Release of pollutants reported to the National Response Center during the month of January, 2014 along the Mississippi River industrial corridor in Louisiana.
Release of pollutants reported to the National Response Center during the month of January, 2014 along the Mississippi River industrial corridor in Louisiana.
During the month of January 2014, there were 33 reports to the National Response Center from large industrial facilities in the Mississippi River industrial corridor from just above Baton Rouge to just below New Orleans. The National Response Center (NRC) is the federal government’s national communications center, which is staffed 24 hours a day by U.S. Coast Guard officers and marine science technicians. The NRC is the sole federal point of contact for reporting all hazardous substances and oil spills.
These are the reported incidents (primarily self reported) of accidental spills and releases of pollutants from large industrial facilities in the Mississippi River industrial corridor. This does not include the multitude of NRC reports of oil and fuel spills from boats, ships and barges, unknown oil sheens found floating on the water, and discharges of oil, gas and produced waters from oil and gas activity and infrastructure. This also does not include the more than one hundred thousand pounds of pollutants that industry is legally allowed to release into the environment every year in Louisiana.
There are OVER 100 additional NRC reports from January alone of crude oil, diesel fuel, gasoline, hydraulic oil, unknown oil slicks, produced waters, miscellaneous lubricating oils and various other pollutants discharged into the environment in South-East Louisiana. To view all of the NRC reports for the past month click on one of the “Full Report” links below to be taken to SkyTruth’s NRC explorer. Then click on “View Nearby Alerts.” You will be able to see all of the mappable NRC reports plotted on a Google Map.
| Incident Date | Suspected Responsible Party | Substance Released | Medium Affected | Incident Description | Link To Report at SkyTruth |
| January 3, 2014 | ExxonMobil Refinery – Baton Rouge | Flammable Vapors | Air | CALLER IS REPORTING A RELEASE OF 6300 POUNDS OF FLAMMABLE VAPOR FROM A SAFETY VALVE OVERPRESURING AND LIFTING. | Full Report |
| January 3, 2014 | Shell Motiva – Norco | Nitrogen Oxide, Benzene, Particulate Mater, Volatile Organic Compounds, Toluene, Butadiene, Ethylbenzene, Xylene (o-, m-, p-, & Mixtures), Sulfur Dioxide, Carbon Dioxide | Air | THE FACILITY IS REPORTING A PLANNED RELEASE DUE TO A PARTIAL SHUT DOWN ON THE UNIT, DUE TO REPAIRS ON A LEAKING EXCHANGER. UNKNOWN QUANTITIES RELEASED. | Full Report |
| January 6, 2014 | Axiall – Plaquemine | Ethylene Dichloride, Vinyl Chloride | Air | CALLER STATED THAT THEY HAD THE PLANT SHUT DOWN DUE TO COLD WEATHER AND THEY HAD AN AIR RELEASE. 100 POUNDS ETHYLENE DICHLORIDE AND 15 POUNDS VINYL CHLORIDE RELEASED. | Full Report |
| January 6, 2014 | Shell Motiva – Norco | Benzene, Sulfur Dioxide, Butadiene, Propylene, Naptha | Air | CALLER STATED THAT THE RCCU AND OL5 UNIT WENT TO ELEVATED FLARE DUE TO A UNIT UPSET THAT ALLOWED THE RELEASE OF AN UNKNOWN AMOUNT OF NAPTA, PROPYLENE, BENZENE, SULFUR DIOXIDE, AND BUTADIENE INTO THE ATMOSPHERE. | Full Report |
| January 7, 2014 | Plantation Pipeline Company – Baton Rouge | Diesel Fuel | Land | CALLER REPORTED THAT DIESEL FUEL WAS DISCOVERED ON THE GROUND NEAR A BUILDING. 4 BARRELS DIESEL FUEL RELEASED. | Full Report |
| January 7, 2014 | Shell Pipeline – Jackson | Gasoline | Land | CALLER STATED THAT 2 TO 5 BARRELS OF GASOLINE WAS RELEASED FROM A PIPELINE ONTO THE GROUND. | Full Report |
| January 7, 2014 | Axiall – Plaquemine | Vinyl Chloride | Air | VINYL CHLORIDE BACKED UP FROM A PVC REACTOR INTO A HOT WATER CHARGE TANK AND VENTED TO THE ATMOSPHERE. 2 POUNDS VINYL CHLORIDE RELEASED. | Full Report |
