SABIC, Owens Corning and CSX make up a large portion of Bethlehem’s industrial base in Selkirk. This arial photo is taken from the Feura Bush side of the CSX rail yard. Jim Franco/Spotlight News
SELKIRK — In a notice of violation to SABIC officials, the state Department of Environmental Conservation stated the plant’s failure to follow its own procedures led to the Sept. 1 gas leak that later triggered evacuation notices.
The DEC placed the plastics plant on notice for violating several environmental laws as a result of the leak, which according to the state’s estimation, involved the release of approximately 16,000 pounds of styrene vapor into the air.
The state has ordered SABIC to preserve all records and documents “relating to or arising from” the incident as it reviews potential action against the company.
The Sept. 24 notice confirmed that the tank car responsible for the leak of styrene monomer was at the Selkirk plant since May 26. On that same day, SABIC personnel observed a frozen valve on the tank car, preventing them from unloading the monomer. It was then moved to the facility’s railyard where it allegedly sat unmonitored for more than three months.
“SABIC’s failure to properly store and monitor the unloaded tank car shipment resulted in the unauthorized styrene release which caused odor impacts throughout the nearby community,” DEC Regional Engineer Victoria Schmitt stated in her notice.
Styrene monomer is transported by tanker car where temperatures are monitored to prevent spontaneous polymerization. It is flammable and highly volatile, so an inhibitor is used to keep a reaction from occurring. High temperatures and the passage of time, however, will reduce the effect of the inhibitor as it breaks down.
Two weeks ago, a DEC spokesperson described an “exothermic reaction” and its “potential to result in an explosion” when describing the incident.
Early photographs from Albany County Sheriffs showed the railcar hitched to several more tankers as firefighters doused it with water in their effort to cool it down. The DEC has yet to confirm how high temperatures reached inside the car. A picture later shared by the Town of Bethlehem revealed a temperature that placed the monomer well beyond its flashpoint, which would cause the liquid to form an explosive vapor.
The early morning gas leak prompted authorities to issue evacuation within a half-mile of the facility and shelter-in-place notices to residents living within an additional mile of the plant.
Representatives from more than a dozen different agencies responded to the accident. They included members of the state DEC, Homeland Security and Emergency Services, New York National Guard Civil Support Team and the governor’s office.
In addition to the DEC, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is conducting a separate investigation.
According to the DEC, SABIC has reported that the rail car is completely stabilized and relocated away from daily railcar operations at the facility. The plastics company is working with DEC’s Division of Materials Management to evaluate available options for disposal.
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