EPA expands monitoring at Louisiana refineries

US environmental regulators are stepping up air monitoring efforts at refineries in Louisiana after damage from Hurricane Ida caused increased flaring and product leaks at facilities across the state.

The US Environmental Protection Agency said today that it will begin testing for volatile organic compounds and fine particle pollution at Marathon Petroleum's 565,000 b/d Garyville refinery and Shell's 250,000 b/d Norco facility.

Both Marathon Garyville and Shell Norco sustained damage during the Category 4 hurricane, which made landfall near Port Fourchon, Louisiana, on 29 August.

Shell on 8 September said the Norco site was still without power and flaring was at elevated levels. On 7 September, the company disclosed a product leak on its Norco to Kenner pipeline.

Marathon Garyville began receiving reliable power on 3 September but the company has not said whether its flares are burning more than normal.

EPA said today it has received 43 notifications of inland spills and releases after Ida, while the US Coast Guard, which manages coastal spills, has notified EPA of 10 possible violations that the agency is investigating.

The agency has also increased monitoring at Port Fourchon, the staging base for ships that supply equipment and crews for many offshore operators in the Gulf of Mexico.

The port said on 7 September that some large customers were readying themselves for operations, although a source working with the governor's office in Louisiana told Argus that it will likely take "weeks" to fully rebuild power infrastructure in Port Fourchon.

By Dylan Chase