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Thursday, August 18, 2005
Environment - Safety measures for BP's Whiting refinery
The Munster (NW Indiana) Times reports today, in a story by Susan Brown:
WHITING | Local BP and United Steelworkers officials said Wednesday they will cooperate with an historic call by the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board for an independent panel to review safety at BP's five North American refineries, including Whiting.The agency is investigating several incidents at BP's Texas City plant, including an explosion that killed 15 people and injured 170 others in March.
The federal safety board issued an "urgent" safety recommendation for the first time in its history Wednesday in calling for the panel to conduct an investigation similar to one following the explosion of the space shuttle Columbia.
Tom Keilman, spokesman for BP's Whiting refinery, said the refinery will fully cooperate and comply with the actions recommended .
"The Texas City (explosion) was the worst tragedy in the history of BP," Keilman said. "The Whiting refinery will make every effort to insure that nothing like that happens here." * * *
Although specific incidents involving Whiting have never been at issue, Keilman said the refinery has been evaluating all its systems as they relate to the Texas City incident and are assessing suitable safety measures.
Since the incident, the Whiting refinery has increased the distance of workers' trailers from operating units and assured itself of a high level of integrity regarding operating units' shutdown and startup procedures, he said.
In addition to the measures already undertaken, Keilman said the refinery has been studying its options regarding potential replacement of its vent stacks.
BP recently announced the vent stacks at all five of its U.S. sites will be replaced. Vent stacks release vapors into the air when pressure builds in an isomerization unit. They will be replaced with a flare system that burns off the material.
Posted by Marcia Oddi on August 18, 2005 07:43 AM
Posted to Environment