The items highlighted in the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) report on its July 2012 inspection of ExxonMobil’s Baton Rouge, La., refinery are the same issues the United Steelworkers (USW) union has raised for a number of years regarding the safe operation of the nation’s refineries.

The problems cited at the Baton Rouge refinery facility (BRRF) are universal. The lack of mechanical integrity in refinery equipment has been a contributing cause in many of the worst accidents this industry has experienced. Mechanical integrity was a factor in the recent Chevron refinery fire, for which CalOSHA fined the company nearly $1 million; the April 2010 Tesoro Anacortes refinery explosion, which killed seven people; and the infamous BP Texas City refinery explosion and fire where 15 people were killed. 

At BRRF, ExxonMobil did not have all the information needed for the equipment used in its processes, particularly the piping. The company failed to inspect, for a number of years, over 1,500 lines of piping and did not have any record of previous inspections. It also failed to identify over 250 lines with less than minimum thickness. This can prove to be problematic when companies arbitrarily change the criteria for replacement or fail to follow replacement guidelines. Thin and corroded pipes also can lead to leaks, explosions and fires. The EPA took photos of corroded overhead piping at BRRF. (Click HERE to see the photos.) ... more