NRC Reports for December 2013 – MS River Corridor

CALLER STATED THAT AN UNKNOWN AMOUNT OF MIXED AMINES WAS RELEASED TO THE PROCESSED PAD FROM A PRESSURE CONTROL VALVE.*****THIS IS AN UPDATE TO A REPORT#1067203***** (CALLER STATED THAT AN UNKNOWN AMOUNT OF MIXED AMINES WAS RELEASED TO THE PROCESSED PAD FROM A PRESSURE CONTROL VALVE.) CALLER IS REPORTING AN UPDATE TO THE ABOVE REPORT, WITH QUANTITIES RELEASED: 8.46 POUNDS ANHYDROUS AMMONIA, 14.37 POUNDS DIETHANOLAMINE, 2.74 POUNDS ETHYL ALCOHOL, 7.06 POUNDS MONOETHANOLAMINE, 5.99 POUNDS TRIETHANOLAMINE

CALLER STATED THAT THERE WAS A RELEASE OF 5 POUNDS OF DILUENT FROM A ONE INCH PIECE OF PIPE ON A REACTOR, THE CAUSE WAS DUE TO CORROSION. CALLER ALSO STATED THAT THE MATERIAL INVOLVED HAS THREE CHEMICALS THAT MAKE UP THIS MATERIAL, BUTADIENE, PENTANE, 1-4 DI CHLORO 2 BUTANE. UNKNOWN VOLUME RELEASED.

CALLER STATED THAT THERE WAS A RELEASE OF HYDROGEN SULFIDE FROM A FLARE AT THE REFINERY. UNKNOWN VOLUME RELEASED.

CALLER STATED THAT THERE WAS A RELEASE OF HYDROGEN SULFIDE FROM A CAT CRACKER UNIT. UNKNOWN VOLUME RELEASED.

CALLER IS REPORTING A DISCHARGE OF #6 OIL FROM A PIPE INSIDE THE REFINERY DUE TO A MECHANICAL FAILURE. 157 GALLONS #6 FUEL OIL RELEASED.

CALLER IS REPORTING A RELEASE OF AN UNKNOWN AMOUNT OF VINYL CHLORIDE MONOMER INTO THE AIR FROM THE VCM DRYER AT A CHEMICAL FACILITY. CAUSE IS BELIEVED TO BE A FAILURE IN A WELD IN THE PIPE.

CALLER REPORTED THAT A FIRE MAY HAVE CAUSED A RELEASE OF MATERIAL. UNKOWN QUANTITIES RELEASED.

CALLER IS REPORTING A RELEASE OF HYDROGEN AND ETHYLENE INTO THE ATMOSPHERE. UNKNOWN QUANTITIES RELEASED.

CALLER IS REPORTING A RELEASE OF 620 PPM OF SULFUR DIOXIDE AT THE PLANT, THE CAUSE IS UNKNOWN. UNKNOWN QUANTITIES RELEASED.

COAL AND PETROLEUM COKE SPILLING FROM UNCOVERED CONVEYOR AND TERMINAL INTO THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER ALONG THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE TERMINAL. UNKNOWN QUANTITIES RELEASED.

CALLER IS REPORTING A RELEASE OF “URAN”” FROM AN 8 INCH LOADING LINE ON THE DOCKSIDE DUE TO AN EQUIPMENT FAILURE (LEAK IN THE LINE) WHILE LOADING A BARGE. UNKNOWN QUANTITIES RELEASED.

CALLER IS REPORTING A DISCHARGE OF HYDROCHLORIC ACID FROM A RAIL CAR DUE TO AN OPERATOR ERROR DURING A LOADING OPERATION. 30000 POUNDS HYDROCHLORIC ACID RELEASED.

CALLER REPORTED A CRACK IN A HEADER OF A TANK FARM THAT CAUSED A RELEASE OF MATERIALS. UNKNOWN QUANTITIES RELEASED.

CALLER IS REPORTING A RELEASE OF PETROLEUM COKE FROM A CONVEYER BELT SYSTEM, THE CAUSE IS SUSPECTED TO BE DUE TO THE WIND. UNKNOWN QUANTITIES RELEASED.

DURING THE PERIOD OF DECEMBER 7 THROUGH DECEMBER 13, WHILE WORKING ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER BATTURE NEAR THE RIVER BANK, 23 SMALL SHEEN CIRCLES WERE OBSERVED ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. THE TOTAL SHEEN AMOUNT FOR THIS TIME PERIOD WAS ESTIMATED TO BE APPROXIMATELY 1 OUNCE AND ALL SHEENS DISSIPATED QUICKLY AFTER APPEARING ON THE WATER. THE SHEENS RANGED FROM 0.5 TO 3 FT IN LENGTH. THE SOURCE OF THESE SHEENS MAY BE AN INTERMITTENT SEEP OF LIGHT NON-AQUEOUS PHASE LIQUID (LNAPL), RESULTING FROM A HISTORICAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT UNIT THAT IS CURRENTLY UNDER INVESTIGATION/REMEDIAL DESIGN WITH THE LDEQ. ***THIS IS A DEQ REGULATED SITE***

CALLER IS REPORTING A 10 GALLON BENZENE RELEASE FROM A DOCK HOSE THAT WAS CONNECTED TO A BARGE, THE HOSE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING DISCONNECTED, IT IS SUSPECT THAT THE DOCKMAN OPENED UP THE LINE ALLOWING BENZENE TO FLOW BACK TO THE BARGE.

