LA Bucket Brigade : Refinery Accident Database

Motiva Enterprises, LLC, Norco

Causal Factor: Weather

LDEQ Incident Number Incident Date	Point Source(s)	Notes	Amount of Release
81957 2005-09-05	None Reported	Cause: ; startup activities were due to Hurricane Katri Followup: Yes Notes: verbal notifications made at the request of the LA State Police on the date of incident; for monitoring procedures and operations relating to the hurricane
81720 2005-08-28	General facility Refinery Wastewater Treatment System (RWTS), LPDES Outfall 006; Wastewater treatment facility	Cause: hurricane Katrine caused unanticipated bypasses of water Followup: Yes Notes: waiting for situation to stabilize and operations to return to normal
80409 2005-07-08	None Reported	Cause: heavy rainfall in the preceding days caused the SWIB to reach capacity, forced to open LPDES Outfall 002 for bypa Followup: No Notes: online notification of the event was made on 07 08 05; maintain that it is normal operating procedures to perform a bypass when the RWTS is at capacity
80320 2005-07-06	Coker, HCU, West Op Ground flares	Cause: power failures due to weather (Tropical Storm Cindy) caused various releases from Motiva sources; led to total loss of electrical instrument air compressors and the loss of several steam Boilers that caused the shutdown of the HCU and RCCU process units. A voltage sag caused the Coker processor to shut down which resulted in a flaring event Followup: No Notes: Motiva claims that this was not preventable because of the unforeseeable weather conditions.	Nitrous Oxide: 11.0 pounds Sulfur Dioxide: 1,150.0 pounds Benzene: 3.0 pounds Cyclohexane: 3.0 pounds Butadiene: 26.0 pounds Hydrogen Sulfide: 171.0 pounds Ethylene: 604.0 pounds Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs): 30,271.0 pounds Flammable Gas: 39,743.0 pounds Highly Reactive Volatile Organic Compounds (HRVOCs): 8,212.0 pounds Propylene: 2,808.0 pounds
76677 2005-02-01	None Reported	Cause: Norco area experienced heavy rainfall; Motiva was forced to open LPDES Outfall 006 as a result, in order to prevent flooding to the refine Followup: No Notes: no original report provided; verbal notification made on 02 02 05 at 0840.
89388 2006-07-19	West Ops Ground Flare (EPN# 9-84)	Cause: upset at GO-1 process unit caused by a STORM Followup: No Notes: Lightning strike caused several instruments to malfunction leading to upset	Benzene: 1.0 pounds
100426 2007-10-23	tank F-493	Cause: Heavy rains caused excessive rainwater weight on roof of tank F-493, causing naphtha to leak out via the roof drains into diked area around the tank. Adjacent tank F-509, which shares the containment dike with F-493, had to have its tank dike valve opened to prevent flooding, causing surface water to contact area around F-493 and then escape to the effluent conveyance system. Facility was forced to bypass the stormwater impoundment basin to avoid flooding of the site and the released naphtha then migrated offsite through outfall 006. Material then ended up in stilling basin upstream from St. Charles Parish Bayou Trepagnier Pump station. DEQ interview form states area could not be entered on the first day because of high benzene levels. Reportable quantities exceeded. Reportable quantities exceeded considerably. Followup: Yes Notes: closed roof drain valve of tank F-493, fenceline monitoring, vacuum trucks and absorbent pads used to clean, waste pads disposed of offsite at Phillips Reclamation Facility, offsite release cleaned up using absorbent material and pads external roof pump installed on the roof of tank F-493, roof drain will be up-sized, "tank dike draining procedures were reinforced with operations via shift meetings"	Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs): 32,701.1 pounds Benzene: 151.1 pounds Oil: 6,234.1 gallons
96300 2007-05-16		Cause: Extremely heavy rainfall event, Stormwater Impoundment Basin was already at 8.5 ft from previous rains, hit maximum capacity of 10 ft, had to open outfall to prevent flooding of the refinery, bypassing stormwater treatment system. During the storm event, employee observed stormwater leaking from refinery ditch through site perimeter levee and into St. Charles Parish stormwater ditch via a nutria burrow. A drain box/manhole box was also leaking stormwater off-site from the ditch. More follow-up at DEQ# 96302, same date Followup: Yes Notes: Nutria burrow repaired, drain box repair will take longer. Analysis of stormwater: Oil & Grease: 5.7 mg/L Total Organic Carbon: 13.2 mg/L Ph: 7.5 all below permit limits
96302 2007-05-16		Cause: More on unauthorized discharge of stormwater due to nutria burrow in drainage ditch levee. See DEQ# 96300, same date Followup: Yes Notes: damage to levee repaired
108282 2007-07-05	LPDES Outfall 006	Cause: Tropical Storm Fay fills Stormwater Impoundment Basin, so a bypass begins causing flow out of refinery from Outfall 0 Followup: No Notes: Fay follows on heels of lots of rain. SWIB was already quite full prior to storm. Motiva opened the Outfall to prevent the flooding of the refinery.
