$hurricane harvey fracked oil$

$hurricane harvey fracked oil$

That’s what happened when the Arkema petrochemical plant in Crosby, Texas lost power and flooding damaged its backup generators. Since many of the gases processed or used at the facilities must be refrigerated, the chemicals pose serious risk of explosion when the refrigeration fails. Natural gas and petrochemical plants also pose a public safety risk simply by losing electric power. Additionally, an unidentified source released over 76,000 pounds of volatile organic compounds from another tank in the aftermath of the hurricane, leading to a partial facility evacuation. About 5,000 pounds of crude oil leaked onto the roof and into the containment area of a storage tank. The company also experienced problems with a floating roof at its Galena Park facility. The second storage tank leaked over 110,000 pounds of volatile organic compounds, in addition to hundreds of pounds of the carcinogen benzene and three thousand pounds of the petrochemicals xylene and toluene.įind this article interesting? Support more research like this with a gift!

$hurricane harvey fracked oil$

Over 30 petrochemicals, carcinogens, and contaminants leaked as a result of one of the storage tank roof failures, in quantities ranging from 200 to 85,000 pounds each. Kinder Morgan: Kinder Morgan reported that two floating roofs sank at its Pasadena facility, “causing product to spill.” Nearly 400,000 pounds of hazardous chemicals spilled at the facility. The company also reported thousands of pounds of emissions released as a result of the roof failure, including nearly 2,000 pounds of benzene and more than 92,000 pounds of volatile organic compounds. Valero: Valero reported that a floating roof failure at its Harris County facility caused crude oil to leak onto the roof of the tank and into containment areas. A hole in the roof drainage system on a third tank caused a smaller contaminant leak after the storm was over. The other released about 40,000 pounds of contaminants into the air. One roof failure caused crude oil to spill onto the roof and released air emissions. Shell: Two storage tank floating roofs sank at the company’s Deer Park refinery and chemical plant about twenty miles east of downtown Houston. The roof on a storage tank partially sank during the storm, dipping below the surface of the chemicals stored within and causing 140 pounds of the carcinogen benzene and toluene to leak into the air as well as over 12,000 pounds of unspecified volatile organic compounds and 240 pounds of the petrochemical xylene. Harvey demonstrated that they may also be prone to collapse.ĮxxonMobil: The Baytown refinery and chemical plant on the Houston ship canal is the second largest refinery in the country. A study on the performance of these storage tanks in Texas and Louisiana following the 2005 hurricanes Katrina and Rita found that they are prone to buckling and becoming dislodged during hurricanes. The roofs are designed to rise and fall depending on the volume within tank, helping control how much of the fossil fuel product is lost to evaporation. One common source of failure during Harvey was so-called “ floating roofs” on fossil fuel and petrochemical storage tanks. But Harvey demonstrated just how frail our emergency systems really are: chemical plants and refineries reported more than two dozen major air pollution releases in the period leading up to Harvey and its immediate aftermath. If any place is equipped to manage fossil fuel safety incidents, it should be here. Six counties in Houston are home to 230 chemical plants, 33 oil refineries, and hundreds of miles of pipeline. Texas is home to one of the largest concentrations of energy infrastructure in the country. Harvey’s aftermath is a prime window for the Northwest to evaluate the risks inherent in the oil and petrochemical industry, and for the region to examine its own preparedness for disaster.

$hurricane harvey fracked oil$

Regardless, the Northwest is highly susceptible to unpredictable and catastrophic earthquakes (not to mention volcanos, security threats, and even the occasional Pacific typhoon) that could rupture pipelines, shut off power for weeks or months, and severely limit emergency response capabilities. While the fossil fuel industry has its sights set on making the Pacific Northwest over in the Gulf Coast’s image, Harvey illustrated in alarming relief the importance of robust environmental safeguards, even for scenarios that fossil fuel project backers argue are unlikely.

$hurricane harvey fracked oil$ $hurricane harvey fracked oil$

Hurricane harvey fracked oil