CALLER IS REPORTING A FLARING EVENT OF HYDROGEN SULFIDE. UNKNOWN QUANTITIES RELEASED.

CALLER IS REPORTING A RELEASE OF APPROXIMATELY GREATER THAN 10 POUNDS OF CHLORINE INTO THE ATMOSPHERE FROM THE ELECTROLYZER SYSTEM DUE TO EQUIPMENT FAILURE.

THE CALLER REPORTED THAT SEVERAL MATERIALS ARE RELEASING TO FLARE DUE TO A PLANNED MAINTENANCE TO REPAIR A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT. UNKNOWN QUANTITIES RELEASED.

THE CALLER REPORTED THAT SEVERAL MATERIALS ARE RELEASING TO THE FLARE DUE TO A UNIT UPSET (UNIT COMPRESSOR). UNKNOWN QUANTITIES RELEASED.

Unknown Oil

DURING THE PERIOD OF DECEMBER 14 THROUGH DECEMBER 20, WHILE WORKING ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER BATTURE NEAR THE RIVER BANK, 13 SMALL SHEEN CIRCLES WERE OBSERVED ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. THE TOTAL SHEEN AMOUNT FOR THIS TIME PERIOD WAS ESTIMATED TO BE APPROXIMATELY 2 OUNCES AND ALL SHEENS DISSIPATED QUICKLY AFTER APPEARING ON THE WATER. THE SHEENS RANGED FROM 0.5 TO 5 FT IN LENGTH. THE SOURCE OF THESE SHEENS MAY BE AN INTERMITTENT SEEP OF LIGHT NON-AQUEOUS PHASE LIQUID (LNAPL), RESULTING FROM A HISTORICAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT UNIT THAT IS CURRENTLY UNDER INVESTIGATION/REMEDIAL DESIGN WITH THE LDEQ. ***THIS IS A LDEQ REGULATED SITE***

CALLER IS REPORTING THAT THERE WAS A BUTADIENE RELEASE FROM A RELIEF VALVE ON A CIRCULATING PUMP. THIS MAY HAVE BEEN DUE TO A MALFUNCTION ON THE VALVE. THE INCIDENT IS UNDER INVESTIGATION. UNKNOWN QUANTITIES RELEASED.

CALLER STATED THAT A PIN HOLE LEAK IN A PUMP ALLOWED THE RELEASED APPROXIMATELY THREE BARRELS OF NUMBER 6 FUEL OIL ONTO THE SLAB. 94 GALLONS #6 FUEL OIL RELEASED.

CALLER REPORTED A UNIT EXCEEDED ITS RELEASE AVERAGE FROM THE FLARE. UNKNOWN QUANTITIES RELEASED.

CALLER STATED THAT ONE OF THEIR PERSONNEL NOTICED THAT UNDERNEATH THE DOCK ONE OF THEIR TRANSFER LINES HAS A HOLE IN IT AND IS DISCHARGING NUMBER 6 FUEL OIL INTO THE WATER. ***UPDATED INFORMATION FROM NRC # 1069314*** CALLER STATED THAT APPROXIMATELY .5 GALLONS OF NUMBER 6 FUEL OIL WAS RELEASED INTO THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.

CALLER IS REPORTING A 1 GALLON RELEASE OF OLEINE FROM A PIPE ON THE DOCK, THE CAUSE WAS DUE TO A PIN HOLE IN THE PIPE.

CALLER REPORTED THAT A BARGE IS SMOKING AND THERE IS A STRONG CHEMICAL ODOR IN THE AIR. UNKNOWN QUANTITIES RELEASED.

Westlake Vinyl – Geismar

CALLER STATED THAT 20 % SODIUM HYDROXIDE & WATER SOLUTION FOUND LEAKING FROM THE PIPE IN A CONTAINMENT AREA. UKNOWN VOLUME OF SODIUM HYDROXIDE. UNKNOWN QUANTITIES RELEASED.

Benzene

CALLER IS REPORTING A BENZENE RELEASE INTO THE ATMOSPHERE FROM (A POSSIBLE) EXCHANGER. UNKNOWN VOLUME OF BENZENE. UNKNOWN QUANTITIES RELEASED.

Total Petrochemical – Carville

Benzene

CALLER REPORTED AN EXCHANGER HAD A TUBE FAILURE RELEASING BENZENE INTO THE STEAM HEADER. *UPDATE* AMOUNT OF BENZENE RELEASED 272 POUNDS AND RELEASE WAS SECURED AT 1845 DURATION OF RELEASE WAS 22 HOURS. CALLER IS REPORTED THAT AN EXCHANGER HAD A TUBE FAILURE RELEASING BENZENE INTO THE STEAM HEADER.