Tons Of Chemicals Leak From Pressure Relief Valve at Shell Oil Refinery In Deer Park, Texas
More details are surfacing about a big leak of a potentially cancer-causing chemical from a refinery near Houston.
Here is the report summary posted at TCEQ web pages:
On August 9, 2015 at approximately 10:55am at the Shell Deer Park site, operating personnel discovered relief valves on Sphere V-BD-933 lifting to atmosphere due to a liquid-full condition. The initial start of the release was 10:40am based on process and operating information. An investigation will be conducted to determine the cause of the release. Based on the information known at the time of this initial report, Shell is not aware of any confirming information that would indicate that the affirmative defense criteria could not be met for this emission event. However, because the investigation of the emission event has not yet been completed, Shell's "YES" response to the affirmative defense question below may not represent a final response for determining application of the affirmative defense. The indicated response to the question was required for purposes of completing and submitting this initial report in a timely manner. Additional information regarding the basis for Shell's response to the affirmative defense question may be provided upon request when available.
“The emission plume would likely have traveled over the Ship Channel and could have impacted communities to the north,” said Adrian Shelley, executive director of the community group, Air Alliance Houston.
“Butadiene is invisible, it is released as a gas, and it would not have been detectable by the human eye,” Shelley said.
But state air monitors a couple miles northeast of the refinery did detect it, showing butadiene spiking at noon though not above levels considered dangerous for short-term exposure.
Butadiene is of special concern in Houston. It leaks from a number of chemical plants along the Ship Channel. A study done by the UT School of Public Health found children living within two miles of the Ship Channel in areas with elevated levels of butadiene in the air had substantially higher rates leukemia.
Both Shell and Texas environmental regulators say they’re investigating Sunday’s big leak.
Air Emission Event Reporting Database
| Regulated entity name | SHELL OIL DEER PARK | Physical location | KEY MAP 538E |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regulated entity RN number | RN100211879 | City, County | DEER PARK, HARRIS |
| Type(s) of air emissions event: | EMISSIONS EVENT | Event began: | 08/09/2015 10:55AM |
| This is based on the: | INITIAL REPORT | Event ended: | 08/09/2015 11:50AM |
| Cause | On August 9, 2015 at approximately 10:55am at the Shell Deer Park site, operating personnel discovered relief valves on Sphere V-BD-933 lifting to atmosphere due to a liquid-full condition. The initial start of the release was 10:40am based on process and operating information. An investigation will be conducted to determine the cause of the release. Based on the information known at the time of this initial report, Shell is not aware of any confirming information that would indicate that the affirmative defense criteria could not be met for this emission event. However, because the investigation of the emission event has not yet been completed, Shell's "YES" response to the affirmative defense question below may not represent a final response for determining application of the affirmative defense. The indicated response to the question was required for purposes of completing and submitting this initial report in a timely manner. Additional information regarding the basis for Shell's response to the affirmative defense question may be provided upon request when available. | ||
| Action taken | The source of flow to V-BD-933 was isolated, and material in V-BD-933 was pumped to another vessel to reduce sphere pressure and allow the relief valves to reseat. | ||
| Emissions estimation method | Emissions estimates are based on engineering calculations and process information. | ||
Source 1: BD-3 / North Tank Farm , FIN number
Source 2: Butadiene Sphere , FIN number V-BD-933
Source 3: Relief Valves RV955/9001/2/26 , EPN number N/A
| Contaminant | Authorization | Limit | Amount Released |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,3-BUTADIENE | 3217 | 0.0 | 326166.0 lbs (est.) |
| 1-Butene | 3217 | 0.0 | 7604.0 lbs (est.) |
| 2-Butene-cis | 3217 | 0.0 | 2294.0 lbs (est.) |
| 2-Butene-trans | 3217 | 0.0 | 2789.0 lbs (est.) |
| Butane, N- | 3217 | 0.0 | 16372.0 lbs (est.) |
| Isobutane | 3217 | 0.0 | 1394.0 lbs (est.) |
| Isobutene | 3217 | 0.0 | 2768.0 lbs (est.) |
| Vinylacetylene | 3217 | 0.0 | 844.0 lbs (est.) |
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Deer Park is the sixth largest refinery in the United States.
In 1929, just before the Great Depression, Shell Oil Company became the first manufacturer to call Deer Park home. At the time, there were no other businesses or buildings in what is now a bustling community about 20 miles east of downtown Houston.
In February 1993, Shell Oil Company and PMI Norteamerica, S.A. de C.V., a subsidiary of Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex), formed a 50-50 joint venture--Deer Park Refining Limited Partnership (DPRLP)--and in March 2001 completed a $1 billion capital upgrade. The project improved DPRLP’s global competitiveness, operating efficiency and long-term economic viability while significantly reducing air emissions.The assets of the refinery are managed and operated by Shell Oil Company through Shell Deer Park Refining Company, a division of Shell Oil Products Company, a Shell Oil subsidiary.
Today, Shell Deer Park is home to the sixth largest refinery in the United States with a crude oil capacity of 340,000 barrels a day (42 gallons per barrel).
Butadiene
What is butadiene?
Butadiene, also known as 1,3-butadiene, is a colourless gas that condenses to a liquid at minus 4.5 degrees centigrade. Butadiene is derived, using an extractive distillation process, from the crude C4 stream, one of the cracker by-products of ethylene and propylene production.How is butadiene used?
