AcuSafe -> September 2000 Newsletter
  

Incident News Summary: August 18, 2000 - September 18, 2000

September 12 Explosion at Texas Glue Manufacturer Injures Seven
A chemical used in making glue at the National Casein Co. plant near Winona, Texas injured seven, four critically.  Among those who were critically injured with burns are the Plant Manager and Vice President of Production. A flash fire erupted as the vinyl acetate mixture overflowed. Workers took the lid off to try and figure out what happened, and the mixture got to an open flame on the cooking furnace. The fire sent jets of flame 12 feet into the air and the resulting explosion knocked some employees off their feet. A similar accident happened there in 1997 when a chemical in a tank overflowed and ignited other chemicals. At that time, the fire caused extensive damage but no one was injured. 
 

September 8  Fire at an ExxonMobil Pipeline in Texas Kills One, Forces Evacuation
A natural gas liquids pipeline near Abilene, Texas ruptured and burst into flames when a bulldozer hit it September 8. The pipeline, which carries propane, butane and ethane between Baden and Beaumont, killed a detective arriving at the scene, and eight families were relocated due to the threat of explosion. Exxon said it had no estimate for when the pipeline would restart pending completion of the investigation. 

September 7  Fire at Philadelphia Refinery Injures Two
A fire at Sunoco's south Philadelphia refinery caused one person to be  taken to a local hospital, and another was treated at the scene. The fire broke following an equipment failure in a crude oil unit, which emitted a thick, black cloud that sparked a fire, according to company spokesman Jerry Davis. Today's fire is the latest in a string of minor problems for the Philadelphia-based gasoline maker. Last week, a small fire at Sunoco's Marcus Hook refinery in southeastern Pennsylvania caused yellow smoke to billow through the area for several hours. 

September 6  Natural Gas Well Fire in Southeastern Hungary
A fire in Pusztaszolos, Hungary erupted and is believed to be the most serious flaring gas fire in Hungary's history. An international effort is shaping up to battle the blaze, and it could take several more weeks before the fire is under control. As part of the effort, a Hungarian crew used a T-34 tank mounted with two MiG-21 fighter plane jet engines to propel the flames in a horizontal position allowing rescue workers to remove unnecessary and damaged equipment from the base of the fire. It is expected that losses associated with the loss of production from the well will top $ 12.8 million. Costs for firefighting efforts, as well as a follow up on containment efforts, are not currently available. 

 
September 3  U.S. Fireworks Plant in Missouri Kills Plant Owner
The Chinese do not have a monopoly on mishaps at fireworks plants. A fireworks plant in Desoto, Missouri exploded, killing the plant's owner and tearing the roof off the building. It took over a dozen fire departments several hours to control the resulting fire. The cause of the explosion is unknown, but is being investigated. This is the second major explosion at a fireworks plant in this area within a year; another explosion about 20 miles away resulted in one fatality in November 1999.

August 31  Fire at Philadelphia Area Sunoco Plant
A power interruption caused a fire in a catalytic cracking unit at the Sunoco refinery in Trainer, Delaware County, sending thick yellow smoke into the air. Neighbors were asked to shelter in place until the smoke, which contained alumina silica, dispersed. No serious injuries were reported, and most persons who were affected complained of eye irritation. Local firefighters responded, but the plant's internal emergency response team extinguished the fire, and the entire situation was under control within an hour. This incident is similar to one that took place on June 21 due to a crude oil processor malfunction. 

 
August 31  Chemical Reaction in Zeon Technologies 55-Gallon Drum forces Area Evacuation
A Zeon Technologies Warehouse in Charlotte, NC and several adjoining businesses were forced to evacuate from a chemical reaction produced from a 55-gallon drum. Two affected employees were given oxygen at the scene, but no serious injuries were reported. The exact reaction was undisclosed but was produced when three chemicals mixed in a way that a company spokesperson said normally does not produce any ill effects. 

August 24  $ 2 Million Fine, Criminal Charges for Premcor Inc. and Environmental Compliance Testing Laboratory
The refiner Premcor Inc., two of its former employees and the wastewater monitoring company Environmental Monitoring and Technologies Inc. have been indicted for allegedly violating the federal Clean Water Act by conspiring to conceal illegal wastewater discharges from a refinery in Illinois. Ronald Snook, an environmental manager, and Elva Carusiello, an environmental engineer, are charged with one count of conspiracy and five counts of filing false wastewater discharge compliance reports. They face a maximum of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for each count. Carusiello also faces 23 counts of aiding and abetting in violating the Clean Water Act for failing to notify authorities about the violations of the company's wastewater discharge permit. Carusiello faces a maximum sentence of three years on each count. Both employees left Premcor in 1997. Environmental Monitoring and Technologies faces a charge of conspiring to violate the Clean Water Act by failing to report wastewater discharge violations by the refinery. The charge carries a fine of up to $200,000.

