LA Bucket Brigade : Refinery Accident Database

Chalmette Refining, LLC, Chalmette

Causal Factor: Weather

LDEQ Incident Number Incident Date	Point Source(s)	Notes	Amount of Release
83685 2005-11-07	Tank 72 (D-72)	Cause: During periodic rounds and gauging of tank 72 (D-72), refinery operations personnel observed slop oil overflowing from tank 72. It was determined that the tank had experienced an unanticipated sure in inventory between manual gauging events. Followup: No Notes: Transfer to tank the was stopped ending the incident. Transfer out of the tank to the other storage was initiated, lowering the level. Vacuum Trucks were dispatched in order to recover released liquids.	Benzene: 12.0 pounds Oil: 6,237.0 gallons Volatile Organic Compounds: 1,862.0 pounds
81776 2005-08-28	No information given	Cause: STORM - Refinery flooded during Hurricane Katrina Followup: No Notes: This is a verbal report; there is no letter - the usual type of report - in the files as a follow up.
80548 2005-07-12	Coker 2, gas then vented to Tank 304	Cause: During tropical storm Cindy there was a power failure. This release happened upon re start. Followup: No Notes: The line which allowed the gas to go to the tank was isolated and the incident was ended.	Hydrogen Sulfide: 638.0 pounds Volatile Organic Compounds: 12,779.0 pounds
80322 2005-07-06	No information given	Cause: Followup: No Notes: Tropical storm caused power failure	Hydrogen Sulfide: 229.0 pounds Nitric Oxide: 167.0 pounds Nitrogen Dioxide: 19.0 pounds Sulfur Dioxide: 50,599.0 pounds Volatile Organic Compounds: 1,736.0 pounds
No LDEQ Reported 2005-02-23	D-401 refinery tank	Cause: OTHER Lightning struck roof of refinery tank and caused fire Followup: No Notes: Fire was extinguished using emergency sprinklers and foam.
88541 2006-06-12	Feed/Effluent Exchanger (E7502 A-f)	Cause: automatic shutdown due to interruption in electrical current, water leak following thunderstorms. Followup: No Notes: Feed to the #1 Pretreater was shut off, steam was applied to the channel head, and water was used to flush naphtha to the refinery oily water system	Benzene: 27.0 pounds Xylene: 122.0 pounds Volatile Organic Compounds: 3,399.0 pounds
100878 2007-10-31	Oil/water sewer system	Cause: sewer backed up during heavy rains causing oil inside a pipe to flow to the soil Followup: No Notes: DEQ letter states that emission was BRQ of 1000 lbs	Hydrocarbon: 914.0 pounds
100419 2007-10-23	Tank 1024	Cause: due to heavy rain, personnel were filling Tank 1024 to manage excessive storm water for processing. The tank overflowed. Followup: No Notes: Isolated the tank. 3rd party environmental clean up firm called in to do clean up. Vacuum trucks deployed; foam applied to minimize volatilization of spilled material and absorbent materials used to contain the discharge to the vicinity of the tank.	Slop Oil: 68,102.0 pounds Benzene: 115.0 pounds
100401 2007-10-22	Oil/water sewer system	Cause: several heavy rainstorms deposited over nine inches of rain in less than 18 hrs and backed the lube oil out of the oil/water system. Followup: No Notes: Vacuum trucks deployed and absorbent materials used to contain oil to immediate vicinity.	Mobile DTE Oil: 1,497.0 pounds
100421 2007-10-22	Tank 1017	Cause: ; the motorized operated valve between the Alkylation Sump and tank 1017 failed to close properly allowing liquid to continue filling the tank until it overflowed. The level gauge also failed. Followup: No Notes: CRLLC issued work orders to replace the Tank 1017 gauge and valve. Also initiated an investigation to determine why the gauge failed. In the process of excavating contaminated soils around Tank 1017.	Light Cycle Oil: 51,050.0 pounds
99113 2007-09-01	Tank D-0036	Cause: cause of leak in Tank is corrosion between new floor and existing walls of the tank. Followup: No Notes: Spill became visible after heavy rain. CRLLC is in the process of emptying, cleaning, and preparing the tank for inspection. CRLLC added an additional corrosion prevention lining to the floor of the Tank prior to putting it back in service. CRLLC has also verified that all other tanks in the same service have lined floors.	Benzene: 28.0 pounds Xylene: 124.0 pounds
