CSB发布联合码头灾难性肥料罐倒塌的最终报告

美国化学品安全委员会(CSB)在2009年5月27日发布的一份调查报告中，建议弗吉尼亚州联邦监管或授权地方司法机构监管伊丽莎白河上大型肥料储罐的设计、建造、维护和检查。该报告针对2008年11月弗吉尼亚州切萨皮克联合码头化肥储罐倒塌事故进行调查。2008年11月12日，一个地上的储罐灾难性地无法释放200万加仑的液态尿素硝酸铵肥料，两名工人严重受伤。泄漏超过了围堵堤坝，淹没了附近居民区的部分地区，需要对土壤进行修复。至少有20万加仑的化肥溢出，其中一些流入了附近流入切萨皮克湾的伊丽莎白河。CSB董事会成员威廉·沃克说:“通过建议监管伊丽莎白河上类似的储罐，我们不仅希望保护社区和工人，还希望保护切萨皮克流域的活力。”CSB调查人员发现，涉及事故的坦克-被称为201坦克-进行了焊接工作。承包商拆除了垂直铆接接缝，取而代之的是焊接板，目的是加强接缝。该设施的其他三个储油罐也进行了类似的工作。“CSB的调查发现，在水箱上进行的焊接不符合建议的行业惯例，”调查主管Robert Hall说，私人体育。此外，该公司没有确保在将储罐注满最大容量之前进行焊接后检查。” The report noted that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulates the safety of petroleum storage tanks, but liquid fertilizer and other non-petroleum tanks are regulated by individual states. Virginia is one of 33 states that do not currently have regulations for liquid fertilizer tanks, the CSB said. In addition to calling for state action to regulate storage tanks, the Board urged the EPA to revise and reissue a safety bulletin on liquid fertilizer tank hazards and asked The Fertilizer Institute (TFI), a trade association, to urge member companies to require appropriate inspections of tanks used to store liquid fertilizer at terminal facilities. In December 2008, the board issued an urgent recommendation calling on Allied Terminals to take immediate action to reduce the risk of a catastrophic failure of three tanks located at its facility - one about 250 feet from the South Hill Neighborhood. The CSB also recommended that Allied Terminals select an independent engineering firm to evaluate the specified tanks and within 30 days provide a report prepared by the independent tank engineering firm to the City of Chesapeake. The independent report resulted in Allied Terminals significantly reducing the maximum liquid levels of the remaining tanks. The CSB investigation identified sixteen other tank failures at nine facilities in other states between 1995 and 2008. These sixteen failures resulted in one death, four hospitalizations, one community evacuation, and two releases into waterways. The CSB is an independent federal agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents. The agency's board members are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. CSB investigations look into all aspects of chemical accidents, including physical causes such as equipment failure as well as inadequacies in regulations, industry standards, and safety management systems. The Board does not issue citations or fines but does make safety recommendations to plants, industry organizations, labor groups, and regulatory agencies such as OSHA and EPA. Visit our website, www.csb.gov For more information, contact Public Affairs Specialist Hillary Cohen at (202) 261-3601, 202-446-8094 cell.