Group doubts claims by BP

TEXAS CITY — An environmental consulting group investigating a 40-day emissions event at BP’s Texas City refinery that sent 536,000 pounds of chemicals into the air calls the company’s assertion the incident posed no risk to the community a fallacy.

“Every piece of evidence we find gets us closer to the bigger picture, and we can say to BP, ‘Yeah, you guys are lying to us,’” said Chris Waller, a civil engineer with the Soil Water Air Protection Enterprise group in California.

One of the group’s principals is Paul Rosenfeld, an environmental chemist and lecturer with the University of California at Los Angeles School of Public Health and author of “Best Practices in the Petroleum Industry.”

Rosenfeld’s firm was retained by Friendswood attorney Tony Buzbee, who filed a $10 billion lawsuit against BP over the emissions event that happened in April and May.

BP: No Community Impact

The company insists air monitors at the refinery and in the city did not indicate dangerous levels of toxic chemicals from the event.

“Real time, scientific data monitored during the event indicates that the event did not have a health impact to our workers or the community,” BP Texas City manager Keith Casey wrote in a letter to Mayor Matt Doyle.

“During the entire 40-day period of this event, the site’s recently enhanced fence-line monitors, which measure for the presence of benzene and other constituents, did not signal elevated readings or ground level impact.

“Similarly, air-quality monitors in the community that are maintained by external parties did not show elevated readings throughout the 40-day period.”

Critic: More Chemicals Fell On City Than Reported

Waller said his investigation shows BP’s comments are based on selective use of the data available.

“BP takes facts out of context,” Waller said. “They cut out little facts to defend themselves.”

Waller said data contained in the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality investigation report on the incident show while there were minimal levels of toxins near the refinery, levels of chemicals, including benzene, increased significantly.

He based his claims on a modeling scenario contained in the state report that eventually came to the conclusion the incident was an excessive emissions event that led to an enforcement action lawsuit by Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott.

Waller said the TCEQ Screen 3 model shows that about 600 meters from the flares that were the source of the emissions, levels of benzene were about .77114 micrograms per meter cubed, which is equivalent to .5797 parts per million. Chronic exposure at levels above .05 parts per million can increase a person’s risk of non-cancer related illnesses, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Waller said the modeling estimates contained in the state report shows that at 800 meters from the flares, the exposure at ground level increased to 34 micrograms per meter cubed, while at 1,000 meters that level jumped to 105 micrograms per meter cubed.

“That means that what was released from the flare 300 feet in the air drifted over the fence-line monitors and fell on the community,” Waller said.

For those not into measuring micrograms or meters cubed, Waller said the chronic exposure to the emissions translates into a risk for those living nearest the refinery of developing respiratory illnesses.

VOCs Pose More Risk Than Benzene

BP has relied on data collected at the community’s nine air-monitoring stations, three of which are at the refinery, as the basis for its assertion the community was not at risk during the emissions event. BP, however, said its TCEQ-approved modeling scenarios also did not indicate any elevated or risky levels of emissions.

Of as much concern as the release of large amounts of benzene was the amount of volatile organic compounds released onto the city, Waller said. Those include propane, isobutene and pentane. According to the TCEQ investigation, 60,000 pounds of propane, 34,146 pounds of isobutene and 117,716 pounds of pentane were released from one of the flares involved in the emissions event.

Rosenfeld contends a cumulative dose model of VOC emissions likely would show residents inhaled “several cups” of toxic chemicals.

The TCEQ report noted that in addition to contributing to the county’s nonattainment status for pollutants, “short-term exposure (to VOCs) can cause eye, nose and throat irritation; headaches, loss of coordination, nausea; damage to the liver, kidney and central nervous system.”

However, “actual impacts from these amounts on human health or the environment could not be immediately determined,” TCEQ investigator Ryan Perna wrote in a report that sought enforcement action by the state.

Perna also noted modeling results predicted the VOC emissions did not exceed TCEQ property line standards or the EPA’s National Ambient Air Quality Standards.

Much of BP’s argument that the emissions posed no risk to the community is based on readings from a series of air monitors placed at the refinery and throughout the city. Those monitors also have been at the heart of the Texas City-La Marque Community Advisory Council’s argument that air quality in the city doesn’t pose a significant health risk to residents.

Monitoring Network Called Into Question

Waller and Rosenfeld challenged the monitoring network, especially the fence-line monitors.

They said detection limits on those monitors are not sufficient to determine that no threat existed for the community.

Buzbee said a photo he obtained from someone inside the BP refinery shows the air monitors are easily tampered with. The photo, reportedly from an air monitor near BP’s docks, shows a paper clip jammed into the slot of a panel of buttons.

The photo was taken in June, Buzbee said. He would not reveal who took the photo or the details of the equipment shown.

BP spokesman Michael Marr said environmental quality staffers at the refinery reviewed the photo.

“We can’t identify the equipment shown in that photograph, except to say that it is not one of BP’s fence line air monitors,” Marr said, noting that BP has only three air monitors on site, none of which are located near its dock area.

“Any disabling of a BP air monitor would result in immediate (and automatic) notification of the TCEQ, BP and other appropriate parties.”

Marr also said the air monitors where checked during the recent emissions event, and all were in working order.

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Coming Monday

Industry’s defenders: While BP is taking a beating for a 40-day air emissions event that sent more than 500,000 pounds of chemicals into the air, two Texas City residents said they are out to set the record straight about air quality in the city. Jose Boix and Jack Cross, former petrochemical employees, claim statistics show air quality actually is improving despite the latest emissions event.

Coming Wednesday

What did the air monitors show?: There are nine air monitors in Texas City. Some have data available online, while others require you ask the state for data. Find out more about the air-monitoring network in Texas City, where the monitors are and how to obtain the information.