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Valero (1238), Meraux
Releases of Slop Oil
| LDEQ Accident Number Accident Date |
Point Source(s) | Notes | Amount of Release |
| 101183 2007-11-09 | Vacuum Truck - slop oil was spilled to unpaved ground water at the wastewater treatment sludge processing area. | Cause: incident occurred as a result of a faulty check valve - debris located in the suction valve seat allowed the valve to stay open when it should have been closed. When the tank pressurized, contents were blown out of the suction side of the system. The operator failed to ensure that the suction system was clean and operating properly before pressurizing the tank Followup: Yes Notes: This was a self-report from Murphy to LDEQ and they also followed up with written notice of the incident. The slop oil spill was to unpaved ground at the wastewater treatment sludge processing area. A vacuum truck driver loaded the slop oil from Tank 5-3 and proceeded to offload at the processing area releasing the material onto the ground. The spill impacted an area of approx. 30 feet by 50 feet and was contained in this one area. Murphy immediately responded by recovering approx. 85% of theliquids with vacuum trucks. The next morning, Murphy scraped up all visibly contaminated soil (approx. 3 cubic yards) for disposal at Waste Management's Woodside Landfill in Walker, LA. NOTE: The operator failed to ensure that the suction syste | 84.0 gallons |
| 126886 2010-10-05 | OIL LINE - 2" slop oil line | Cause: Slop oil spilled into the river due to a leak at a threaded connection on a short section of a 2" slop oil line. Cause of leak was not provided. Followup: No Notes: BRQ. Refinery letter states that no reportable quantities were exceeded. The spill was immediately cleaned up with absorbent pads. No additional information about how/when they fixed the leak was provided. | 0.1 gallons |
| 142493 2012-08-30 | OAF Sump at Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) | Cause: On August 30, 2012, while assessing conditions following Hurricane Isaac, Valero personnel discovered a slop oil spill to the ground in the Wastewater Treatment area, oil and sheen in a storm water drainage ditch along the western edge of the refinery, and a sheen in the 20 Arpent Canal that receives water from this ditch. A few days later, after the water level had dropped several feet, grass stained with oil was discovered along the 20 Arpent Canal.
Valero determined the root cause of this spill to be inadequate containment for the heavy rains and high winds experienced during hurricane· Isaac. When the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) shut down during the hurricane, oil collected in the OAF Sump which overflowed when the area was flooded.
The primary cause for this event was Weather, but the secondary cause is Equipment Design (inadequate containment at Wastewater Treatment Plant). Followup: Yes Notes: Slop Oil, estimated at 1 barrel (42 gallons), was released to the ground and an estimated 5 gallons was released to water. Valero provided verbal notification within 2 hours of discovering the release of material offsite. Valero recovered the oil on the ground and in the ditch using vacuum trucks and absorbent materials. All soils and vegetation with visible contamination were removed for disposal at an offsite commercial landfill. Valero will design and install a fixed roof and wall around the OAF Sump to prevent the OAF Sump from filling up with storm water and overflowing. The last document LABB has for this event is the 60 day follow up on December 21, 2012. Valero shut down their refinery before the storm and did not report any other pollution besides this slop oil (and benzene that volatilized off of the oil). Citizen complaint made 9/1/12 regarding a strong fuel smell present. Would like to know if an emergency by-pass was occurring because of lack of capacity to contain rainwater. Observed high levels of ponds prior to storm. On 8/30/12 Valero reported the release of 1 barrel of slop oil in the Waste Water Treatment area which ocurred during Hurricane Isaac this complaint was recorded by LADEQ by incident number 142484, but was referenced to this incident by Valero. | 47.0 gallons |
| 152761 2013-12-08 | flange on crude slop line | Cause: On December 8, 2013, a leak was discovered on a flange on a crude slop line in a ground level pipe rack. Valero has determined the root cause of this release to be an improperly tightened flange. Over time, the bolts securing the flange had become loose, allowing the flange faces to separate, and materials to be released.
A Reportable Quantity was exceeded but no emergency condition existed. No material escaped beneath the immediate pipe rack. Due to the small size of the spill and cool temperatures, volatilization was negligible. Followup: Yes Notes: The leaking flange was tightened, stopping the release. Valero has since inspected the rest of this length of piping, and is working to correct any deficiencies noted in the inspection report. A vacuum truck was dispatched to remove the oil and water beneath the pipe rack. Recovered liquids were transferred within the refinery for separation and treatment and the contaminated soil was moved to a roll off bin for off-site disposal. | 84.0 gallons |
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