Valero Texas City release tied to control panel malfunction
A sulfur dioxide release that emanated from Valero’s Texas City, Texas, refinery Sunday was caused by a malfunctioning internal control panel in the refinery’s sulfur recovery unit, FuelFix reports. Texas City’s emergency manager said a faulty wire in the sulfur recovery unit caused a blown fuse. Valero spokesman Bill Day said the company is investigating the cause.
Four Texas City refineries emitted toxic gas for several days in 2011 after a drop in voltage forced plant shutdowns in the area. The area’s electrical provider said accumulations of salt and debris from dry weather conditions caused power equipment failures. Texas-New Mexico Power said Sunday’s incident was unrelated to its systems.
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