Exxon Mobil reports emissions leak accident

Submitted by Charlotte Owen on Fri, 2012-09-14 12:54

14th September 2012

US energy giant Exxon Mobil has reported inadvertent emissions of large amounts of pollutants at its flagship refinery near Houston, according to reports.

Exxon Mobil has reported a serious emissions leak at one of its main refineries

Exxon Mobil’s Baytown refinery reported a leak in a heat exchanger tube on Tuesday and the incident prompted the shutdown of a unit that separates heavy oils into fuels, according to local TV channel ABC13.

In an emission event report to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Exxon Mobil reported that the shutdowns resulted in releases of hydrogen sulfide, nitrous oxide, sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide exceeding the plant's permit limits.

The event could continue for several more days, according to the Exxon Mobil report to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

The Exxon Mobil refinery is already the subject of a lawsuit by Texas' environmental advocacy organization, Environment Texas, and the Sierra Club, one of the largest grassroots environmental organizations in the US, according to local media reports.