Release of 100 pounds of hydrogen sulfide caused mystery odor in New Orleans? Report: Actual amount is “far more”
Published: April 4th, 2013 at 11:53 am ET By ENENews
WDSU, April 4, 2013: [...] ExxonMobil’s Chalmette Refinery reported releasing 10 pounds of benzene and 100 pounds of hydrogen sulfide early on Wednesday, but the La. Bucket Brigade said it released “far more.” [...] The Louisiana Bucket Brigade, a nonprofit environmental watchdog group, said the smell originated from the Exxon Chalmette Refinery and said that the Coast Guard confirmed it. [...] However, the DEQ hasn’t linked the smell to the Chalmette refinery. It is still investigating via air monitoring sites and field crews. [...]
NOLA: An odor identified as burning tires or oil that wafted over the New Orleans area may have been caused by a spill of wastewater at the ExxonMobil Chalmette Refinery, according to a report filed with the Coast Guard’s National Response Center and a second report issued by the National Ocean Service. The report to the response center by the refinery says that an unknown amount of waste water leaked onto the ground from the “Number 1 flare drum” at the refinery at 7:08 a.m. It did not say what chemicals, if any, were in the wastewater. [...]
Hydrogen sulfide is a highly toxic and flammable gas (flammable range: 4.3–46%). Being heavier than air, it tends to accumulate at the bottom of poorly ventilated spaces. Although very pungent at first, it quickly deadens the sense of smell, so potential victims may be unaware of its presence until it is too late. For safe handling procedures, a hydrogen sulfide material safety data sheet (MSDS) should be consulted.[9]
Hydrogen sulfide is considered a broad-spectrum poison, meaning that it can poison several different systems in the body, although the nervous system is most affected. The toxicity of H2S is comparable with that of hydrogen cyanide. It forms a complex bond with iron in the mitochondrialcytochromeenzymes, thus preventing cellular respiration.
Since hydrogen sulfide occurs naturally in the body, the environment and the gut, enzymes exist in the body capable of detoxifying it by oxidation to (harmless) sulfate.[10] Hence, low levels of hydrogen sulfide may be tolerated indefinitely.
At some threshold level, believed to average around 300–350 ppm, the oxidative enzymes become overwhelmed. Many personal safety gas detectors, such as those used by utility, sewage and petrochemical workers, are set to alarm at as low as 5 to 10 ppm and to go into high alarm at 15 ppm.
Officials say a boiler-room power failure at the plant supplying electricity to the city's treatment plant is to blame for a temporary loss of water pressure.
The Sunday morning incident may have opened the way for water contamination. Officials are advising residents on the Mississippi River's east bank to boil drinking water while samples from across the city are tested.
Most of New Orleans, including the French Quarter and Central Business District, is on the east bank.
Tap water was flowing again within an hour of the incident. The problem started about 9 a.m. Central time Sunday.
Engineers are investigating what caused the power failure. It takes at least 24 hours to tell whether there are potentially dangerous bacteria in the water.
................................... This is what is happening with the Louisiana water pressure issue...this is all of the information that is out there, which leads me to believe that one of the past issues (which I will include afterward) is to blame...ASK THE QUESTION...WHAT HAPPENED TO THE "The $34 million project ($390 MILLION RELEASED IN NOVEMBER 2011 FOLLOWING Mayor Mitch Landrieu wrote a letter to Gov. Bobby Jindal asking for money for power plant repairs) is commissioned by the Army Corps of Engineers and will provide the S&WB with 15-mega watt back up power generation." REPORTED IN OCTOBER OF THIS YEAR AND WHAT ABOUT THE "The federal government released an additional $390 million in November 2011 when the feds acknowledged that the state should get more Hazard Mitigation money (grants to strengthen infrastructure against future storms) under a FEMA formula for Hurricane Katrina and Rita aid."