109413 2007-07-05	None Reported	Cause: Heavy rain results in bypass of stormwater impounding basin Followup: No Notes: No information given
120165 2009-12-15	bypass outfall 006	Cause: due to a heavy rainfall, a bypass outfall was opened around the motiva storm water impoundment basin. As a result of this bypass operation, storm water was released Followup: No Notes: all that is noted is on 12-16-2009, the bypass outfall 006 was closed
120076 2009-12-12	LPDES Outfall 006	Cause: With heavy rainfall experienced the Refinery Storm Water Impoundment Basin (SWIB) exceeded its maximum capacity level, which resulted in the opening of the LPDES outfall 006. By opening the LPDES waste-water was discharged to Engineers Canal and bypassed the waste-water treatment facility Followup: Yes Notes: After heavy rainfall, bypass operations were stopped notes: no exceedence of permit limits occurred and all required notifications were made. However, there is only a refinery report filed for this incident...a LDEQ report was not attached
119925 2009-12-08	LPDES outfall 006 sewer lift station	Cause: There was a storm that occurred in the NORCO area resulting in heavy rainfall . As a result of the rainfall, the Refinery Stormwater Impoundment Basin (SWIB) exceeded its maximum capacity level of 10 feet. The LPDES Outfall 006 was forced to be open and allow bypass of wastewater. 2hrs before bypass event ended,there was a failure in the sewer lift station causing sanitary sewage to mix with the bypass wastewater. Followup: Yes Notes: bypass was stopped and all required notifications were made	Sewage: 65.0 gallons
117941 2009-09-12	from outfall 006	Cause: it was notified to LDEQ that an emergency discharge of stormwater through outfall 006 occured because of heavy rain Followup: No Notes: there was no information provided as to what remedial steps were taken after the discharge of storm water occurred.
113788 2009-03-27	LPDES outfall 006	Cause: Heavy rainfall was experienced in the Norco area causing the Refinery storm water impoundment basin (SWIB) to rapidly fill and subsequently exceed its maximum capacity level. As a result, the LPDES outfall 006 had to be opened and the discharge was allowed to bypass the refinery waste water treatment system Followup: Yes Notes: After normal operating procedures were restored, and capacity remained in the SWIB all bypass operations were stopped.
112842 2009-02-14	LPDES outfall 006	Cause: On February 13, 2009 a rain event occurred in the NORCO area causing the SWIB to fill rapidly in a short period of time. After the SWIB exceeded its capacity level, the LPDES Outfall 006 was opened. Opening of the LPDES outfall 006 allowed the discharge to enter Engineers canal and bypass entering the waste water treatment facility Followup: Yes Notes: After the rain event was over, bypass operations were stopped on February 15,2009.
111719 2009-01-04	LPDES outfall 006	Cause: Due to a storm, a severe rain incident occurred that resulted in the Refinery Storm Water Impoundment Basin (SWIB) exceeding its maximum capacity level to hold waste water. As a result, the LPDES Outfall 006 was open to release waste-water and allow it to bypass entering the waste-water treatment facility Followup: Yes Notes: After the bypass was completed and SWIB was not exceeding its maximum capacity level, all bypass operations were stopped. Sample collection and analysis was performed as well
125993 2010-08-29	Outfall 006 (WWTP)	Cause: Report states that there was "unusually heavy rainfall which exceeded the capacity of the facility WWTP requiring discharge through the LA0003522 permitted Outfall 006 for storm water." Testing was performed throughout the release and no discharge parameters were exceeded. Followup: No Notes: No information given.
