20	Flare	Cause: shutting down units due to hurricane Followup: No Notes: No Information Given
107017 2008-07-06	flange on the Number 3 Reformer Exchanger leaking at the channel head	Cause: flange leak, cause investigation is ongoing; design on the face of the gasket surface of the exchanger. Followup: No Notes: Lowered the system pressure to help mitigate the leak and shutdown the Unit.	22.0 pounds
106452 2008-06-14	No information given	Cause: No information given Followup: No Notes: Liquids recovered for reprocessing and impacted soil was removed for disposal. Letter states that emissions were BRQ.	4.0 pounds
118324 2009-10-01	tank 1203	Cause: Plastic bag lodged in the vacuum while emptying a tank 1203 which caused overfill of drain pan. Followup: Yes Notes: RQ not exceeded. All discharges contained and recovered.	23.9 pounds
118252 2009-09-28	tank M3	Cause: Tank M3 leaking at base. Followup: No Notes: RQ not exceeded. Vacuum truck to clean up leak. Pan placed under leak.
117581 2009-08-25	Tank 301	Cause: Cinatra (3rd party contractor) was performing a tank (301) cleaning procedure that involved the circulation of oil with high pressure nozzles. The coupling failed on a supply line that was located on the tank's roof where it spilled oil. Followup: Yes Notes: Stopped circulating oil through the cleaning system and roof drain was closed. Spilled material contained in dike area and recovered by a vacuum truck for reprocessing. Impacted soil was removed.	15.0 pounds
116591 2009-07-20	Desulphurization unit clamp	Cause: Desulphurization unit clamp leaked. Followup: No Notes: RQ not exceeded.
112952 2009-02-23	No Information Given	Cause: No Information Given Followup: No Notes: Below reportable quantities.	0.2 pounds
112070 2009-01-15	No Information Given	Cause: No Information Given Followup: No Notes: No Information Given
124891 2010-07-15	Frac Tank	Cause: Waste water containing benzene overflowed a frac tank. The volume released was less than the reportable quantity; however the soil would have to be re-mediated. Followup: Yes Notes: BRQ. The contaminated soil around the frac tank was picked up but the area under the frac tank may be contaminated as well. Once the frac tank is moved and checked, a follow up report will be sent. FOLLOW UP STATES: 1/2 of a roll off box has been picked up, and upon removal of frac tank and berm more material may need to be removed.
123040 2010-04-27	flare #1	Cause: Compressor inadvertently tripped while executing Emergency Block Valve Prevention Maintenance Program procedure on it--sent material to flare. Followup: No Notes: Operations team secured the unit and started up the compressor, full evaluation and troubleshooting will be addressed during next shutdown. Will not perform EBV maintenance program in the meantime.
134930 2011-10-27	Line leak at Tank 68 tank 68	Cause: On October 27, 2011, Chalmette Refinery made a verbal notification that an ongoing combined release from Tank 68 and a retired line in the Treating Area under Incident 11-06603 was resolved, and submitted a follow up letter on October 28, 2011, accordingly. On the morning of October 28, 2011, the retired line was found to be leaking again, potentially in excess of reportable quantities, and notifications were made. The source was isolated at 1500 hours on October 29, 2011, ending the release in excess of a reportable quantity. Cleanup of the area was completed at 1600 hours on Tuesday, November 1, 2011. Followup: Yes Notes: Foam was applied to the area, to reduce the emissions from the event. Vacuum trucks were used to recover the benzene and water, and the source was isolated October 29, ending the reportable release. United States Environmental Services was onsite from October 24 to November 1, to assist with cleanup of the area. This accident is linked to 134832. According to LDEQ investigator Lee Lemond, the original accident occurred on a line leak, but the facility thought it was caused due to a tank leak. The facility "repaired the tank" and closed the accident file for 134832. The same leak was later rediscovered as this accident (134930), and it was correctly identified as a line leak. After the second accident report was filed, the line leak was actually repaired.	9,204.0 pounds
