ExxonMobil reports small benzene leak

ExxonMobil Baton Rouge Refinery reported that 0.04 pounds of benzene leaked from a supply line on Monday before the line was quickly repaired, the company said Tuesday.

ExxonMobil notified the National Reporting Center of the leak Monday as a precaution, according to spokeswoman Jennifer Hughes. The leak was contained to the unit, and there was no impact to production.

The Baton Rouge refinery is the second-largest in the country, processing more than 500,000 barrels of oil a day.

Comments

1) Comment by localreader - 27/06/2012

@foldgers Yes, benzene is dangerous even in tiny amounts and benzene spills of any amount are newsworthy. Although I wouldn't call this a news article as it reads more like the faxed press release straight from ExxonMobil Communications post- incident. For example, the so-called news article did not give any context such as recent other benzene spills or information explaining what benzene does and why it is very dangerous, nor any attempt to explain how this spill occurred, whether workers were exposed, etc. Not sure why the Advocate was being so lazy. But here's some info from Wikipedia to fill in the gaps: "Benzene increases the risk of cancer and other illnesses. Benzene is a notorious cause of bone marrow failure. Substantial quantities of epidemiologic, clinical, and laboratory data link benzene to aplastic anemia, acute leukemia, and bone marrow abnormalities.[43][44] The specific hematologic malignancies that benzene is associated with include: acute myeloid leukemia (AML), aplastic anemia, myleodysplastic syndrome (MDS), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).[45] The American Petroleum Institute (API) stated in 1948 that "it is generally considered that the only absolutely safe concentration for benzene is zero."[46] The US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) classifies benzene as a human carcinogen. Long-term exposure to excessive levels of benzene in the air causes leukemia, a potentially fatal cancer of the blood-forming organs, in susceptible individuals. In particular, Acute myeloid leukemia or acute non-lymphocytic leukaemia (AML & ANLL) is not disputed to be caused by benzene.[47] IARC rated benzene as "known to be carcinogenic to humans" (Group 1). Human exposure to benzene is a global health problem.[vague] Benzene targets liver, kidney, lung, heart and the brain and can cause DNA strand breaks, chromosomal damage, etc. Benzene causes cancer in both animals and humans. Benzene has been shown to cause cancer in both sexes of multiple species of laboratory animals exposed via various routes.[48][49] Some women having breathed high levels of benzene for many months had irregular menstrual periods and a decrease in the size of their ovaries. Benzene exposure has been linked directly to the neural birth defects spina bifida and anencephaly.[50] Men exposed to high levels of benzene are more likely to have an abnormal amount of chromosomes in their sperm, which impacts fertility and fetal development.[51]" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benzene

2) Comment by The_Host - 26/06/2012

Search for a MSDS on Benzene it is some nasty stuff used to make all sorts of things. This is what cracks me up about the government and their desire to rule our lives in the name of safety. Telling us all how to live and what you can and can't put in your own body. But do we have any say in what we breath in the air everyday around this place? Nope. So you are free to inhale all the chemical plants pollutants but not free to smoke a little weed. Why that weed is just bad don't ya know. Umm Kay... Everyone that I know that works at big plants has a special car they drive to work. That way when the paint gets eaten off and ruined from the pollutants they don't mess up their nicer car. Yet none of them asks themselves gee golly if the stuff in the air is doing this to a paint job what in the ____ is it doing to me!

3) Comment by foldgers - 26/06/2012

I understand, but the headline "ExxonMobil reports benzene leak" makes it seem serious. Then I read 0.04 pounds of it. I guess I was asking if that much of that kind of chemical deserves a scary looking headline? I don't know what that stuff does, but doesn't seem that 0.04 pounds of it would be news worthy. My ink pen weighs more than that...

4) Comment by d650 - 26/06/2012

@foldgers-- it's notable because just over a week ago, there was a major naptha spill which also caused a benzene release at the same facility. exxonmobil originally reported the release at 10 pounds, but further information revealed it was closer to 29000 pounds. when the advocate first reported this recent leak, the amount was unknown.

5) Comment by foldgers - 26/06/2012

.04 pounds? Is this chemical THAT dangerous that this small amount needs its own news story?