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Rosedale refinery leaks small amount of ammonia
Some nearby residents report hearing evacuation alarm
| Monday, May 19 2008 6:21 PM
Last Updated: Tuesday, May 20 2008 8:06 AM
The Big West of California refinery leaked a small amount of ammonia just after midnight Saturday that sounded an evacuation alarm that was heard by residents in some nearby neighborhoods.
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The Big West of California refinery on Rosedale Highway is seeking to expand its operations. Three Central Valley lawmakers voiced their support for the expansion in a letter submitted to The Californian Monday.
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Emergency crews responded around 12:15 a.m. Sunday and the leak was contained quickly, Big West officials said. No one was injured.
The leak was caused by a faulty valve on a large ammonia storage tank. Fumes set off a nearby alarm system that included a voice recording urging people to evacuate.
The alarm was meant to alert refinery personnel but was also heard by an off-duty Bakersfield police lieutenant at his home near Truxtun Avenue extension and Coffee Road. The lieutenant contacted the police department, according to Sgt. Greg Terry.
Refinery officials said Monday they notified authorities on their own when the alarm went off. However, officials with the Kern County Environmental Health Services Department, which responds to chemical spills, said they were contacted by police dispatchers.
Environmental Health Services Director Matt Constantine said the department is investigating the cause of the leak and will look into whether Big West reported the incident to authorities in a timely manner. Big West is required to notify environmental health of any spills immediately, but Constantine's staff learned of it from police dispatchers, he said.
Constantine also expressed concern about the a refinery evacuation alarm being heard by neighboring residents. The alarm was meant for on-site staff only but could confuse residents who might think they're being ordered to evacuate.
“It may present a concern if a person off-site heard it and it wasn’t meant for them,” Constantine said.
The refinery has come under recent scrutiny by the department for several gas releases that made some residents sick and for not properly reporting those incidents. Big West has also become a community focal point after announcing plans last year to expand and build new units that will require the use of more dangerous chemicals.
Refinery Health, Safety and Environment director Bill Chadick did not know Monday the quantity of ammonia released but said the emergency alarm system responded well before the leak reached a dangerous level.
“We have alarms in the ammonia area that are set to go off whenever they get even the slightest whiff of ammonia,” Chadick said. “The alarm went off and that’s exactly what it’s supposed to do.”
Ammonia diluted with water is a typical household cleaner, but anhydrous ammonia — which contains no water — can be hazardous in the event of a sizable leak. Because the chemical has an extremely low boiling point, it can instantly vaporize, forming a cloud that can travel downwind. Exposure results in severe chemical burns.
Anhydrous ammonia is commonly used in the industry and small leaks have occasionally occurred in Kern County, according to Environmental Health Services.