134832 2011-10-21	Tank 68 Line leak at Tank 68 Line leak and Tank 68	Cause: Oil was initially discovered in the area of Tank 68 (Alkylate storage)on October 20, 2011. The amount released to the environment was initially estimated to be less that reportable quantities, so no immediate notifications were required. A sample was collected in order to determine the root cause of the leak. On the morning of October 21, liquid was again observed coming from the bottom of the tank, and the lab sample results concurrently confirmed the oil to be alkylate. At approximately 0935 hours on October 21, 2011 a separate incident occurred when a retired line in a ground level piperack in the Treating Area was found to be leaking. The initial amount observed was approximately fourteen gallons of undetermined hydrocarbon, and both emissions and the amount in soil were determined to be less than the reportable quantities. Foam was also applied to the leak areas in order to mitigate odors and emissions. On October 21, 2011, at approximately 1400 hours, oil began accumulating at an increased rate at Tank 68, and it was determined that considering the two releases together, reportable quantities were potentially exceeded for volatile organic compounds (VOC) and benzene, and notifications were made. Several inches of water were introduced into Tank 68 on October 22 to displace the hydrocarbon layer on the tank floor. This ended the hydrocarbon release in excess of a reportable quantity. Additionally, line isolation efforts on the retired line in the Treating Area were performed on October 24, 2011, ending the release in excess of a reportable quantity. Visual observation and monitoring confirmed no ongoing leak to the environment at that time. Cleanup of the area was completed at 1600 hours on Tuesday, November 1, 2011. Followup: Yes Notes: Vacuum trucks were used to remove the oil and water from Tank 68, containing the release to the smallest area possible. Mitigation efforts to reduce amount to the environment emissions at Tank 68 also included the introduction of water into the tank to successfully displace the hydrocarbon from the leak interface on Saturday, October 22. The tank was emptied and removed from service on November 7, 2011, ending the release. Cleanup of the area is ongoing. Foam was applied to the area of the line leak, to reduce the emissions from the event. Vacuum trucks were used to recover the hydrocarbon and water, and the line was isolated October 24, ending the reportable release. United States Environmental Services also arrived Monday, October 24 to assist with cleanup of the ares, which was completed November 1, 2011. Tank 68 was cleaned, and initial inspection was performed on December 7, 2011. A repair scope is currently under development, which will implement corrective actions to mitigate corrosion potential for the tank floor.	9,204.0 pounds
134390 2011-10-07	Tank 71 Floating roof Tank 403 Cam Lock fiting	Cause: Oil was initially discovered on the roof of Tank 71 on August 9, 2011. The emissions were determined to be less than reportable quantities, so no notifications were required. To mitigate leak potential and offsite impacts, the oil was removed daily to prevent accumulation and emissions potential until repair investigation efforts could be completed. On October 7, 2011, at approximately 1040 hours, while cleaning the tank roof to allow for additional inspection, roof scale was dislodged, and a roof leak developed, eventually covering the entire surface area of the tank roof with oil. Foam was applied to the tank roof at 1540 hours, mitigating odors and emissions. Oil was removed from the tank roof October 9, 2011. Though ongoing emissions following removal of the oil are estimated to be below reportable quantities, the tank roof is not floating on the product, thus incident response efforts are still considered in progress, as repairs are completed. At approximately 0915 hours on October 11, 2011 a separate incident at a different tank resulted in hydrocarbon and benzene emissions for approximately 1 hour. Followup: Yes Notes: Mitigation efforts to reduce emissions potential commenced promptly, as tank level was reduced, however, the product could not be removed from the tank roof. Foam was applied to the tank roof at 1540 hours,greatly reducing emissions from the event. The tank roof was landed Sunday, October 9, and the oil was able to be removed from the floating roof. Additionally, the tank contents were drained and water was introduced into the tank, however, a thin oil layer remained present as repairs were progressed. Repairs were completed October 14, 2011. Repairs were completed on areas where thickness readings determined necessary on October 14, 2011.	191.0 pounds