95913 2007-05-04	No information given	Cause: oil washed up from the sewers due to heavy rainfall Followup: No Notes: Letter written to rescind notification of 5/4 concerning release of hydrocarbons. Oil released was recovered and treated within the API separator. Contaminated soil treated for hydrocarbon removal and remaining residue manifested and properly disposed of.	Hydrocarbon: 5.0 pounds
110661 2008-11-07	No information given	Cause: a 5 gallon bucket used to catch leaks of released liquids from threads in piping blew over. Followup: No Notes: Letter states that emissions were BRQ.	Xylene: 2.0 pounds
108944 2008-09-12	Flare #2	Cause: Hurricane Ike causes a scaffold to fall and damage a power line. Power outage causes shut down of Crude 1 and Crude 2 Units Followup: Yes Notes:	Sulfur Dioxide: 6,180.0 pounds
108502 2008-09-03	None Reported	Cause: shut down damage and stary up of refinery due to Gustav Followup: No Notes: Planned and controlled release due to leak in Alky Isostripper, need to depressure the vessel to flare
108648 2008-09-02	Facility Sewers	Cause: due to Hurricane Gustav, facility sewers backed up Followup: No Notes: Liquids were vacuum truck recovered
108492 2008-08-31	outfall 004 and 110 at wastewater treatment plant	Cause: bypass of WWTP due to hurricane discharged into Lake Borgne Basin Followup: No Notes: Untreated wastewter discharge	Non compliant pH: 11,655,000.0 gallons
No LDEQ Reported 2008-08-30	Flare	Cause: shutting down units due to hurricane Followup: No Notes: All incidents grouped in one report concerning activities surrounding start up and shut down near the arrival of Hurricane Gustav. CRLLC reports requesting a variance for all emissions resulting from these events.	Sulfur Dioxide: 671,171.0 pounds Hydrogen Sulfide: 1,506.0 pounds Nitrogen Oxide: 1,024.0 pounds Liquid Hydrocarbons: 72.0 gallons
108453 2008-08-29	No information given	Cause: shutting down units due to hurricane Followup: No Notes: Letter states that emissions were BRQ.
108528 2008-08-20	Flare	Cause: shutting down units due to hurricane Followup: No Notes: No Information Given
103974 2008-03-15	No information given	Cause: high winds blew a tarp into a power line; cooling water pumps were lost Followup: No Notes: Letter states that emissions were BRQ.
No LDEQ Reported 2008-02-12	1st Stage High Pressure Separator on the Hydrocracker Unit	Cause: ; thermal stress from start up and shut down, along with cold rain that occurred on the day the leak was detected caused a flange to leak Followup: No Notes: CRLLC sends letter to rescind prior notification of H2S release.	Compressed Flammable Gas: 1,388.0 pounds
111744 2009-01-03	No Information Given	Cause: Lube detected floating on water collected near the Hydrocracker Unit. Heavy rainstorms caused lube oil to get backed out of the oil/water sewer system. Followup: No Notes: Vacuum trucks were immediately deployed and absorbent materials used to contain the lube oil. Contaminated soil and absorbent materials were removed and containerized for disposal.	Mobile DTE Oil: 54.6 gallons
121281 2010-02-04	storage tank	Cause: floating storage tank roof tilted during heavy rains, released gasoline to roof and roof drain, traveled down drain to soil. Release picked up by air monitor at Chalmette HS. DEQ report only in this file--references a "seven-day notification" but it's not included. Followup: No Notes: RQ. gasoline foamed to reduce volatilization, recovered from soil with vacuum truck, contaminated soil excavated, bioremediation agent applied to soil.	Gasoline: 798.0 gallons Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs): 633.0 pounds
133625 2011-09-01	No information given	Cause: A heavy rain occurred then the sulfur plant started having problems around 1130 hrs. They started seeing emissions. They believe it is due to an instrument malfunction. Followup: No Notes: Chalmette Refining LLC provided a courtesy notification to the LDEQ regarding a release of sulfur dioxide to the atmosphere on September 1, 2011. After further review, there were no RQ exceedances or permit violations as a result of this event.
132500 2011-07-18	refinery sewer	Cause: Large amounts of rain caused flooding at the refinery and Oil backed up into their sewers. There was potential for the Oil to enter the parish's sewer system, but it did not. Followup: No Notes: No remedial actions needed because the Oil did not enter the parish's sewer system. No refinery letter included in the file.