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Chalmette Refining (1376), Chalmette

Releases in 2009

LDEQ Accident Number
Accident Date
Point Source/Release CauseNotes
120390

2009-12-28
Point Source(s):
#3 Pretreater overhead accumulator

Pollutant(s):
Volatile Organic Compounds - BRQ
Hydrogen Sulfide - BRQ
Cause of Problem: Piping or Tubing

#3 Pretreater overhead accumulator had leak on site glass.
RQ not exceeded.
120342

2009-12-22
Point Source(s):
flange

Pollutant(s):
Hydrogen Sulfide - BRQ
Cause of Problem: Piping or Tubing

Leaking flange caused release.
RQ not exceeded. Clamp was placed over the leak.
119671

2009-11-23
Point Source(s):
barge

Pollutant(s):
Heavy Oil - BRQ
Cause of Problem: Human Factors

Tankerman opened hatch while the barge was pressurized causing heavy oil to spray onto the barge.
Company letter missing. Heavy oil was also sprayed on the individual. Clean up in the river was deemed unnecessary and the barge was cleaned with absorbent pads.
118804

2009-10-17
Point Source(s):
flare #2

Pollutant(s):
Sulfur Dioxide - 1,172 pounds
Cause of Problem: Instrument Failure

Level indicator in the Light Ends Plant over head had malfunctioned. Causing the #3 Pretreater and Hydrocracker (HCU) 1st Stage Stripper overhead off gas flow to suddenly decrease. This caused the pressure to increase and release emissions through flaring (#2).
Lowered drum level and stablizied the HCU and PT 3. Repaired indicator by refilling leg with glycerin.
118643

2009-10-09
Point Source(s):
Waste Gas Compressor

Pollutant(s):
Sulfur Dioxide - BRQ
Cause of Problem: Process Upset

Waste Gas Compressor lost high pressure and failed. Sent gas to FLARE #1.
RQ not exceeded. Flare gas recovery system prevented excessive flaring.
118324

2009-10-01
Point Source(s):
tank 1203

Pollutant(s):
Benzene - 24 pounds
Cause of Problem: Process Upset

Plastic bag lodged in the vacuum while emptying a tank 1203 which caused overfill of drain pan.
RQ not exceeded. All discharges contained and recovered.
118252

2009-09-28
Point Source(s):
tank M3

Pollutant(s):
Benzene - BRQ
Xylene - BRQ
Cause of Problem: Piping or Tubing

Tank M3 leaking at base.
RQ not exceeded. Vacuum truck to clean up leak. Pan placed under leak.
118170

2009-09-24
Point Source(s):
Tank 65

Pollutant(s):
Non-Flammable Organic Liquid - 42 gallons
Cause of Problem: Piping or Tubing

Leak in gas oil line at Tank 65. Line is underground and gas oil with very low pressure.
RQ not exceeded. Area around the leak excavated. Leak repaired through a clamp that reinforced the line at the site of the leak.
117792

2009-09-06
Point Source(s):
tank

Pollutant(s):
Hydrogen Sulfide - 100 pounds
Cause of Problem: Equipment Design

Valve stuck at the top of a tank.
RQ not exceeded. Repair was performed promptly.
117789

2009-09-01
Point Source(s):
10" pipe

Pollutant(s):
Volatile Organic Compounds - BRQ
Cause of Problem: Piping or Tubing

pinhole leak in 10" pipe.
RQ not exceeded.
117581

2009-08-25
Point Source(s):
Tank 301

Pollutant(s):
Sweet Crude Oil - 8,283 gallons
Sweet Crude Oil - 1,499 gallons
Benzene - 15 pounds
Cause of Problem: Maintenance/Procedures

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.
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.
117083

2009-08-06
Point Source(s):
SRU 1 and 2

Pollutant(s):
Sulfur Dioxide - 1,136 pounds
Cause of Problem: Start Up, Shut Down

