ExxonMobil refineries are damaged in Hurricane Harvey, releasing hazardous pollutants
Source: Washington Post
ExxonMobil acknowledged Tuesday that Hurricane Harvey damaged two of its refineries, causing the release of hazardous pollutants.
The acknowledgment, in a regulatory filing with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, follows repeated complaints on Twitter of an unbearable chemical smell over parts of Houston. However, it was not immediately clear what caused the smell.
ExxonMobil said in the filings that a floating roof covering a tank at the companys Baytown oil refinery sank in heavy rains, dipping below the surface of oil or other material stored there and causing unusually high emissions, especially of volatile organic compounds, a category of regulated chemicals.
The Baytown refinery is the second-largest in the country. The company said in its filing that it would need to empty the tank to make repairs, though it wasnt clear when the weather would permit that.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/08/29/exxonmobil-refineries-damaged-in-hurricane-harvey-releasing-hazardous-pollutants/
BigmanPigman
(51,430 posts)being closely monitored via remote and it is "serious". NOT good news when we could use some.
jmowreader
(50,447 posts)They were built with hurricane-resistance in mind, but nothing is perfect.
icymist
(15,888 posts)The market will regulate itself!
Just keep repeating to yourself, Capitalism good. Regulations bad. Capitalism good. Regulations bad. Capitalism good. Regulations bad...