In a report released today, a New Orleans-based watchdog group says Louisiana oil refineries need to clamp down on accidents and government needs to step up safety enforcement. The Louisiana Bucket Brigade is holding a press conference in Baton Rouge this morning to highlight the report’s findings.
Titled “Common Ground III: Why Cooperation to Reduce Accidents at Louisiana Refineries Is Needed Now,” the report details each refinery accident reported in 2010. It cites refineries’ own reports to the state. It notes the state’s 17 refineries averaged one accident per day in 2010 and had a total of 354 accidents.
“ExxonMobil’s two refineries continue to pose the most serious accident problem in the state,” the report says. “In 2010, the company’s Louisiana refineries had 133 accidents, releasing more than 340,000 pounds of pollution.”
The Baton Rouge ExxonMobil plant tops the list in both daily refining capacity (504,500 barrels) and accidents (103). The latter figure dwarfs the second-largest number of accidents, 41, at the 429,500-barrel CITGO Petroleum plant in Lake Charles. The Baton Rouge plant was also cited as having the worst worker accident last year: an April 14 incident in which three refinery workers were hospitalized after a flash fire.
The ExxonMobil plant did not rank in top 10 accidents by emissions. Local ExxonMobil representatives, contacted Friday about the report, did not provide comment by deadline.
The report urges refineries to hire more full-time union workers; improve accident prevention, reporting and contingency plans; and comply with OSHA standards. The group also urges the government to step up enforcement in Louisiana and to seek worker input in investigations and planning. The Louisiana Bucket Brigade is a nonprofit organization that monitors pollution levels in communities adjacent to refineries and chemical plants. Read the report here.