Loss of water pressure reported across New Orleans
Posted: Mar 3, 2013 10:24 AM by Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS - Widespread loss of water pressure has been reported in New Orleans, and the city is advising residents in a large swath of the city boil their water.
The city said in a statement Sunday morning that Sewerage & Water Board officials were still working to determine the cause of the loss of water pressure at the S&WB Power Plant.
The statement said the boil water advisory is in effect for all of the East Bank of Orleans Parish until further notice from the city.
Mayor Mitch Landrieu tweeted Sunday morning: "Widespread loss of water pressure reported. We are looking into it the matter." source: http://www.wbrz.com
Water pressure falls across sections of New Orleans, city issues boil-water alert
New Orleans issued a boil-water alert for the east bank on Sunday after residents across the city woke up to a drop in water pressure caused by a power outage, the second time in less than six months that a mechanical problem has stirred fears of contaminated water.
Residents took to Twitter immediately with reports from Uptown to St. Roch and elsewhere that the pressured had dipped some time around 9 a.m. and then, in many places, came back.
Mayor Mitch Landrieu jumped on Twitter as well, saying, "Widespread loss of water pressure reported. We are looking into it the matter."
The mayor and officials from the New Orleans Sewerage & Water Board have scheduled a press conference for 1 p.m. on Sunday to discuss the issue.
The last time the city's aging pipes experienced trouble was back in October, when the agency issued a boil-water alert that lasted about 25 hours after a drop in pressure raised the possibility of contamination. In that case, the dip in pressure was caused by a glitch at the agency's South Carrollton Avenue power plant, apparently the same issue that came up Sunday.
In a statement, city officials said "an interruption in the boiler room at the Sewerage & Water Board Power plant" cut the power temporarily at around 9 a.m., causing water pressure to drop below what the federal government considers safe.
The city is recommending that residents boil their water for a minute and let it cool down before "drinking, cooking, brushing teeth, bathing or preparing food."
Boiled water is not necessary for other household purposes, according to the city, although some important caveats apply: "Bathing or showering should be avoided by people with open wounds or who are immune-compromised," and for anyone who does hop in the bath, "minimize the time spent in the water and be sure to keep your eyes and mouth closed."
The alert will remain in effect for at least 24 hours.
For businesses across the city, that means another frustrating interval of improvising their way around tap water. At the Ruby Slipper, a popular brunch spot with three different locations around town, employees began using bottled water for coffee and boiled water for the dirty dishes.
"The one thing you should be able to depend on from the municipality is that you have water," said owner Eric Weishaupt. "It's silly, but we're doing what we can."
Federal regulations say a boil-water alert must be issued whenever pressure in the city's water pipes falls below 15 pounds per square inch from a normal psi of 68, a threshold the city crossed briefly on Sunday. If the pressure falls too low, there's a possibility that bacteria could find its way into the system.
Of course, officials are already well aware that the city's sewage and water system is in dire need of upgrades. Back in December the New Orleans City Council voted to impose a steep increase in residents' monthly water bills. The hike is expected to bring in $583 million in revenue to pay for infrastructure repairs and a bigger staff tending to the city's pipes.
on February 08, 2013 at 11:28 AM, updated February 08, 2013 at 11:38 AM
A crew for the New Orleans Sewerage & Water Board is doing some repair work in the Garden District area, leading to low water pressure in the Uptown neighborhood, S&WB spokesman Robert Jackson said.
Residents began reporting low water pressure shortly after 9:30 Friday morning. More information on the repair work will be forthcoming, Jackson said. Check back with nola.com.
S&WB power plant has been issue for city, state since 2010 boil water order
wwltv.com
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 2:52 PM
Updated Monday, Oct 8 at 6:45 PM
NEW ORLEANS -- After boil water orders were issued in New Orleans in November 2010, Mayor Mitch Landrieu wrote a letter to Gov. Bobby Jindal asking for money for power plant repairs.
