LA Bucket Brigade : Refinery Accident Database

About the Database

Phillips 66 (2538), Lake Charles

Releases in 2011

LDEQ Accident Number Accident Date	Point Source/Release	Cause	Notes
134950 2011-10-25	Point Source(s): Water runoff from extiguished fire south of T-75 dike wall Pollutant(s): Acid - BRQ	Cause of Problem: Other - See text The facility report states that a roll-off box containing industrial debris self-ignited south of the T-75 dike wall in the South Tank Farm. The fire water had a pH of 2 and was on the soil and went across the road into a drainage ditch outside their fence line.	BRQ. Soil was removed from the area. The incident report (10/25) and LDEQ report (10/26) have different incident dates.
134068 2011-09-18	Point Source(s): 003 Outfall Ditch Pollutant(s): Sheen of Unknow Origin - 0	Cause of Problem: Weather After a rain event sheen was flowing from 003 Outfall Ditch.	No Information given regarding quantity. Absorbent was unsuccessfully used. Not believed to be oil based. Booms were already in place, but fresh booms were deployed to capture sheen.
133187 2011-08-10	Point Source(s): Outfall 004 Pollutant(s): Sheen - 0	Cause of Problem: Under Investigation Contract employee observed a sheen (6" x 12") in a tributary leading to Bayou Verdine. Conoco's outfall 004 discharges this to this tributary. Conoco said that they observed no sheen before or immediately after outfall 004. Conoco had an ongoing investigation of the unidentified sheen in the area. The facility placed a boom to contain the sheen from entering Bayou Verdine. The facility inspected all potential sources and found no leaks. Follow up report says that the source of the sheen was not identified but due to subsequent monitoring and testing it is believed to have originated onsite, likely a combination of organic decomposition and runoff from legacy operations.	Environmental personnel responded. They used absorbent pads for clean up. Engineering alternatives are being evaluated to determine the most effective mitigation to prevent a sheen from this location in the future. The sheen was on a tributary of the Bayou Verdine, and as result of the placement of the booms, did not impact the bayou.
131210 2011-05-11	Point Source(s): flare Pollutant(s): Hydrogen Sulfide - 0	Cause of Problem: Equipment Failure Flare went out. No further information given.	No information given regarding amount released. LDEQ and SPOC reports only; no refinery letter.
130873 2011-04-26	Point Source(s): outfall 002 from triangle pond Pollutant(s): Hydrocarbon - BRQ Sheen - BRQ	Cause of Problem: Weather Triangle pond filled due to rainfall event and some residual oil was carried out with the storm water when the triangle pond flowed to outfall 002.	New booms were installed and oil absorbent pads were put out to mitigate sheen. No sheen went past the concrete retaining walls.
130738 2011-04-20	Point Source(s): piping near Tk-342 Pollutant(s): Diesel Fuel - 64 gallons	Cause of Problem: Piping or Tubing According to the refinery letter, the release occurred when a pipe near T-342 began leaking due to corrosion issues.	RQ: The oil was cleaned using vacuum trucks and the diesel was returned to the system to be processed. A clamp was installed on the pipe to protect from further leakage.
130644 2011-04-12	Point Source(s): air-demand analyzer Pollutant(s): Sulfur Dioxide - BRQ	Cause of Problem: Instrument Failure According to the refinery letter, during the start-up of the sulfur reaction furnace, an air-demand analyzer malfunctioned causing excess air to the hydrogenation bed resulting in elevated SO2 emissions.	BRQ: No further information on remedial actions was given. Refinery letter and SPOC report only; no LDEQ report.
130200 2011-03-26	Point Source(s): No Information Given Pollutant(s): No Information Given - 0	Cause of Problem: Other - See text Refinery letter initially states that they received a call of citizen complaints regarding smoke in the area. At the time of the call there was a FCC unit starting-up and experiencing opacity exceedance from particulate matter. Subsequently the letter states that ConocoPhillips found out an unrelated fire started on Pete Manena Rd. and facility concluded that the original citizen report was related to the fire and not the refinery.	None.
129308 2011-02-18	Point Source(s): East Tank Farm Pollutant(s): Naphtha - 63 gallons Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) - 286 pounds Benzene - 0 pounds	Cause of Problem: Piping or Tubing Heavy Naphtha #11 runline expansion joint developed a leak. Refinery letter states that engineering calculations were used to determine quantities of pollutants released.	The line was blocked in and isolated. ES&H aided in the clean up of the leak and is standing by for support. Expansion joint was removed from the line. They will inspect other expansion joints and replace/remove as necessary. Naphtha is referred to as "oil" in first part of refinery letter, but listed as naphtha in pollutants released section.
129216 2011-02-13	Point Source(s): #3 Cargo Sump Pollutant(s): Kerosene - 63 gallons Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) - 635 pounds Benzene - 0 pounds	Cause of Problem: Human Factors Unauthorized discharge report states that kerosene flowed out of the concrete basin surrounding #3 Cargo Pump House Sump PPS-29, onto the ground underneath the piperack west of PPS-29 and into the concrete rainwater catch basin southwest of PPS-29. The operator left D-1216 draining unattended. The radar span on PPS-29 was not set properly.	Sump level was pumped down. The radar span on PPS-29 has been adjusted. The company will consider installing redundant radar level indication on PPS-29. They will consider scheduling annual preventive maintenance and testing on PPS-29 level control system as well as a low level alarm to PPS-29.
129029 2011-02-05	Point Source(s): #1 dock west sump/catch basin Pollutant(s): Light Cycle Oil - 30 gallons	Cause of Problem: Weather Unauthorized discharge notice states that that the #1 Dock West Sump overflowed into the water because the pump discharge piping was plugged due to ice formation. SPILL RESULTED IN VISIBLE OIL SHEEN ON THE CALCASIEU RIVER.	ES&H contractor called out to recover oil and deinventory the Dock 1W sump basin. Modification of winterization procedures are planned. Also, the company will ensure that the existing sump high level horn and light at Dock 1W are fully functional. LDEQ report states that incident will be addressed during next inspection.
128741 2011-01-16	Point Source(s): T-74 Oily Sewer Sump Pollutant(s): Crude Oil - 17,220 gallons Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) - BRQ Benzene - BRQ Hydrogen Sulfide - BRQ	Cause of Problem: Instrument Failure Refinery unauthorized discharge notification report states that the T-74 oily sewer pump level indicator appears to have failed to start the pumps operating. Overflow of crude oil into a railroad ditch occurred.	The oil was cleaned up using vacuum trucks, absorbent booms, and pads. The frequency of operator rounds has been increased. Refinery letter states that no off-site impact occurred and that impact to the sides of railroad ditch were "almost nonexistent."