-Formosa Plastics is restarting its Olefins No. 2 steam cracking unit in Point Comfort, Texas, Platts reports. The unit was shut down last week after a process upset. Emissions associated with the startup were expected to be complete Wednesday morning.
-BASF is planning to boost its global polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) capacity over the next four years — an effort that will include a revamp at its Geismar, La., site. BASF announced Wednesday it would increase butanediol capacity at the Geismar plant by 10% in 2016. The company also produces PVP at its Ludwigshafen, Germany, site and is set to introduce PVP technology at its Shanghai, China, plant.
-The EPA approved refinery emissions rule changes in California that target VOCs and sulfur compounds. Via the Oil & Gas Journal, a revision by the South Coast Air Quality Management District requires that coke drums be depressurized to less than 2 psig before being allowed to vent into the atmosphere. A revision by the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District mandates a sulfur dioxide concentration limit of 75 parts per billion or 0.075 parts per million at the property line of the source.
-Nearly 3 million gallons of brine have leaked from a pipeline in North Dakota. Via FuelFix, it is the largest pipeline spill since the state’s current oil boom began. Operator Summit Midstream Partners first detected the spill Jan. 6. State officials said the spill does not threaten drinking water or public health, but the environmental impact may not be known for months.
-The EPA on Wednesday said it would release the long-awaited Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) for 2014 by the spring, Platts reports. The agency intends to release the standards for 2014, 2015 and 2016 by the end of this year. The EPA has come under criticism from refiners and ethanol and biodiesel producers for its delay on the 2014 RFS. The American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers filed suit in November when the EPA announced it would wait until 2015 to release the 2014 standard.