| January 7, 2014 | ExxonMobil Refinery – Baton Rouge | Benzene | Air | CALLER IS REPORTING A RELEASE OF BENZENE INTO THE ATMOSPHERE FROM A LEAKING FLANGE THAT IS ON A EMERGENCY ISOLATION VALVE. 20 POUNDS BENZENE RELEASED. | Full Report |
| January 7, 2014 | Olin – St. Gabriel | Unknown Material | Air | CALLER REPORTED A HYPO EXCURSION THAT MADE THE MONITORS INDICATE A RELEASE. UNKNOWN QUANTITIES RELEASED. | Full Report |
| January 8, 2014 | Syngenta – St. Gabriel | Cyanogen Chloride | Land | CALLER IS REPORTING A RELEASE OF CYANOGEN CHLORIDE FROM A TANK, THE CAUSE IS UNKNOWN. UNKNOWN QUANTITIES RELEASED. | Full Report |
| January 10, 2014 | Formosa Plastics – Baton Rouge | Hydrochloric Acid, Vinyl Chloride, Nitrogen | Air | CALLER IS REPORTING A RELEASE OF VINYL CHLORIDE, HYDROCHLORIC ACID AND NITROGEN FROM A FLEX HOSE THAT FAILED ON THE CONNECTION TO NS607, WHICH IS A HIGH PRESSURE INCINERATOR KNOCK-OUT POT. UNKNOWN QUANTITIES RELEASED. | Full Report |
| January 11, 2014 | Formosa Plastics – Baton Rouge | Vinyl Chloride, Nitrogen Oxide, Ethylene Dichloride, Hydrochloric Acid | Air | CALLER STATED THAT A SAFETY RELIEF VALVE ON A STORAGE TANK OPENED UP AND RELEASED CHEMICALS INTO THE AIR AND THEN CLOSED BACK UP. UNKNOWN QUANTITIES RELEASED. | Full Report |
| January 11, 2014 | Formosa Plastics – Baton Rouge | Ethylene Dichloride | Land | CALLER IS REPORTING A RELEASE OF ETHYLENE DICHLORIDE FROM AN 8 INCH WASTE WATER LINE, THE CAUSE WAS DUE TO EQUIPMENT FAILURE. UNKNOWN QUANTITIES RELEASED. | Full Report |
| January 13, 2014 | Syngenta – St. Gabriel | Unknown Material | Land | CALLER STATED THAT A TECHNICIAN WAS PUMPING OUT A SUMP WHEN A CHECK VALVE DEVELOPED A LEAK AND ALLOWED THE RELEASE OF AN UNKNOWN AMOUNT OF AN UNKNOWN MATERIAL INTO AN ISOLATED DITCH. | Full Report |
| January 13, 2014 | Formosa Plastics – Baton Rouge | Ethylene Dichloride | Air | THE CALLER REPORTED THAT ETHYLENE DICHLORIDE IS RELEASING FROM A FLOW TRANSMITTER, THE MATERIAL IS RESIDUAL PRODUCT LEFT IN THE LINE. THE AMOUNT RELEASED IS UNKNOWN WITH THE POTENTIAL TO EXCEED THE RQ. | Full Report |
| January 13, 2014 | Placid Refining Company – Port Allen | Unknown Oil | Water | CALLER STATED THAT LESS THAN 1 QUART OF OIL WAS DISCHARGED INTO A DITCH ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE PROPERTY. IT CAME FROM HEAVY RAINS AND SOMETHING ON THE FACILITY OVERFILLED BUT THEY ARE NOT SURE WHAT AT THIS TIME. | Full Report |
| January 13, 2014 | Axiall – Plaquemine | Sulfuric Acid | Other | CALLER STATED THAT THEY HAD AN OVERFLOW OF A PROCESS TANK THAT RELEASED SULFURIC ACID INTO AN INTERNAL DITCH SYSTEM. THE AMOUNT IS ESTIMATED TO BE 9,000 POUNDS DISCHARGED BUT THAT IS THE WORST CASE DISCHARGE AMOUNT. | Full Report |
| January 14, 2014 | ExxonMobil Refinery – Baton Rouge | Benzene | Air | CALLER IS REPORTING A RELEASE OF BENZENE INTO THE ATMOSPHERE, THIS HAPPENED DUE TO THE FLARING OF D1 OVERHEAD STREAM. UNKNOWN QUANTITIES RELEASED. | Full Report |
| January 12, 2014 | Entergy Michoud Power Plant – New Orleans | Unknown Material | Water | CALLER STATED A DISCHARGE PIPE FROM A POWER PLANT WAS DISCHARGING A FLUORESCENT GREEN MATERIAL INTO THE ICW. CALLER ALSO STATED THEY TOOK A SAMPLE OF THE MATERIAL. UNKNOWN QUANTITIES RELEASED. | Full Report |
| January 14, 2014 | Gulf South Pipeline – Buras | Natural Gas | Air | CALLER STATED THAT AN ABOVE GROUND ON SHORE REGULATOR STATION HAD A PIN HOLE LEAK CAUSING A DISCHARGE OF NATURAL GAS TO THE ATMOSPHERE. UNKNOWN QUANTITIES RELEASED. | Full Report |