Sulfur Recovery Unit Train (SRU 2) shutdown due to a steam excursion in the refinery. The steam excursion had caused the SRU 2 to shutdown from low boiler water level. The acid gas loading from SRU 2 was added to SRU 1 which caused the emissions. A second incidence occurred when the refinery lost its hydrogen supply from Air Products. This caused the shutdown of the refinery hydrotreaters and a significant decrease in refinery acid gas production. SRU 1 shutdown due to the insufficient acid gas leading to a second emission.
acid gas was routed from SRU 2 to SRU 1. Acid gas flaring was avoided and DGA strippers was contained until SRU 1 was restarted. SRU 1 was run at minimal air flow rates to avoid excess H2S consumption due from insufficient acid gas rates. Caustic addition was maximized in tail gas section to mitigate additional SO2 formation.
116878

2009-07-29
Point Source(s):
abandoned line

Pollutant(s):
Asbestos - BRQ
Cause of Problem: Maintenance/Procedures

Abandoned piece of line fell to the ground.
RQ not exceeded.
116591

2009-07-20
Point Source(s):
Desulphurization unit clamp

Pollutant(s):
Volatile Organic Compounds - BRQ
Flammable Liquid - BRQ
Benzene - BRQ
Hydrogen Sulfide - BRQ
Cause of Problem: Piping or Tubing

Desulphurization unit clamp leaked.
RQ not exceeded.
116493

2009-07-14
Point Source(s):
outfall 013

Pollutant(s):
Hydrofluoric Acid - 3,257 pounds
Cause of Problem: Piping or Tubing

While an operator was back flushing the HF Alky Unit's heat exchanger, a leak was discovered on the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger released chemicals into the cooling water system (outfall 013) which was subsequently released to the Mississippi River.
The Alkylation Unit was shut down. The rates were reduced and the acid was evacuated from the unit. Fluoride samples were measured from the cooling water effluent throughout the shutdown of the unit. The pH of outfall 013 was monitored. Root cause of the leak is being investigation, and the follow up should have been filed.
116460

2009-07-13
Point Source(s):
pipeline to Tank 300

Pollutant(s):
Sweet Crude Oil - 2,997 pounds
Sweet Crude Oil - 296 pounds
Cause of Problem: Corrosion

During the unloading of a crude oil ship, there was a 3/4" bleeder that had become dislodged from the line during transfer. However in subsequent investigations, they found that the nipple on the crude line had failed due to internal corrosion which was the root cause of the release.
Had 2 follow up reports- August 28, 2009 and September 23, 2009. Operators stopped unloading and closed inlet valves to the line manifold and Tank 300. A drip pan was placed below the line opening and a vacuum truck was stationed by the drip pan to store the oil. The contaminated soil was also removed.
116434

2009-06-12
Point Source(s):
coker #2 coke pit and fire lanes

Pollutant(s):
Sulfur Dioxide - 3,569 pounds
Cause of Problem: Instrument Failure

Failure of the coker fines lane pump discharge check valve resulting from accumulated coke fines, which allowed oil from the coker cutting water tank to back flow into the fines lane. Once the oil came in contact with the hot coke in the pit, a fire resulted.
Fire was extinguished with foam. Secondary check valve was installed and a cautionary procedure was developed and implemented.
115487

2009-06-08
Point Source(s):
hose from waste water tank

Pollutant(s):
Sludge - 0 pounds
Sulfur Dioxide - 267 pounds
Volatile Organic Compounds - 7 pounds
Cause of Problem: Human Factors

Contractor pulled cap off of hose leading to a wastewater tank causing sludge to be released.
RQ not exceeded. Release cleaned up for future disposal.
115514

2009-06-07
Point Source(s):
PSV lift, tanks 9000, 9006, and 9007

Pollutant(s):
Sulfur Dioxide - 267 pounds
Volatile Organic Compounds - 7 pounds
Cause of Problem: No Information Given

Unscheduled release of PSV lift, tanks 9000, 9006, and 9007.
RQ not exceeded.
114985

2009-05-14
Point Source(s):
flare

Pollutant(s):
Sulfur Dioxide - 2,138 pounds
Cause of Problem: Process Upset

High differential pressure across gas oil feed filters to Cat Feed Hydrotreater (CFHT) prevented feed from entering the unit. Loss of feed to CFHT combined with malfunctioned level indicator (instrument failure) in hot separator resulted in the total loss of liquid level in the hot separator. This created high pressure vapor from the hot separator that was fed to the fractionator. This result in the overheating and over pressuring of the fractionator and increased gas rates to the fractionator overhead.
RQ exceeded. CFHT rates reduced to a minimum and stopped using propane to minimize temperature and pressure excursions. Level indicator malfunction ocrrected by replacing the anti-freeze.
114850