133679 2011-09-06	Tank Roof Leak	Cause: Emission values included in the later report of 134390. All values in notes for this report. On August 9, 2011, at approximately 0930 hours, oil was discovered on the roof of Tank 71. The roof was cleaned and visually inspected, and though no leaks were discovered, it was determined that additional inspection was required, including mechanical thickness readings. Additional cleaning was necessary for this to occur. Concurrently, it was determined that the source of the oil was likely a failed check valve on the tank roof drain. This drain was plugged to ensure no oil could back up onto tank roof. On Friday, October 7, 2011 at approximately 1040 hours, while cleaning the roof of Tank 71 to allow the inspection group to access the roof for mechanical thickness reading, scale was removed and a hole developed in the roof. Cleaning was stopped at that point and personnel exited the roof and notified Refinery personnel. The initial leak estimate determined it to be potentially in excess of 1000 lbs of hydrocarbon and 10 lbs of benzene. Prompt notifications to the agencies were made upon discovery. In a separate event at 0915 hours on October 11, 2011, approximately 20 gallons of gasoline were released to the soil when a cam lock fitting did not seal properly at Tank 403. The emissions associated with this event were approximately 116 lbs hydrocarbon and 1 lb of benzene. In combination with the above incident, the RQ for benzene was exceeded. Followup: No Notes: Mitigation efforts to reduce emissions potential commenced promptly, as tank level was reduced, however, the product could not be removed from the tank roof. Foam was applied to the tank roof at 1540 hours, greatly reducing the emissions from the event. The tank roof was landed Sunday, October 9, and the oil was able to be removed from the floating roof. Additionally, the tank contents were drained and water was introduced into the tank, however a thin oil layer is still present as repairs progressed. There were multiple complaints associated with this incident; a. Terrible odor coming from the direction of the river where there is a barge parked, and several facilities in that direction as well. t134349 b. Terrible odor coming from the direction of the river making several people in area sick. Vomiting, headache, and child exposure. t133866 c. Barge that has been tied up at the docks for 2 days is producing terrible odors. No tempo # d. Incredibly strong and foul odor coming from the direction of the river. No Tempo #
132743 2011-07-28	No Information Given	Cause: According to the LDEQ report, "spill resulted from a dewatering operation near a gasoline pump." Followup: No Notes: BRQ According to SPOC report, standing liquids were removed with a with a vacuum truck. Soil remediation was planned.	10.0 pounds
132392 2011-07-13	No Information Given	Cause: Chalmette Refining, L.L.C. (CRLLC) provided a courtesy notification to your office regarding a release of oil and benzene to the ground on July 13, 2011. After further review, there were no RQ exceedances or permit violations as a result of this event. Followup: No Notes: This was just a letter sent from Chalmette Refining, L.L.C., to the LDEQ as a courtesy.
131247 2011-05-17	Corroded line into Benzene Recovery Unit (BRU), Tank 6304	Cause: A run down line into a benzene recovery unit feed tank was corroded. Amount released was 12.1 pounds of benzene and 189 gallons of oil (aka 1404 pounds of hydrocarbon) Followup: No Notes: Containment booms and vacuum trucks were utilized to minimize contact with soil. A mechanical engineered clamp was installed to secure the leak. New piping will replace the line that contained the source of the leak. E-mail correspondence with refinery states that (31) 3000 gallon vacuum trucks of oil-water was put back into process (Tank 1024) and 4820 pounds of contaminated soil was shipped to Chemical Waste Management Inc.	12.1 pounds
131070 2011-05-09	PGC 2nd Stage Aftercooler	Cause: The PGC 2nd Stage Aftercooler leaked hydrocarbon vapors and compressed flammable gas was released to water. OFFSITE IMPACT: Mississippi River. Followup: No Notes: BRQ. Refinery letter states that release was below reportable quantities. The exchanger was isolated and the path to water was closed. A boom was deployed at the source and downriver.
