Sinclair (Refinery) releases poisonous gas in Wyoming

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.trib.com/news/state-and-regional/article_3808dea8-43e8-5efb-8557-df5f87f16187.html

Equipment malfunction latest in string of mishaps plaguing 90-year-old refinery

Sinclair releases poisonous gas in Wyoming

By The Associated Press | Posted: Saturday, March 20, 2010 1:00 am

RAWLINS -- An equipment malfunction caused the release of more than 1,000 pounds of a flammable, poisonous gas earlier this month at the Sinclair Refinery, a plant official said.

John Pfeffer, the refinery's environmental health and safety manager, said the hydrogen sulfide was released on March 8, 9 and 13.

The company is investigating the incidents and the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality and Carbon County Emergency Management were notified, Pfeffer said.

Each incident also resulted in the release of sulfur dioxide, but it did not exceed allowable emissions, Pfeffer said.

...

[CanonRay]

1. You can smell that place for miles

when drivig I-80 in the summer.

[malakai2]

4. It's cool, you can smell it at "safe" levels of 0.005 ppm

When ambient H2S concentrations are above 30 ppm, though, nerves in your nasal passages begin to suffer temporary paralysis and you'll no longer smell it, or it will smell somewhat sweet. Above 100 ppm, you will not smell anything. Your eyes will water, your nose will run, but with the wind and grit out there on the prairie you'll figure it's just the dry air and dust. Long term exposure in the 30-100 ppm range can cause permanent neurological damage, but you won't notice until after the damage is done, if you notice at all. And on the really bright side, the chemical asphyxiant action of H2S is so strong that if you're exposed to levels of a few hundred ppm you'll pass out with increasing rapidity as the dose increases. Above about 700 ppm, you'll pass out immediately, known among oil workers as knockdown. Pass out in a confined space, and you'll be dead quickly. If someone manages to rescue you from a high exposure zone, recovery is quick, except for the neurological damage and potential sloughing of your nasal lining (i.e., the loss of smell could be permanent).

Lots of fun things to keep in mind when you work or play near oil wells, refineries, gasification plants, railroads on which molten sulfur is occasionally shipped, CAFOs, old sewer systems, etc.

[ensho]

2. kick

nt

[Stargazer99]

I'll bet the company had safety violations not found

the employees would know about them but then they are also vunerable to be fired if they open up. As to the value of human life,Conservatives are only worried about the unborn..the rest of you can suffer and die for the sake of "business".

[Stargazer99]

3. I'll bet the company had safety violations not found

the employees would know about them but then they are also vunerable to be fired if they open up. As to the value of human life,Conservatives are only worried about the unborn..the rest of you can suffer and die for the sake of "business".

[pscot]

5. Is this some kind of time warp?

I haven't seen a Sinclair station in 40 years.

[OKIsItJustMe]

7. Not dead yet

http://www.sinclairoil.com/about_sinclair.htm

[NNadir]

6. Um, they need to hire Amory Lovins for a little round of greenwashing.

I think he only charges something like $250,000 per session, unless he calls in his fellow idiot Joe Romm, in which case there is a surcharge.