Safety measures at US sites in place - Valero

09 July 2008 18:04  [Source: ICIS news]

HOUSTON (ICIS news)--Valero has implemented safety measures throughout its refining system on its own in advance of the US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) findings on the February 2007 blaze at its McKee Refinery in Sunray, Texas, it said on Wednesday.

Mike Mayo, Valero’s director of corporate safety, said measures include the creation of a corporate process safety management and reliability department to develop and oversee safety and related process reliability measures at all its refineries.

The company said that the CSB’s findings are consistent with its own investigation of the root causes of the fire that took place on 16 February 2007.

Valero also said it replaced McKee’s damaged propane de-asphalting unit with a new and redesigned unit that with upgraded control systems - including remotely operable shut-off valves - designed to reduce the risks of such incidents.

Also as a result of lessons learned from the McKee fire, Valero said it is re-evaluating the fireproofing of structures such as pipe racks at its refineries, and by year-end will have completed switching from using chlorine to a safer bleach solution in order to treat cooling water.

The CSB’s recommendation to remove chlorine as a water treatment will have long-reach effects for the refining industry, according to CSB officials. While more expensive to switch from chlorine to an alternative such as bleach, CSB chairman John Bresland said the benefits outweigh the costs.

“I’m sure people in the industry will look at the recommendation of chlorine removal and decide that the risk/benefit cost is advantageous,” said Bresland.

($1 = €0.64)

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By: Brian Balboa
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