142422-142489-143217 2012-08-27	Wastewater treatment Unit Coke Conveyor Facilities isolated areas of standing stormwater flare	Cause: Chalmette Refining LLC shut down operations because of the approach of Hurricane Isaac. Following established shutdown procedures and protocols, CRLLC was safely and systematically shutdown due to the approach of Hurricane Isaac. Likewise, CRLLC followed standard startup procedures and protocols and minimized excess emissions during recovery and startup efforts. Followup: Yes Notes: There are three LDEQ incident numbers assigned for the events at Chalmette Refining LLC surrounding Hurricane Isaac: 142422, 142489, 143217. On August 27, 2012 the CRLLC began to safely shut down unit operations due to Hurricane Isaac. The emergency shut down resulted in potential permit deviations and reportable quantity exceedances. However CRLLC believes that this event qualifies as an upset as defined in LAC 33:III.507.J. Below are the detailed quantities released from each unit during the startup/shutdown activities: Acid Gas and Hydrocarbon Flaring: During the shutdown and equipment preparation, excess process gases were vented to the flare system in order to reduce emissions to the atmosphere. The duration of flaring was approximately 21.1 hours. Below are the emissions which occurred during shutdown activities: 23.6 Tons S02 126 lbs H2S 133 lbs NO 133 lbs N02 714 lbs CO 558 lbs VOC 72 lbs PM10 On August 31, 2012, CRLLC began start-up operations and equipment preparation which required periodic hydrocarbon flaring. There were temporary visible emissions of smoke from flaring activities. Further, during startup of the SRU, there was a transient period which resulted in flaring amine acid gas prior to directing to the SRU. Below are the estimated emissions during startup of refinery operations. The duration of the amine acid gas flaring was 89 minutes and the duration of the intermittent hydrocarbon flaring during startup was 84 hours. Actual emissions were: 10.03 Tons S02 (> 500 lbs RQ) 0.03 Tons H2S (> 100 lbs RQ) 0.28 Tons NO/N02 (> 1000 lbs RQ) 1.52 Tons CO 0.69 Tons VOC (>5000 lbs RQ) 0.08 Tons PM10 <1 00 lbs Benzene (> 10 lbs RQ) There were approximately 9 hours where the H2S 162 ppm 3-hour rolling flare limitation was exceeded during shutdown and startup activities. These excess emissions are covered under startup/shutdown provisions provided in NSR CD Paragraph 58. As such, no additional action is required by agency. Flare Gas Recovery equipment was being repaired and so no FGR was used during this process. Tail Gas Incident: On August 27, 2012 the CRLLC Sulfur Recovery Unit was safely shut down and equipment was prepared. During this process Tail Gas Incident resulted from Source ID EIQ193. Predicted emission estimates were approximately 25 tons S02 for the shutdown. On September 5-6, 2012 the Sulfur Recovery Unit was started-up. There were no tail gas incidents during this process. As such, no additional action is required by agency. Sulfur Pit Venting: Emission estimates were expected to be less than 200 pounds H2S during shutdown and start-up operations. It is important to note that these exceedances occurred during the period when CRLLC was shutting down equipment and subsequently starting up and lining out operations. Actual emissions were -72 lbs. H2S and -50 lbs. S02. These excess emissions are covered under startup/shutdown provisions provided in NSR CD Paragraph 58. As such, no additional action is required by agency. H2S Concentration of 162 ppm in Fuel Gas: During shutdown on August 27, 2012 the refinery had the potential to exceed the H2S concentration of 162 ppm in the fuel gas system. FCCU NOx, S02, CO, PM, and Opacity Permitted Emission Limits: During shutdown and subsequent start-up operations, the refinery exceeded the emission concentration limit for CO for 14 hours and the differential pressure parameter for 32 hours at the FCCU. There were no Title V permit limit lb/hr exceedences during these times. SRU Permitted Emission Limits (lbs/hr & concentration): During the shutdown and subsequent start-up operations, the refinery exceeded the permitted emission limit of 95 lbs/hr for S02 for three (3) hours at the Sulfur Recovery Unit. The 250 ppm concentration limit was exceeded for approximately 48 hours. It is important to note that these exceedances occurred during the period when CRLLC was starting up and lining out operations. These excess emissions are covered under the start-up/shutdown provisions provided in NSR CD Paragraph 23 and 29. Flare Pilot Outages: During the shutdown due to the higher than normal rain and wind volumes, flare pilots experienced temporary outages. Data Availability from Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (CEMS): The CEMS analyzers at the CRLLC may be adversely affected by nitrogen constraints. Some selected CEMS may have reduced data availability during the time period of storm landfall, recovery, and start-up activities. The specific duration of reduced data availability will be provided in the 30- day follow-up report. Missing LDAR Monitoring: CRLLC is subject to several Louisiana & Federal Regulations requiring Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR) as noted below. Hurricane Isaac and its aftermath have not allowed completion of some of the timing obligations, and will prevent us from meeting all the timing obligations of the required August monitoring. Approximately 250 components will receive delayed monitoring, but will be monitored in September. Details of the number of components subject to delay will be provided in the 30-day follow-up report. Consistent with USEPA's decision for Hurricane Gustav, CRLLC requests that the delayed monitoring and repair be exempted from enforcement under the applicable Force Majeure provisions. Approximately 255 monthly LDAR components received delayed monitoring, but were monitored in September. In addition, 7 leaks that missed the 5 day attempt and 6 leaks that missed the 15 day attempt due to Hurricane Isaac. Isolated Areas of Standing Stormwater: There were isolated pockets of stormwater in the refinery which contained some sheen material and potential hydrocarbon. All of these areas were contained within the refinery boundaries and no material migrated offsite. Areas include tank firewall areas, overflow of sumps, and low-lying areas. There is the potential to exceed more than one (1) barrel of total oil accumulative across the complex from all the isolated areas. All hydrocarbon and sheen material was removed and properly disposed/treated. Any contaminated soil has been remediated. This information is reported in accordance with the site waste management plan. Coke Conveyor Facilities: The coke conveyor facilities sustained some minor damage which resulted in loss of covers over portions of the conveyor belt system. There are also minor amounts of coke material on the ground which is being collected. Some small particulate emissions may result from recovery and re-start Operations. Covers will be repaired/replaced as soon as possible. The 30-day follow-up report will describe the specific repairs and dates of completion. The conveyor covers that were damaged during the hurricane have been repaired/replaced. This accident is linked to Bypass of Wastewater Treatment Unit (LSP incident # 12-05781; NRC Incident # 102-2486). Actual storm rainfall was 30". In consideration of personnel safety and increasing weather severity, the refinery initiated the emergency discharge bypass for Outfall 004 from wastewater treatment facilities to MS River on August 28, 2012. It is important to note that the refinery process operations were shutdown previously which mitigated wastewater hydrocarbon content. Water discharge was essentially storm water. Samples were collected to document wastewater quality. On August 29, 2012 all parameters were within current permit limits with the exception of Total Suspended Solids. Preliminary analysis indicates a potential exceedance of 4,444 lbs/day versus permitted limit of 3,180 lbs.	100.0 pounds
141431 2012-07-21	external floating roof on Tank 1 Tank 1 (ground level)	Cause: The external floating roof on the Tank 1 crude tank sunk and exposed contents of the tank to the environment. A leak developed from Tank 1 floor area and released oil to the ground inside of the containment area. Foam was applied to the top of the tank to mitigate potential vaporization of hydrocarbons. Mitigation efforts are ongoing to empty the tank and the majority of oil has been emptied from the tank. Water has been successfully introduced to vessel to float the oil later off the tank floor. Currently, oil is no longer leaking to the ground. Followup: Yes Notes: Foam was applied to the top of the tank. Trace amount of benzene were indicated by monitoring data. Foam was applied to the top of the tank to mitigate potential vaporization of hydrocarbons. Mitigation efforts are ongoing to empty the tank and the majority of oil has been emptied from the tank. Water has been successfully introduced to vessel to float the oil later off the tank floor. Oil is no longer leaking to the ground. Air monitoring was conducted at the tank perimeter, fence line and offsite. No fence line or offsite impacts were identified. Low levels of benzene and volatile organic compounds were detected periodically at the perimeter of the tank, but no adverse impacts occurred.