In the letter from February 2011, Landrieu called repairs to the water system power plant "an urgent public health issue given the necessity to issue ‘boil water’ notices in November during one of its failures."
“Here in New Orleans, we need $200 million to repair the Sewer & Water Board's power plant, which in nearly 100 years of operation has failed only four times -- all since Hurricane Katrina," Landrieu wrote.
Landrieu got the money he asked for, but it hasn't been used yet. The federal government released an additional $390 million in November 2011 when the feds acknowledged that the state should get more Hazard Mitigation money (grants to strengthen infrastructure against future storms) under a FEMA formula for Hurricane Katrina and Rita aid.
It was a coup for New Orleans, which got $270 million of the $390 million. Mayoral spokesman Ryan Berni said $8.4 million was set aside for making a New Orleans East hospital resistant to a 500-year storm.
And $141 million was set aside for improvements to the Sewerage & Water Board power plant and water intake system.
“Those are in the queue for final approvals and obligation,” Berni said.
He said the city is considering other Sewerage and Water Board related projects and improvements to other city facilities with the remaining $120 million.
A newly installed, very large turbine engine will be tested, and it may or may not be louder than the normal noise level emanating from the plant, the board said.
The engine is in a sound weakening enclosure, which is inside of a building designed to reduce noise levels, the S&WB said.
However, the sounds may be different from what residents are accustomed to hearing, the board said.
The $34 million project is commissioned by the Army Corps of Engineers and will provide the S&WB with 15-mega watt back up power generation.
The hope is that boil water advisories, like the one that occurred in the beginning of October, can be avoided.
The testing is scheduled to begin at or after 9 a.m. Wednesday and continue for 30 days.
Anyone with questions or concerns should call 52WATER (529-2837.)
on December 23, 2010 at 12:51 AM, updated December 23, 2010 at 10:25 AM
An electrical problem triggered the failure late Wednesday of one of four massive turbines that fuel the Sewerage & Water Board's in-house power plant, causing water pressure to plummet across the east bank of Orleans Parish, a top agency official said.
View full sizeEliot Kamenitz, The Times-Picayune archive
But unlike last month, when asimilar equipment crash led to a 41-hour boil-water advisory, the latest problem was resolved in a half-hour because a key backup pump that was under repair in November was available and switched on within minutes, S&WB General Superintendent Joe Becker said.
Algiers is served by a separate water purification plant and was not affected.
While the backup pump allowed water pressure to remain at safe levels, averting another boil-water incident, the turbine failure caused the S&WB's in-house power plant to shut down for about two hours.
It was only the fourth failure since the facility - among New Orleans' most critical infrastructure - opened at the turn of the 20th century. All four shutdowns have occurred since Hurricane Katrina.
The S&WB power plant produces an uncommon frequency of electricity known as 25-Hertz, also called 25-cycle, that drives the motors that run about half the city's drinking water system, namely giant pumps that suck raw water from the Mississippi River and smaller pumps that send purified water into the underground pipe network. The water purification plant, meanwhile, runs on power purchased from Entergy New Orleans.
In-house power also supports about half the city's drainage capacity via 115 miles of underground conduit, including lines that run under the river. The buried wires run from the power plant at South Claiborne Avenue near the Jefferson Parish line to many of the city's 23 drainage pump stations.
The power plant generates electricity by running tap water through enormous boilers, which create steam to run four turbines that produce 25-cycle power. Natural gas purchased from Entergy is used to start boilers and turbines, which run singly or in tandem depending on how much power the system needs.
Once the equipment is up and running, it relies on self-generated steam and a series of natural gas feeds to stay online.
Meanwhile, the S&WB has eight pumps located at three outflow stations on the South Claiborne Avenue campus to send purified drinking water out to customers. The pumps maintain water pressure at about 65 pounds per square inch, a level that keeps potentially sickening bacteria from infiltrating pipes; when pressure drops below 15 psi, health officials advise residents to boil water before using it to drink, cook or bathe.