2009-05-09
Point Source(s):
HDS unit

Pollutant(s):
Volatile Organic Compounds - 198 pounds
Hydrogen Sulfide - 8 pounds
Cause of Problem: Start Up, Shut Down

HDS unit leak on outlet of E3301. Shut down to do repairs causing release..
RQ not exceeded.
114229

2009-04-16
Point Source(s):
No Information Given

Pollutant(s):
Sulfur Dioxide - 78 pounds
Cause of Problem: No Information Given

No Information Given
Below reportable quantities.
113358

2009-03-12
Point Source(s):
Tank 1406


Pollutant(s):
Slop Oil - 4,675 gallons
- 0 pounds
Cause of Problem: Maintenance/Procedures

Tank 1406 was overfilled during tank movements.
Level alarms in Tank 1406 modified to include audible alarms. Slop oil recovered via vacuum truck. Contaminated soil removed and processed.
113148

2009-03-04
Point Source(s):
No Information Given

Pollutant(s):
Sulfur Dioxide - BRQ
Cause of Problem: No Information Given

No Information Given
Below reportable quantities.
112971

2009-02-24
Point Source(s):
No Information Given

Pollutant(s):
Compressed Flammable Gas - BRQ
Volatile Organic Compounds - BRQ
Cause of Problem: No Information Given

No Information Given
Below reportable quantities.
112952

2009-02-23
Point Source(s):
No Information Given

Pollutant(s):
Hydrogen Sulfide - BRQ
Benzene - BRQ
Cause of Problem: No Information Given

No Information Given
Below reportable quantities.
112486

2009-02-03
Point Source(s):
No Information Given

Pollutant(s):
Spent Catalyst - BRQ
Cause of Problem: No Information Given

No Information Given
Below reportable quantities.
112486

2009-02-03
Point Source(s):
No Information Given

Pollutant(s):
Spent Catalyst - BRQ
Cause of Problem: No Information Given

No Information Given
No Information Given
112467

2009-02-02
Point Source(s):
No Information Given

Pollutant(s):
Volatile Organic Compounds - BRQ
Hydrogen Sulfide - BRQ
Cause of Problem: No Information Given

No Information Given
Below reportable quantities.
112269

2009-01-24
Point Source(s):
#1 Flare

Pollutant(s):
Volatile Organic Compounds - BRQ
Sulfur Dioxide - BRQ
Hydrogen Sulfide - BRQ
Cause of Problem: No Information Given

No Information Given
Below reportable quantities.
112239

2009-01-23
Point Source(s):
No Information Given

Pollutant(s):
Volatile Organic Compounds - BRQ
Hydrogen Sulfide - BRQ
Cause of Problem: No Information Given

No Information Given
Below reportable quantities.
112124

2009-01-19
Point Source(s):
No Information Given

Pollutant(s):
Volatile Organic Compounds - BRQ
Hydrogen Sulfide - BRQ
Cause of Problem: No Information Given

No Information Given
No Information Given
112088

2009-01-16
Point Source(s):
No Information Given

Pollutant(s):
Compressed Flammable Gas - BRQ
Cause of Problem: No Information Given

No Information Given
No Information Given
112070

2009-01-15
Point Source(s):
No Information Given

Pollutant(s):
Benzene - BRQ
Cause of Problem: No Information Given

No Information Given
No Information Given
No LDEQ Number Available

2009-01-08
Point Source(s):
No Information Given

Pollutant(s):
Gasoline - 9 gallons
Cause of Problem: No Information Given

No Information Given
Gasoline recovered via vacuum truck. Below reportable quantities.
111871

2009-01-07
Point Source(s):
No Information Given

Pollutant(s):
Volatile Organic Compounds - BRQ
Cause of Problem: No Information Given

No Information Given
No Information Given
111744

2009-01-03
Point Source(s):
No Information Given

Pollutant(s):
Mobile DTE Oil - 55 gallons
Cause of Problem: Weather

Lube detected floating on water collected near the Hydrocracker Unit. Heavy rainstorms caused lube oil to get backed out of the oil/water sewer system.
Vacuum trucks were immediately deployed and absorbent materials used to contain the lube oil. Contaminated soil and absorbent materials were removed and containerized for disposal.