Local smells, guess where they came from?

DRC Archive Environmental and Other Science Discussion
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The last time I came back from NJ on a ferry a friend of mine commented that there were stink lines in the air above the state. We all looked and sure enough they were there. A nasty looking cloud had us all wondering what kind of cancer we may have acquired during our stay.

Paulsboro Refinery pipe breaks; officials say no immediate danger
Published: Thursday, February 23, 2012, 9:24 PM Updated: Thursday, February 23, 2012, 9:29 PM
By Gina Bittner/Gloucester County Times Gloucester County Times

PAULSBORO — Because of a broken crude oil pipe inside the Paulsboro Refinery, officials are saying that the elderly and those with respiratory conditions should consider staying indoors until odors subside.
“Petroleum products have a low odor threshold, meaning they can be smelled readily even at very low levels that do not cause serious health risks,” said a press release from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) read.
At about 1:30 p.m. Thursday, refinery personnel discovered a crude oil leak in the base of the storage tank. At that time, a strong, petroleum odor was reported in a number of surrounding towns as a result. NJDEP said initial air monitoring by the Gloucester County Health Department and by refinery personnel do not indicate any health hazards from the odors.
As of 4:30 p.m. Thursday, 157,000 barrels of oil — or about 6.6 million gallons — had leaked into the emergency containment area at the refinery, according to the NJDEP statement. The leaking tank holds 286,000 barrels of oil, or about 12 million gallons, and the emergency containment area — essentially a large berm surrounding the tank — is designed to hold 377,000 barrels.
NJDEP — who is monitoring the cleanup — said the spill is not expected to impact the Delaware River or local water supplies.
“Air monitoring also indicates there should be no health effects from odors caused by the spill,” the release states.
According to Paulsboro Refinery spokeswoman Lisa Lindsey, the break in the pipe is not a common incident.
“We are taking steps to minimize the odor, which could be influenced by changes in wind direction and weather tonight,” she said late Thursday. “We have been applying foam on top of the oil outside the tank, and equipment is being put in place to pump the oil into tanks. In addition, we have transferred almost all the oil remaining in the leaking tank to another tank.”
The NJDEP’s Bureau of Emergency Response is coordinating response efforts along with the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management, the New Jersey State Police, the Gloucester County Office of Emergency Management, the Gloucester County Health Department, the U.S. Coast Guard and refinery personnel.
Residents with questions may contact a Community Information Line set up by the refinery at 856-224-6177.

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Wonder if thats what smells odd in newark today?

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Probably. The smell was in New Castle and Wilmington.

Who thinks we can trust the oil companies to run pipe lines all over the planet?

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Ah! One of my favorite subjects. Our aging and still growing energy infrastructure. We take so much of our conveniences for granted today. we forget the current oil and gas collection and distribution system of wells, pipelines, refineries, tank farms and gas stations is well over 100 years in the making. Drakes well in Titusville Pa. started the oil age in 1859 when he drilled a well 69 1/2 feet deep one day. and the next day it was oozing 20 barrels of Pennsylvania crude per day. Today we drill as deep as the 18,000 foot deep BP Macondo well. Which didnt work so good.

but as the energy resources were developed and produced, our pipline system started to grow. first oil collection pipelines to take the oil from well to refineries. and then big pipelines to move the refined gas and diesel and such around the country to market. we have at least 40,000 miles of burried oil pipelines 16 inch and larger around the country. We use 20 million barrels of oil per day for fuel and chemicals and asphault for roads, thats over 7 billion gallons per year. and we use 24 Trillion cubic feet of natural gas per year to keep us warm, make electricity, and fertilizer for food and plastics.

plus the refined gasoline, diesel and kerosene pipleines.

much the same for nat gas wells, collection, refining and distribution. I heard a factoid today that we have a total of 4 million miles of nat gas lines. after all most homes have gas at their door for heating and cooking.

and similar amounts in the gulf of mexico, underwater to collect the oil and gas from the thousands of wells out there and bring it onshore. The entire country is spiderwebbed with underground pipelines rotting away and waiting to break.

So yes, long term maintenance and life expectancy of any given pipeline is a big concern. and a lot of work.
I nominate Jon to be in charge. He can fix it. Or if he declines, any volunteers? Personally, I would jump at the chance to be in charge. What a hopelessly magnificent logistical and scheduling nightmare that would be to tackle. It’s what i live for.

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Best solution seems to be to let all the companies that stand to profit on the lines manage the lines and hold them minimally responsible when there is a disaster… yeah that will work out well. And let’s have the government hire anyone with a high school diploma to over see the work being done and give them minimum wage. Should work out well.

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So as I read the reports on this mess I realize that “containment” they use is a mound of dirt. Do they really want us to believe there is NO hazard to the public? there are known carcinogens such as Benzene and toluene which are both hazardous to breath and can cause birth defects and reproductive harm. Its bad enough that all the drinking water around the tri state area is horrific. Lets spice it up a bit with some crude! The environment has had enough abuse and no one is willing to take responsibility for the damage done. Blame someone else for the mistakes and highlight the miniscule efforts your company makes to reduce the enormous pollution the pump out. Tell the public you use solar energy when you really just doubled the electric consumption your corporation uses and they will love it. Its sick that not only do the big mess makers not take responsibility for what they do but that they try to make you believe they are part of the answer to a “greener” future.

just my
:TWOCENTS

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Yes thats correct. If you look at a tank farm, say like the Delaware City Refinery, you see each tank is built in its own clay lined, dirt pond of surounding berms. it does contain the volume of the tank, and will keep it from leaking into the ground. the clay lining does that. in the event of a spil and fire, the berms also keep the burning oil from flowing to the next tanks. and ingniting them too. at least for a while. its a time honored safety feature. if just a leak, the berm can be pumped out and reclaimed. and then cleaned up with new liner clay.

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[quote=“kaptken, post:7, topic:5196”]
Yes thats correct. If you look at a tank farm, say like the Delaware City Refinery, you see each tank is built in its own clay lined, dirt pond of surounding berms. it does contain the volume of the tank, and will keep it from leaking into the ground. the clay lining does that. in the event of a spil and fire, the berms also keep the burning oil from flowing to the next tanks. and ingniting them too. at least for a while. its a time honored safety feature. if just a leak, the berm can be pumped out and reclaimed. and then cleaned up with new liner clay. [/quote]
So what do you do with the old contaminated clay?

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Another nice “feature” of our electrical system is if you want to put solar panels on your house you are only allowed to generate 95% of your averaged annual electrical consumption, not as much as you have space to make. Ain’t it great, go green and still pay the man.