ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY HEADLINESEnvironment and Sustainability
EPA, NY DEC Investigate Equipment Failure at Tonawanda Coke
Apr. 2, 2010 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) are investigating equipment failure at the Tonawanda Coke Corp. facility outside Buffalo, N.Y. The equipment failure triggered an emergency flare this week to prevent the release of potentially harmful gas.
The coke oven gas, which is generated when coal is heated at high temperatures, contains benzene, ammonia and other hazardous pollutants.
Excessive exposure to benzene is a known cause of cancer.
|
Tonawanda Coke informed EPA and DEC on March 31, 2010, the that the electric motor powering an exhauster, a device that channels coke oven gas from the facility’s coke ovens to the by-products recovery area for treatment, had failed, causing the equipment to malfunction. The company immediately switched to the back-up exhauster, but it also failed. The plant’s third exhauster was already out of service. Because no exhausters were available to force the coke oven gas to the by-products plant, the company was forced to flare the gas through a small stack and into the air.
Since the incident, Tonawanda Coke has taken steps to repair the malfunctioning equipment, and the plant is slowly returning to normal operations.
“EPA is concerned that this incident appears to be a repeat instance of equipment failure at the Tonawanda facility,” said EPA Regional Administrator Judith Enck. “This situation speaks to the critical need for facilities to have properly functioning backup systems in place and working. People living and working in the area deserve to feel confident that this facility is properly operated and maintained and is not causing risks to their health.”
DEC representatives immediately responded to the scene to investigate the nature of the release and ensure appropriate safety measures were in place. As DEC representatives continue to monitor the situation, EPA is working with the state to determine whether any federal or state environmental laws were violated.
“Our staff is committed to taking the necessary measures to reducing emissions from this plant,” said DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis. “We will continue to monitor the Tonawanda facility and work with our EPA partners to protect air quality in the community.”
EPA and DEC issued several enforcement actions to Tonawanda Coke earlier this year for various environmental violations.