The alleged violations occurred between 1993 and 1997 at the company's refinery in Blue Island, Illinois (near Chicago). The indictments alleged that Premcor submitted false reports to regulators and made discharges into the sewer system that contained more pollutants than permitted. Pollutants named in the indictment include "fats, oils and greases." Premcor characterized the settlement as a problem with regulatory reporting and not a matter of polluting the environment. The company said it believes its actions resulted in no environmental impact.

The Blue Island refinery has been the scene for several incidents over the past several years. There were explosions in 1995 and 1996 (one causing the deaths of two employees) and an additional 1995 discharge that affected nearby schools in the community.

Premcor, formerly known as Clark USA Inc., also operates refineries in St. Louis, Lima, Ohio, and Port Arthur, Texas. Its principal shareholders are affiliates of the investment firm The Blackstone Group (80 percent) and Occidental Petroleum (19 percent). 

August 21  Prudhoe Bay Oil Processing Center Spill Fully Contained
Just so people are aware that not all stories are about extensive property loss, injuries, fatalities, evacuations, and the like, this story goes to show that systems in place can stop even serious incidents from affecting the environment. In this case, about  30,000 gallons of oil mixed with water spilled out of a settling tank at a BP processing center in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. Despite the size of the spill, all of it was contained in lined cells surrounding the tank, and the surrounding tundra was not contaminated. 

August 21  Fire and Explosion at Year Old Heartland Grain Fuels Ethanol Plant
Firefighters used foam to control a fire that followed an explosion at the Heartland Grain Fuels ethanol plant. Two of the four workers injured received serious burns and were hospitalized; property damage was light.

August 20  Acid Spill at Las Vegas Resort Injures 14, 7 Sent to Hospital
Workers at the Bellagio resort-casino were moving a pallet containing 300 gallons of muriatic acid, used to treat pool water, when it fell and spilled about 150 gallons into the street, according to Clark County Fire Department spokesman Steve La-Sky. The spill ran down the gutter of Flamingo Road and was heading toward Las Vegas Blvd. when firefighters stopped it. Fourteen people inhaled the fumes of the lung irritant; seven were treated at the scene and seven were sent to local hospitals for care.

August 19  Natural Gas Pipeline Near Carlsbad, NM Kills 12, Stirs Interest in Legislation
A natural gas pipeline owned by El Paso Energy Corp., North America's largest gas pipeline operator, erupted along the Pecos River near Carlsbad, NM. The explosion killed 12 campers who were sleeping at the time. Heat from the resulting fireball was so intense it melted sleeping bags and tents, and fused sand into glass. The explosion also left a crater 86 feet long and 20 feet deep. A preliminary statement from NTSB investigators found that corrosion had eaten away half of the pipe's wall in places, but an investigation report will not be available for nine to twelve months. El Paso Energy spokesman Mel Scott said the 30-inch (76 cm) pipeline carried natural gas from the West Texas oilfields to California. Company officials said the pipeline had been inspected recently and found to be "in good shape."

This accident may have been the impetus for the U.S. Senate to pass an oil and gas pipeline safety law that had been stalled for months following its passage in committee. For more information about S. 2438, please see our related feature story.

August 19  Fire Burns Dozens of Buildings at U.S. Army Ammunition Plant
Army officials are investigating a fast-moving fire near Texarkana, Texas that destroyed or extensively damaged 35 of 47 buildings Saturday night at the Lone Star Ammunition Plant. Workers remained off the site Monday; Army officials say they plan to move the production facilities. Explosive components were exploding in the fire, but there was never a chance of a major explosion, according to Army Lt. Col. Todd Smith in a conversation with the Texarkana Gazette.

 
Sources and Disclaimer:
AcuSafe's Incident News Summary is primarily compiled from Reuters and AP news wires, and from information shared on the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board Chemical Incident Reports Center. An effort has been made to summarize stories only from repuatable sources, but neither AcuSafe nor AcuTech Consulting can guarantee the accuracy of the story, nor do they necessarily reflect the views of AcuTech, AcuSafe, and its staff. We make no effort to independently corroborate the accuracy of the incident news stories.

AcuSafe is a presentation of AcuTech Consulting, ©2002, All Rights Reserved