On Wednesday night, one turbine was in operation, as were four outflow pumps: one powered directly by steam from the boilers, two that run on 25-cycle power generated by the turbines and one powered by electricity from Entergy, Becker said.
When the turbine broke at 8:29 p.m., it shut down the two 25-cycle pumps immediately, he said.
The first line of defense against such a failure is a key backup pump that can run using 25-cycle power or electricity provided by Entergy, Becker said. When the power plant failed last month, that pump was out of service, forcing S&WB engineers to rely on other options that took several hours to put into place.
By that time, water pressure had dropped to 10 psi, triggering a boil-water advisory.
By last week, however, the dual-frequency pump had been repaired, Becker said. So when the power plant failed Wednesday night, S&WB officials were able to flip it on within 20 minutes using Entergy power.
During that period, water pressure dropped - but only to 25 psi, safely above the boil-water threshold - Becker said, adding that S&WB officials nevertheless contacted state Department of Health and Hospitals personnel shortly after the power plant failed.
With the backup pump running, along with the steam-driven pump and the one that ordinarily runs on Entergy power, normal water pressure was restored by 9 p.m., he said.
Meanwhile, S&WB crews got two of the remaining three turbines online by 10:30 p.m., restoring in-house power.
As for the fated turbine, it appears that an internal electrical malfunction cause it to fail, Becker said. Though officials plan to meet today at 8:30 a.m. to review the precise reason for the shutdown, it's likely that copper wire necessary to run the machine will have to be "rewound," a two- to three-month process that must be handled off-site by a contractor, he said.
Such work amounts to routine maintenance, "but we just haven't been able to afford to take this turbine for rewinding," Becker said.
Residents across the east bank reported low water pressure starting around 8:30 p.m., and subscribers to City Hall's emergency alert text and e-mail service, NolaReady.info, got a notice at 9:22 p.m., about the problem at the power plant.
Spokesmen for the S&WB and Mayor Mitch Landrieu's administration issued news releases about the situation at 10:25 p.m., and a final NolaReady.info notice went out at 10:47 p.m. advising that normal water pressure "has been restored."
The notices arrived at a far faster pace than last month, when it took several hours for officials to confirm why water pressure had plummeted around 10:30 p.m. on a Friday night. It wasn't until after 8 a.m. on Saturday that the first e-mail and text alerts went out.
Becker credited the faster communication in part with a new protocol implemented in recent weeks that calls for S&WB personnel to contact administration officials at their homes - and to dispatch police officers to rouse them, if necessary - when problems occur at night.
"We had a lot more phone numbers," he said. "In the past, we had cell phones and Blackberry. But tonight we had more home phone numbers, and we were able to contact using home phone lines."
The latest problem also occurred earlier than last month's disruption, making it easier to reach Landrieu aides, he said.
Landrieu administration officials who were "in close contact" with S&WB officials throughout Wednesday's incident included Deputy Mayors Cedric Grant, Jerry Sneed and Emily Sneed Arata, as well as Communications Director Devona Dolliole and Press Secretary Ryan Berni, S&WB spokesman Robert Jackson said.
The map below shows areas of the United States where certain rock types that are susceptible to dissolution in water occur. In these areas the formation of underground cavities can form and catastrophic sinkholes can happen. These rock types are evaporites (salt, gypsum, and anhydrite) and carbonates (limestone and dolomite). Evaporite rocks underlie about 35 to 40 percent of the United States, though in many areas they are buried at great depths.
Monster Sinkholes An Indication That Major Earth Changes Are Coming Along The New Madrid Fault?
