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ExxonMobil Chemical Plant (286), Baton Rouge

Releases of Sulfuric Acid

LDEQ Accident Number
Accident Date
Point Source(s) Notes Amount of Release
79338

2005-05-25
WBT 01 Tower
Cause: Small hole on WBT 01 Tower. This is an absorber tower which contains flammable gas. On examining the hole in the tower they shut it down.

Followup: No

Notes: Immediately feed was cut out of the tower, water spray was applied to the leak to help minimize the vapors, and the weep hole was plugged. The area surrounding the leak was ultrasonically tested and found to be of acceptable thickness. A more intense UT scan was performed over the entire vessel and confirmed to be of acceptable thickness. The leaking tell-tale hole was plugged per mechanical design standards. About 1/3 of the vessel is being sand-blasted and visually inspected to verify that there are not any unplugged tell-tale holes remaining.
2,792.0 pounds
93999

2007-02-16
Rich Stage Absorber Tower
Cause: While making routine rounds, an assistant operator on the Isopropyl Alcohol Unit discovered a leak on the sixth level of the Rich Stage Absorber Tower. The leak was caused by a failure of the thermowell assembly.

Followup:

Notes: Personnel immediately began to isolate and shut down the tower. Elevated fire monitors were activated which sprayed water on the release to minimize emissions to the air. Feed was blocked out of the tower, the liquid drained to other process equipment, and the tower was depressured to the gas recovery system. The failed thermowell assembly was replaced. The failed thermowell assemblly was sent to an outside lab for metallurgical analysis to determine the cause of the failure.
1,436.0 pounds
127573

2010-11-09
unit with sulfuric acid
Cause: They stated that a unit that was running with sulfuric acid developed a small leak in it.

Followup: No

Notes: It was contained in their sewer system, never left their site. Faculty stated that no RQs were exceeded.
3,750.0 pounds
123362

2010-05-11
Waste water treatment system
Cause: Pipe had a leak in it.

Followup: No

Notes: The cause was a leaking pipe component. Sulfuric Acid went into their waste water treatment systsem. They shut down the unit, isolated the leak, and washed up.
112376

2010-03-26
valve
Cause: Corrosion on a valve caused a leak.

Followup: No

Notes: Report says no RQs were exceeded.
30.0 gallons
151038

2013-09-15
Storage tank
Cause: On September 13, there was a release of sulfuric acid from due to a leak in a storage tank. The tank leaked only into the secondary containment area.

Followup: No

Notes: No offsite impact. Due to prompt incident response to mitigate the event duration, no reportable quantities were exceeded. Less than 920 pounds of sulfuric acid were released as a result of this event.
920.0 pounds
148926

2013-05-29
No Information Given
Cause: ExxonMobil Chemical plant identified a hole in a pipe. The product was being released to the pavement and then evaporated to the air. The facility has determined that no reportable quantities were exceeded. The propylene released to soil and air - and was determined to have resulted in offsite impact although no air motioning was conducted by ExxonMobil. There was also an injury reported

Followup:

Notes: Prompt incident response was implemented to mitigate event duration, and it was determined that no reportable quantities were exceeded.
4.5 pounds