151351 2013-10-01	Tank Farm, Tank 52	Cause: On October 1, 2013, personnel identified a leak at Tank 52 charge pump (G-9053) which was determined to be from a mechanical seal failure. The valve on the suction side of the pump malfunctioned. Followup: Yes Notes: The pump was immediately turned off and the valves on the suction and discharge sides of the pump were closed to attempt to isolate the leak from the pump. The valve on the suctions side of the pump malfunctioned and required the use of water to pressure the hydrocarbon material back to Tank 52 until the line could be isolated. The pump will be repaired and inspected prior to being put back in to service.	154.0 pounds
150109 2013-08-05	Pump G-1083	Cause: On August 5, 2013, personnel identified a leak at a clay tower charge pump (G-1083) which was determined to be from a broken nipple on the pump. Once the area was isolated, the pump was turned off and removed from service. Community monitoring was conducted during the event and all results were non-detect. Onsite fenceline monitoring indicated no offsite impacts to the community. Followup: No Notes: The pump was turned off and removed from service to isolate the leak. Improvements are being conducted which will replace the current schedule 80 nipple with a schedule 160 nipple to reduce the risk of future failures. A gusset will also be installed on the nipple for support.	80.6 pounds
147793 2013-04-03	discharge pipe from the Flare 1 knockout drum	Cause: On Wednesday, April 3, 2013 at approximately 0145, a Chalmette Refining, L.L.C. (CRLLC) operator noticed odors around the waste water treatment plant (WWTP) shelter. At 0225, CRLLC was notified by St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's Office of a community complaint regarding a potential odor. The potential odor issue was communicated to relevant supervisors during the 0400 shift change, and operators continued to investigate the cause of odor during initial rounds. At approximately 0600, CRLLC personnel detected and reported potential odors, and intensified the investigation to identify the source and possible root cause. Personnel identified a leak from a pipe near Tank 5502 at 0645 and positively identified the source as a discharge pipe from the Flare 1 knockout drum at 0708. Moderate to heavy rain water and insulation covering the pipe, made it difficult to identify the leak source. The root cause of failure was determined to be highly localized internal pipe corrosion. Followup: Yes Notes: The pipe section with the leak was completely isolated at 0745, then vacuum trucks were utilized to clean up the spilled material. An engineered pipe clamp was installed to eliminate the pipe leak. To minimize any further potential community impacts from the odor, firefighting foam and suppressants were applied to the area possibly affected by the leak. Contaminated soil was remediated. In addition to determining root cause and actions regarding the pipe failure CRLCC has identified two actions to be taken to improve odor management and response: 1. Update guidelines for addressing community odor complaints. 2. Refresh personnel involved in this incident on expectations for documenting odor complaint activities/ observations on written shift change reports. The accident did result in offsite impact because ExxonMobil officials released this claims number for any community members affected: 866-752-6339. The facility made a small mention of the bad smell that permeated throughout the metro area in their letter to LDEQ. According to Exxon's April 10th report, "While there was no impact to ambient air quality standards set by the LDEQ and EPA to protect health and environment, the leak was malodorous given the 245 parts per million mercaptan levels of the sulfur compounds. While there was no impact to ambient air quality standards set by the LDEQ and EPA to protect health and the environment, the leak was malodorous given the 245 parts per million mercaptan levels of the sulfur compounds. The May 30th follow up updates this value to 127 parts per million. According to the 30 day follow up on May 30, 2013: On July 9, 2013 - CRLLC has pledged to participate in the Jefferson Parish LEPC meeting.	0.2 pounds
147793 2013-04-03	discharge pipe from the Flare 1 knockout drum	Cause: On Wednesday, April 3, 2013 at approximately 0145, a Chalmette Refining, L.L.C. (CRLLC) operator noticed odors around the waste water treatment plant (WWTP) shelter. At 0225, CRLLC was notified by St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's Office of a community complaint regarding a potential odor. The potential odor issue was communicated to relevant supervisors during the 0400 shift change, and operators continued to investigate the cause of odor during initial rounds. At approximately 0600, CRLLC personnel detected and reported potential odors, and intensified the investigation to identify the source and possible root cause. Personnel identified a leak from a pipe near Tank 5502 at 0645 and positively identified the source as a discharge pipe from the Flare 1 knockout drum at 0708. Moderate to heavy rain water and insulation covering the pipe, made it difficult to identify the leak source. The root cause of failure was determined to be highly localized internal pipe corrosion. Followup: Yes Notes: The pipe section with the leak was completely isolated at 0745, then vacuum trucks were utilized to clean up the spilled material. An engineered pipe clamp was installed to eliminate the pipe leak. To minimize any further potential community impacts from the odor, firefighting foam and suppressants were applied to the area possibly affected by the leak. Contaminated soil was remediated. In addition to determining root cause and actions regarding the pipe failure CRLCC has identified two actions to be taken to improve odor management and response: 1. Update guidelines for addressing community odor complaints. 2. Refresh personnel involved in this incident on expectations for documenting odor complaint activities/ observations on written shift change reports. The accident did result in offsite impact because ExxonMobil officials released this claims number for any community members affected: 866-752-6339. The facility made a small mention of the bad smell that permeated throughout the metro area in their letter to LDEQ. According to Exxon's April 10th report, "While there was no impact to ambient air quality standards set by the LDEQ and EPA to protect health and environment, the leak was malodorous given the 245 parts per million mercaptan levels of the sulfur compounds. While there was no impact to ambient air quality standards set by the LDEQ and EPA to protect health and the environment, the leak was malodorous given the 245 parts per million mercaptan levels of the sulfur compounds. The May 30th follow up updates this value to 127 parts per million. According to the 30 day follow up on May 30, 2013: On July 9, 2013 - CRLLC has pledged to participate in the Jefferson Parish LEPC meeting.
