I've seen it happen before, from up close as well, but it's always strange and scary every time it happens: Shell Chemical Plant Fire
No, those are part of the Olefins structure. The cokers are much farther toward the back of the refinery. This unit is right on Hwy.225.
I'm off today. But I was in Deer Park when it happened. I feel sorry for those people. It was unbelievably thick in those nearby neighborhoods.
Seems like Shell in Deer Park has been on fire several times in the past. Behad, can you give us a rundown of when the fires have happened?
I don't think they have nearly as bad of a record as Phillips. When I lived in Deer Park, there were some SERIOUSLY huge explosions at the Phillips plant. Not good for peace of mind, I can tell you that.
It was only a month ago that an out-of-service tank caught on fire. The media played it up to be some huge disaster, but it was a simple tank fire, nothing to get worked up over. There was another tank fire in 2000, and one in 97 that was struck by lightning. The big one was in the summer of 97 when the same unit that is currently burning exploded and burned. That was A LOT WORSE than what the public knows. It happened on a Sunday, which means most everyone was off that day. If it had been a weekday, there could have been dozens of fatalities. There were more than 20 temporary trailers set up to use as offices that were destroyed. Anybody in one of those trailers would have been seriously hurt or killed. The coker unit has had a number of fires since it started up in 1995, incuding 2 majors in the first years. Yes, it seems we've had a run of bad luck the past decade, but no fatalities have occured in any of these fires. We did have one fatality last year when a diesel truck driver drove in front of a moving train. Phillips Petrolium, on the other hand.......
probably not, these fires are probably set on purpose so they can burn all the things the EPA won't let them!?
Behad you and I know that half of that motor vehicles portion is trucks spewing garbage into the air as they haul stuff for industry.
Interestingly enough, the worse airborn contaminants in Houston, according to most environmental sites, are NOT outside but inside your house from carpeting, pesticides, insecticides, formaldehyde in furniture, cleaning products and more. Of course, those are homes that aren't next door to Shell!
now that your work place got burnt up i think its time for my school to go... maybe i could give you the address and you could work something out OH WAIT!!! less than 14 days till i bust outta highschool... where has the time gone?
