The Motiva plant in Norco, above, is cited in the report for a release into the air of toxic gases in July 2005 after Hurricane Cindy, a Category 1 storm, knocked out power to the plant. Times-Picayune archive By Mark Schleifstein, The Times-Picayune
December 07, 2009, 3:13AM Frequent accidents at 10 of the state’s biggest refineries resulted in the release of millions of pounds of toxic chemicals into the air and millions of gallons of polluted water into state water courses between 2005 and 2008, according to a report to be released this morning by the Louisiana Bucket Brigade. Almost a third of the 2,116 accidents at the 10 plants in four years occurred as the result of hurricanes or other bad weather events, according to the report. For instance, in July 2005, a wind gust during Hurricane Cindy — a Category 1 storm — knocked out power for several oil-processing units at the Motiva facility in Norco, resulting in the release of an 83,000-pound mix of toxic gases to the air. Included were small amounts of known carcinogens such as benzene, and large amounts of highly reactive volatile organic compounds. … The study’s statistics were obtained from reports sent by the refineries to the state Department of Environmental Quality about each unplanned release of chemicals. … The report points out that the refinery accidents most often affect people who live well below the average income level of the parishes in which the plant is located. Often, there’s also a higher percentage of African-American residents closest to the plants. For instance, the median income for residents of East Baton Rouge Parish, home of ExxonMobil’s 503,000-barrel-per-day refinery, is $38,542, and the population of the parish is 40 percent black. But within two miles of the plant, the median income drops to $21,982, and the black population increases to 87 percent. In 2008, ExxonMobil reported 193 accidents, an average of 3.7 per week. On Sept. 1 of that year, Hurricane Gustav’s winds caused a cooling tower at the refinery to collapse and knocked out electrical power many times. Through Sept. 5, the plant released more than 500,000 pounds of sulphur dioxide, 2,600 pounds of nitrogen oxide, 68,000 pounds of nitrogen dioxide, 20,000 pounds of volatile organic compounds that were not burned up in flares, and several thousand pounds of other contaminants. In preparing for Gustav, Chalmette Refining LLC released more than 11 million gallons of contaminated water from its wastewater treatment system into Lake Borgne. The pH level of the water, a measurement of whether the water was acidic or basic, was above a permitted range of 6 to 9 pH units. That means the water was close to the strength of a stomach antacid tablet. In Lake Charles, an 8-inch rainfall between June 18 and June 19, 2006, flooded parts of the Citgo refinery, resulting in the release of more than 200,000 pounds of sulphur dioxide, almost 8,000 pounds of benzene and 15,000 pounds of ethyl benzene, 91,000 pounds of xylenes and 51,000 pounds of toluene. …

Accidental release of toxic chemicals, polluted water by local plants cited in report

Louisiana Bucket Brigade publishes report detailing refinery accidents By Brandon Richards WESTLAKE, LA (KPLC) – The Louisiana Bucket Brigade, an environmental and justice organization, has released a new report detailing accidents at the state’s ten largest refineries and chemical plants, including Citgo Petroleum in Lake Charles and ConocoPhillips in West Lake. The report titled, “Common Ground: Why Cooperation to Reduce Accidents at Louisiana Refineries is Needed Now,” is the first comprehensive report that examines accident data provided to the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality by the refineries themselves, according to the group. “What we’ve found is not a pretty picture,” said Anne Rolfes of the Louisiana Bucket Brigade. “But these refineries can improve, and we want today to be the first step in solving the problem.” The report looked at data submitted to the LDEQ in 2005 to 2008. According to the report, Citgo Petroleum in Lake Charles reported 339 total accidents, which caused almost three million pounds of pollution to be released into the air, water and soil. More than half of this however, is a result from damage caused by Hurricane Rita in 2005. The report says ConocoPhillips in West Lake, reported 186 accidents (another section in the report had this number at 208), causing more than 3.3 million pounds of pollution to be released into the air, water and soil. The report says 24 percent of these accidents were preventable. …

Louisiana Bucket Brigade publishes report detailing refinery accidents