| January 14, 2013 | ExxonMobil Refinery – Baton Rouge | Hydrogen Sulfide, Benzene | Air | THE CALLER IS REPORTING A RELEASE OF BENZENE AND HYDROGEN SULFIDE INTO ATMOSPHERE (POTENTIAL RQ EXCEEDANCE). THE CALLER STATED THAT A LEAK IN AN EXCHANGER WAS DISCOVERED. UNKNOWN QUANTITIES RELEASED. | Full Report |
| January 16, 2014 | Dow Chemical Company – Plaqumine | Hexachloroethane, Hexachlorobutadiene, hexachlorobenzene, perchloroethylene | Land | CALLER IS REPORTING A RELEASE OF AN UNKNOWN AMOUNT HEXACHLOROETHANE, HEXACHLOROBUTADIENE, HEXACHLOROBENZENE, PERCHLOROETHYLENE ONTO A CONCRETE CONTAINMENT FROM AN ABOVE GROUND INSULATED STORAGE TANK FOR UNKNOWN REASONS. CAUSE IS UNDER INVESTIGATION. UNKNOWN QUANTITIES RELEASED. | Full Report |
| January 23, 2014 | Shell Chemical Motiva – Norco | Isobutane, Isobutene, Propane, Propylene | Air | CALLER IS REPORTING A RELEASE OF PROPANE, ISOBUTANE, PROPYLENE AND ISOBUTENE FROM THE DEBUTANIZER COLUMN DUE TO AN UNKNOWN CAUSE AT THIS TIME. UNKNOWN QUANTITIES RELEASED. | Full Report |
| January 26, 2014 | Dow Chemical Company – Plaqumine | Benzene | Water | THE CALLER IS REPORTING A RELEASE OF BENZENE INTO AN OUTFALL. THE CALLER STATED THE CAUSE IS UNDER INVESTIGATION, IT IS BELIEVED TO BE DUE TO WEATHER CONDITIONS. 17.4 POUNDS BENZENE RELEASED. | Full Report |
| January 27, 2014 | Total Petrochemicals – Carville | Benzene | Air | THE CALLER IS REPORTING A RELEASE OF BENZENE INTO THE ATMOSPHERE. THE CALLER STATED THAT AN EXCHANGER AT THE FACILITY HAD A TUBE FAILURE, RESULTING IN THE RELEASE. 12.45 POUNDS BENZENE RELEASED. | Full Report |
| January 28, 2014 | Syngenta – St. Gabriel | Carbon Tetrachloride | Other | CALLER STATED THAT A RELIEF VALVE FAILED AND RELEASED AN UNKNOWN AMOUNT OF CARBON TETRACHLORIDE INTO SECONDARY CONTAINMENT. | Full Report |
| January 28, 2014 | Marathon Petroleum – Garyville | Slop Oil | Water | THE CALLER IS REPORTING A DISCHARGE OF SLOP OIL INTO THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. THE CALLER STATED THAT A LEAK DEVELOPED ON ONE OF THE LOADING ARMS, SPILLING THE MATERIAL INTO THE SUMP WHICH THEN OVERFLOWED. 2 BARRELS SLOP OIL RELEASED. | Full Report |
| January 28, 2014 | Marathon Petroleum – Garyville | Diesel Fuel | Water | CALLER STATED THAT THEY HAD A SUMP OVERFLOW WITH DIESEL FUEL. THE SUMP IS LOCATED ON THE MARINE LOADING PLATFORM. SOME OF THE DIESEL FUEL REACHED THE WATER. 1 BARREL DIESEL FUEL RELEASED. | Full Report |
| January 28, 2014 | Motiva Enterprises – Norco | Propylene | Air | THE CALLER REPORTED THAT PROPYLENE IS RELEASING FROM A RELIEF VALVE ON A COLUMN DUE TO A MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION (RV MAY HAVE RELIEVED EARLY). | Full Report |
| January 29, 2014 | Shell Chemical Motiva – Norco | Nitrogen Oxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Carbon Monoxide | Air | CALLER IS REPORTING A RELEASE OF AN UNKNOWN AMOUNT OF SULFUR DIOXIDE, CARBON MONOXIDE AND NITROGEN OXIDE INTO THE ATMOSPHERE FROM THE FLARE STACKS DUE TO THE SULFUR PLANT NO 2 SHUTTING DOWN WHEN THE LEVEL WAS LOST IN THE STEAM DRUM. | Full Report |
| January 30, 2014 | Chalmette Refining – Chalmette | Hydrogen Sulfide, Volatile Organic Compounds | Air | A RELEASE OF GREATER THAN 1000 LBS OF VOC’S AND 100 OF H2S, THIS WAS FROM A SAFETY VALVE. | Full Report |
| January 30, 2014 | Shell Chemicals Geismar – Geismar | Ethylene Oxide | Water | CALLER IS REPORTING A RELEASE OF 10 POUNDS OF ETHYLENE OXIDE FROM A VENT IN THE PLANT, THE CAUSE WAS DUE TO COLD WEATHER. | Full Report |
| January 30, 2014 | ExxonMobil Refinery – Baton Rouge | Benzene | Land | CALLER REPORTED A LEAK DISCOVERED FROM A FLANGE ON A TANK CAUSING A RELEASE OF BENZENE. 36 POUNDS BENZENE RELEASED. | Full Report |
Very special thanks to our Gulf Monitoring Consortium partners, SkyTruth, for their great work with NRC information. Check out SkyTruth.
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