The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality recently settled with BASF Corp. over alleged violations at its Geismar facility, including three people reportedly being exposed to chlorine gas in 2020.
In total, the company agreed to pay $35,460, with around $5,200 covering department enforcement costs. In the document, the company denied it committed any violations, a standard part of LDEQ settlement agreements.
A spokesperson for BASF did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday.
The alleged violations cover a time period from 2016 through 2021 and range from alleged unauthorized emission releases to monitoring requirement failures.
According to the settlement, a valve allegedly released 554 pounds of chlorine gas Oct. 1, 2020, exceeding the limit of 10 pounds that required a notification to LDEQ. Three people were exposed and sent to the hospital for evaluation, with two released the same day and the third being held for three days, a 2021 report stated.
In an Oct. 8 notification document, BASF responded "not applicable" to a question asking about the extent of injuries, if any, from the incident. In the 2021 report, LDEQ cited that response as a violation of a rule requiring companies to submit all required information in a written notification report.
An online database for the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration does not show the department investigated the alleged incident.
Other alleged preventable violations concerning chemical releases include:
In 2016, a control valve failed and released 6,500 pounds of carbon monoxide over a period of 54 minutes.In 2017, a process pump released 55 pounds of ethylene oxide in 10 minutes.In 2021, human error caused 330 pounds of monomethylamine to be released.
Ethylene oxide is a known carcinogen, according to the U.S. Environmental Agency. The agency website states that exposure to it over years increases risks for cancer including non-Hodgkin lymphoma, myeloma, lymphocytic leukemia and breast cancer in women.
Carbon monoxide can cause dizziness or death at very high levels in enclosed spaces, the EPA states.
According to the document, other alleged violations stemmed from monitoring requirements, including several for wind and rain putting out required flare flames. LDEQ cited the company for others, such as:
In 2016, power to a flare flame control panel was allegedly interrupted for 5.3 hours.In 2020, the company failed to monitor the waste flow operating parameter for nearly a month because the flow input/output card was inadvertently pulled out.Between 2016 and 2020, the company reported around 30 instances of missing caps or improperly capped equipment, such as lines or valves.