124245 2010-06-16	FLARE: DHT Unit; OL-5 Flare (FE-101)	Cause: Power outage from inclement weather caused a compressor on Motiva's Diesel Hydrotreater Unit (DHT) to trip releasing sulfur dioxide from the OL-5 Flare at Shell Chemical. Shared flaring incident with SHELL CHEMICAL LP. Followup: No Notes: BRQ. Report states that incident was BRQ but permit limit for SO2 was exceeded. Entergy was called to make repairs and "operations took corrective actions to safely return unit to normal conditions and minimize flaring."	Sulfur Dioxide: 91.8 pounds Carbon Monoxide: 8.8 pounds Nitrogen Oxide: 1.6 pounds Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs): 2.5 Particulate Matter: 0.3 pounds
121499 2010-02-12	Stormwater Outfall 006	Cause: HEAVY RAINS. Caused Refinery Stormwater Impoundment Basin (SWIB) to exceed capacity, forcing a bypass "to prevent flooding of the refinery and damage to the SWIB from overtopping of the SWIB levee." Caused oil sheen upstream of St. Charles Parish's Bayou Trepagnier Pump Station. Refinery letter states that less than 1 gallon of oil was released. SECONDARY CAUSE: Equipment Design - impoundment basin capacity was insufficient for heavy rainfall. Followup: No Notes: BRQ. Refinery letter states that no reportable quantities were exceeded, but incident was an "unauthorized discharge." Material removed from vicinity of parish pumping station via absorbent pads; will install additional absorbent booms in the outfall and increase surveillance of the outfall during future discharges.
120618 2010-01-08	Berth 4 [sewer sump]; Outfall 002	Cause: COLD WEATHER. Sewer sump on Berth 4 overflowed, spilled approximately 5 gal of sewage/potable water into the Mississippi through LPDES Outfall 002 due to freezing conditions that froze discharge pipe downstream. Followup: No Notes: BRQ. Refinery letter states that "final calculations confirm that no reportable quantities were exceeded." Piping not damaged, blockage thawed naturally.
133984 2011-09-03	Storm Water Impoundment	Cause: On 9/3/11 the Norco area experienced heavy trains from Tropical Storm Lee. The site was initially able to contain the rainfall associated with this event and route it to the Refinery Wastewater Treatment System (RWTS) for treatment and subsequent discharge through LPDES Outfall 002. However, as the heavy rains continued, the RWTC (consisting of the Storm Water Impoundment Basin and Aeration Basic) reached maximum capacity levels and Motiva opened LPDES Outfall 006 and 0805 to prevent flooding of the refinery and damage to the SWIB for overtopping of the SWIB retaining levee. Outfall 006 serves as the bypass outfall for the RWTS and is used to prevent/reduce flooding of the refinery during extreme rainfall events. Outfall 006 discharges to Engineer's Canal and then to Lake Pontchartrain via a flood control structure through the St. Charles Parish Hurricane Protection Levee. Motiva's normal operating procedures call for the initiation of bypass operations when no capacity remains in the RWTS and a bypass is the only alternative to prevent flooding of the facility. All required sample collection and analysis required by LPDES Permit LA00035222 were conducted in conjunction with the opening of Outfall 006. Emergency bypass operations were stopped at 12 pm on 12/5/11. No permit limits were exceeded and visual inspection showed no signs of adverse water quality of the storm water discharge during this bypass. The facility was being properly operated and maintained at the time of the incident and all required notifications were made. Followup: No Notes: Rain water released to Outfall 006
139564 2012-05-08	Residual Catalytic Cracking Unit's elevated flare	Cause: The refinery's RCCU CO Heater was struck by lighting during a heavy rainstorm event, causing the CO Heater to shut down. Consequently, an Instrument Protective Function associated with the CO Heater's FD fans automatically tripped the system's main fuel gas burners to safely secure the heater, as per design. This incident also caused flaring at the Shell Chemical OL-5 Elevated Flare. Followup: Yes Notes: Operations worked to stabilize the RCCU process unit and assess the damages to the RCCU CO Heater resulting from the lightning strike.
138205 2012-03-23	Storm Water Impoundment Basin	Cause: A heavy rain event caused the system to become overburdened and water was bypassed to prevent flooding to the refinery. Followup: No Notes: There were no remedial actions taken. The release was part of normal operating procedures when no capacity remains in the RWTS and a bypass is the only alternative to prevent flooding of the facility.