Harvey damages ExxonMobil refineries causing pollution

Two ExxonMobil refineries were damaged by Hurricane Harvey, causing the release of 12,000 pounds of hazardous pollutants into the air, the energy company confirmed on Tuesday.

According to local media, the acknowledgment, in a regulatory filing with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, follows repeated complaints on social media of an “unbearable” chemical smell over parts of Houston. However, it was not immediately clear what caused the smell.

The company said in the filings that a floating roof covering a tank at the Baytown oil refinery, the second largest refinery in the US, sank in heavy rains, dipping below the surface of oil and causing high emissions, especially of volatile organic compounds, a category of regulated chemicals.

In addition, the company said that it would need to empty the tank to make repairs, without clarifying when the weather would permit this. An ExxonMobil spokeswoman said to Washington Post that the company would “conduct an assessment to determine the impact of the storm once it is safe to do so.”

Further, another ExxonMobil facility in Beaumont, east of Houston, released 1,300 pounds of sulfur dioxide, after Harvey damaged a sulfur thermal oxidizer, a piece of equipment that captures and burns sulfur dioxide.

Responding to this, the company explained that there was no impact in local communities and informed that it has taken restore actions.

However, several other chemicals are emitted during the process of shutting down, and then starting up of the plants, according to Luke Metzger, director of the group Environment Texas.

Other major companies owning facilities also filed notices with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, such as Chevron Phillips, who said it expected its Cedar Bayou chemical plant to exceed permitted limits for several hazardous pollutants.

On 27 August, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality reported an “emissions event”, informing that external floating roof tanks, operated by Kinder Morgan,  were impacted by torrential downpour from Hurricane Harvey, in Pasadena.

    “Tank 150-8 external floating roof partially submerged, causing product to spill to the ground between tank and dike walls. Product discovered on roof of Tank 150-39, due to partially submerged roof.”

Pasadena Terminal, in its own filing, said it is taking all necessary measures to prevent any risk to human health and to the environment.

The hurricane has caused closing of key refineries and production facilities throughout the Gulf coast, disturbing one of the US’s most important energy hubs. Ten oil refinery plants in the Houston area and Corpus Christi have already shut down.