147323 2013-03-11	cooling tower	Cause: On Saturday, March 11, 2013 at approximately 10:00 hours, elevated benzene concentrations were detected in the inlet to the cooling tower. After conducting a series of exchanger testing to determine the source, the site identified an exchanged which had the water side blocked in and filled with benzene product material. The inlet and outlet block valves on the product side were immediately closed. Followup: No Notes: The inlet and outlet block valves on the product side of the exchanger were immediately blocked in to eliminate the benzene source from the cooling tower.	113.0 pounds
146189 2013-01-20	Crude 2 unit	Cause: On Sunday, January 20, 2013, at approximately 06:05 hours unit personnel identified a leak at the Crude 2 unit from a failed bleeder valve. A root cause failure analysis and investigation is ongoing and results will be provided in a 60-day follow-up report. Off-site monitoring by a third party contractor was initiated following identification of the leak and all results were non-detect for benzene and hydrogen sulfide. Low levels of VOC's were detected. The root cause of bleeder valve failure occurred from a failure mechanism of piping assembly due to high-cycle fatigue caused by line vibration during the PSV relief. Followup: No Notes: Upon discovery, the bleeder valve was isolated to stop the leak and cleanup of the area was immediately isolated. Notifications were made to shift supervision and the area was barricaded off to restrict access to the unit. All work was stopped and personnel were directed to a safe area. The appropriate agencies were notified. Internal and external monitoring was initiated. CRLLC has installed gussets on the bleeder valves of both desalter PSV's with similar design configurations. CrLLC will also ensure that all future Project Hazard Analysis (PHA) identify whether lines in vibrating service are adequately supported to avoid/mitigate any future re-occurrence of this root cause.	20.7 pounds
156620 2014-06-09	Emergency Block Valve at the Crude #2 unit	Cause: A spill of crude vacuum tower bottoms occurred at the Crude #2 unit. While preparing the vacuum tower bottoms (VTB) pump for maintenance, the emergency block valve (EBV) inadvertently opened, releasing crude VTB through the flange opening on the pump. CRLLC is conducting an investigation to determine the cause of the EBV opening and measures to prevent recurrence. Followup: Yes Notes: The issue was resolved by isolating the EBV.
156412 2014-06-03	Tank 61	Cause: Personnel observed a material leaking at Tank 61 from the roof drain area in the dike area. Upon identification, personnel mobilized and safely blocked in the roof drain and dike valve in the containment area. Due to heavy rains the roof drain and dike valve were open for draining the area per normal work practice. CRLLC personnel noticed some hydrocarbon had entered the concrete drain ditch, where it was contained. While blocking in the roof drain, personnel noted that hydrocarbons and water partially covered the north side of the tank roof. The tank immediately began to be pumped down to empty the contents. The tank was pumped down to a level that completely exposed the tank roof. After identification of the issue, the area was foamed to minimize emissions, and cleanup began immediately. CRLLC is conducting a failure analysis of the tank roof to determine the cause of the failure. Followup: Yes Notes: After isolating the leak, operators used foam to minimize volatilization and vacuum trucks were utilized to clean up the area. All material in Tank 61 was transferred to Tank 60 to allow operators to address the Tank 61 floating roof.	22.0 pounds
154310 2014-03-06		Cause: A release of compressed flammable gas, benzene, and sulfur dioxide occurred on March 6, 2014. No further information about accident is given. Followup: No Notes: Only document provided about accident is one page refinery letter.

Louisiana Refinery Accident Database

Chalmette Refining (1376), Chalmette

Releases of Benzene