ExxonMobil disputes refinery accident report

Officials with Louisiana’s largest petroleum refinery say a report released earlier today by a New Orleans-based environmental group paints an inaccurate picture of the plant’s safety record. In the report, titled “Common Ground III: Why Cooperation to Reduce Accidents at Louisiana Refineries Is Needed Now,” the Louisiana Bucket Brigade cites ExxonMobil’s two state refineries as having “the most serious accident problem in the state.” The report says the Baton Rouge ExxonMobil plant topped the state in both daily refining capacity (504,500 barrels) and accidents (103) in 2010. Lana Venable, spokeswoman for the Baton Rouge ExxonMobil refinery, says the accident figure given in the report reflects inaccurate methodology. Addressing the report’s note of 103 accidents in 2010, she says, “The actual amount was 32 incidents where we exceeded reportable quantity limits set by regulatory agencies.” But Anne Rolfes, founding director of the Louisiana Bucket Brigade, maintains the report counted all incidents, regardless of regulatory threshold. “We think an accident is an accident,” Rolfes says. See the full report here. Read the full story here. —Ian McGibboney