New Use for Flares and a Kiddie Pool – Louisiana Oil Refinery
On July 6, 2011, the USDOJ announced that Byron Hamilton, the vice-president and general manager of the Pelican Refinery in Lake Charles, La., pleaded guilty to federal negligent endangerment charges under the Clean Air Act. Hamilton oversaw operations at the Lake Charles refinery from an office in Houston, TX.
According to the charges, Hamilton negligently caused the release of hazardous air pollutants, including hydrogen sulfide, which placed persons in imminent danger of death and serious bodily injury. The impetus for the charges was a March 2006 joint inspection by the LDEQ and the USEPA when inspectors found such conditions as storage of crude oil in unrepaired storage tanks, failure to repair emissions monitoring and control equipment, (and my favorites) the routine practice to use a standard signal flare gun to re-light the process flare at the refinery; and the use of plastic children’s swimming pools to contain petroleum leaks. It still amazes me that this type of activity still goes on in this day and age.
Hamilton faces up to one year in prison and a $200,000.00 fine for each of the two Clean Air Act counts. This case was prosecuted, in part, by my friend, Richard Udell.
More later.
As always, feel free to contact me via e-mail at walter.james@jamespllc.com.
WDJiii