The largest single use for butadiene is in the production of styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) which, in turn, is principally used in the manufacture of automobile tyres. SBR is also used in adhesives, sealants, coatings and in rubber articles like shoe soles. Polybutadiene is also used in tyres and can be used as an intermediate in the production of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS). ABS is widely used in items such as telephones, computer casings and other appliances.Other polymers made from butadiene include styrene-butadiene latex, used for example in carpet backings and adhesives; nitrile rubber, used in hoses, fuel lines, gasket seals, gloves and footwear; and styrene-butadiene block copolymers which are used in many end-uses ranging from asphalt modifiers (road and roofing construction applications), to adhesives, footwear and toys.
Chemical intermediates made from butadiene include adiponitrile and chloroprene which are used, respectively, in the manufacture of nylon and neoprene.
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Preliminary
epidemiologic investigation of the relationship between the
presence of ambient hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) and cancer
incidence in Harris County.
Executive Summary
Title: A preliminary investigation of the association between hazardous air pollutants and lymphohematopoietic cancer risk among residents of Harris County Texas
Authors: Kristina M. Walker, Ann L. Coker, Elaine Symanski, Philip J. Lupo
Affiliation: University of Texas Health Science at Houston, School of Public Health
In the recent months, there has been a great deal of interest surrounding Houston’s air quality and the potential for high levels of pollutants in the ambient environment to adversely affect citizens’ health. Historically, attention has focused on criteria pollutants such as ozone. However, there is increasing concern regarding another group of pollutants, known as hazardous air pollutants (HAPs). HAPs are a class of 189 chemicals which are known or suspected to have adverse effects on health.1 Unlike criteria pollutants, there are no national standards regulating acceptable levels of these compounds in the ambient environment. Two HAPs, benzene and 1,3-butadiene, may be of particular concern in Houston due to the large volume of emissions as well as their potential to cause cancer in humans.
While recent reports have commented on the elevated ambient
levels of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) in certain areas
of Houston, relative to other cities, few studies have
assessed the health effects of HAPs for Houstonians and
none have evaluated the association between ambient levels
of these pollutants and lymphohematopoietic cancer risk
in this population.
Accordingly, we conducted a population
based analysis of ambient environmental levels of HAPs
and leukemia and lymphoma incidence in Harris County. We
identified all cancer cases, including adult and childhood
cases, diagnosed and reported to the Texas Cancer Registry
from 1995-2003. We then used existing air monitoring
data collected from 1992-2003 by the Texas Commission on
Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to estimate ambient census
tract levels to benzene and 1,3-butadiene. Additionally,
we estimated risk of developing leukemia and lymphoma associated
with residential proximity to the Houston Ship Channel
(HSC) as another surrogate of HAP exposure. We assigned
cancer cases to a particular census tract based on their
residence at diagnosis as reported to the TCR. We
then calculated cancer rates separately for adult and childhood
cancers for each census tract. We further accounted
for gender, age, socio-economic status, and ethnicity.
We found a 56% increased risk of acute lymphocytic leukemia
among children living within two miles of the HSC (p-value=0.01)
compared with children living more than 10 miles from the
HSC. We found no increased risks of developing any
other childhood leukemia or lymphoma associated with living
within two miles of the HSC. We did, however, find
that compared with children living in areas with the lowest
estimated 1,3-butadiene levels estimated from monitoring
data collected by the Texas Commission on Environmental
Quality (TCEQ), children living in areas with the highest
levels had a 40% (p-value=0.02), 38% (p-value=0.05) and
153% (p-value=0.03) increased risk of developing any type
of leukemia, acute lymphocytic leukemia and acute myeloid
leukemia, respectively. Higher 1,3-butadiene levels
were not associated with childhood lymphoma or with adult
leukemia or lymphoma. Higher estimated ambient benzene
levels based on TCEQ monitoring data were not associated
with childhood leukemia or lymphoma rates.
At the suggestion of several environmental scientists,
we repeated our analyses for childhood leukemia using the
United States Environmental Protective Agency’s 1999
National Air Toxics Assessment (NATA) modeled ambient 1,3-butadiene
and benzene levels. In general, we saw a similar
pattern to that observed using the TCEQ monitoring data. When
comparing childhood leukemia rates in those census tracts
with the highest 1,3-butadiene levels with those in the
lowest, a 32% increase in cancer risk was noted (p=0.09). This
compares with a 40% increase (p=0.02) in risk for all types
of leukemia in children based on the TCEQ monitoring data
estimates for 1,3 butadiene.
Among adults, neither proximity to the Houston Ship Channel,
nor levels of benzene or 1,3-butadiene was consistently
associated with leukemia or lymphoma risk. Additional
analytic studies with more refined exposure assessment
methods are planned. However, observing a specific
health effect of HAPs in light of recently documented elevated
levels of two known carcinogens, benzene and 1,3 butadiene,
in Houston,2 strongly suggests a need to explore this issue
further and possibly take action to limit potential exposure
to HAPs in Houston.
- About Air Toxics, Health and Ecological Effects. 2006. Retrieved On: 4-2-06. http://www.epa.gov/air/toxicair/newtoxics.html
- A closer look at air pollution in Houston. Identifying priority health risks: Report of the Mayor's task force on the health effects of air pollution. Houston, Texas: University of Texas, Health Science Center. Institute for Health Policy.