By Michael, on December 2nd, 2012
The most powerful earthquakes in the history of the United States happened along the New Madrid Fault in 1811 and 1812. Those earthquakes were reportedly felt more than 1,000 miles away. Scientists assure us that one day we will once again see very powerful earthquakes along the New Madrid fault. It is only a question of when it will happen. Today, the New Madrid fault zone covers portions of Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi. However, a major earthquake of magnitude-8.0 or greater would likely have a dramatic effect all the way from the Great Lakes all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico. When most Americans speak of the “big one”, they think of what may happen along the coast of California someday, but the truth is that a New Madrid earthquake could potentially do far more damage. So is there evidence that the New Madrid fault zone is waking up? Yes, there is. According to Bloomberg, there has been “a sixfold increase in the number of earthquakes that have shaken the central part of the U.S. from 2000 to 2011″. Much of that increase is being blamed on human activity such as mining, drilling and fracking. So could human activity aggravate the fault zone so much that it could set off a truly history-making earthquake at some point? Well, the potential is certainly there. That is why so many people are so concerned about the monster sinkholes that have appeared in the region in recent months. For example, a massive sinkhole down in Louisiana is now over 8 acres in size and it has forced hundreds of people to flee from their homes. You can see video of the Louisiana sinkhole right here. Over in Ohio, a giant sinkhole has suddenly formed that is more than 30 feet deep and that is the size of four football fields. That sinkhole caused part of State Route 516 to collapse and authorities say that it will likely be closed for many months. You can see video of the gigantic sinkhole in Ohio right here. Are these monster sinkholes an indication that major earth changes are coming along the New Madrid fault? Has reckless human activity awoken a sleeping giant that we should never have messed with?
The sinkhole down in Louisiana is of particular concern because it has been venting natural gas. A few days ago it reportedly “burped” which sounds kind of ominous. Could we see some kind of an “explosion” at some point?
Many of those living in the area may not be able to return to their homes for quite a long time. The following is from a recent Huffington Post article…
At the eight-acre, Bayou Corne sinkhole in Assumption Parish, owners of slab houses are waiting for methane-gas monitors to be installed in December. The sinkhole deepened in November and coughed up debris and hydrcarbons late in the month. Cypress trees fell into the gap. Residents are watching natural gas being flared from the site and are ventilating homes while bayous around them bubble.
But if human activity is capable of producing sinkholes that are 8 acres in size and capable of causing a “sixfold increase” in the number of earthquakes in the middle part of the country, is human activity also capable of setting off the New Madrid fault?
Sadly, even most Americans that are living in that part of the country don’t really understand how incredibly massive and how potentially destructive this fault zone actually is. The following is from a recent report from WREG in Memphis, Tennessee…
Many people don’t realize that north Alabama lies in the impact zone of the New Madrid fault line, a sleeping giant that is approximately twenty times larger than California’s famed San Andreas fault.
The biggest earthquake in U.S. history happened in the New Madrid seismic zone in 1812, and in just the last few weeks, activity along the fault line is starting to heat up.
If the earthquakes that happened along the New Madrid fault zone in 1811 and 1812 happened today, the devastation would be unimaginable. Back then, there were not that many people living in the area. But even so, the destruction was incredible…
Accounts of the 1812 quake vary since there were no measuring instruments at the time, but most geologists say evidence shows it was at least a magnitude 8 earthquake, and possibly a 9 or higher.
The shaking was so intense that church bells started ringing as far away as Boston and New York.
Chimneys toppled from the Deep South to Canada, and President James Madison was awoken by the violent shaking as he slept in the White House.
Eyewitnesses said it even caused the Mississippi River to flow backwards for a time.
Unfortunately, there are now indications that the fault zone is becoming more active as a recent Examiner article explained…
Tuesday evening, two shallow earthquakes, although small, were felt in Mt. Carmel, Ill. as well as five miles outside Edmond, Okla. Illinois had the largest at 3.6 magnitude, leaving Oklahoma with a smaller 2.9 magnitude quake as reported by the USGS.
The fact that both of these quakes were shallow and follow on the heels of Kentucky’s 4.3 just 10 days ago makes the questions begin to fly. Is the New Madrid waking up? Is it gearing up for ‘the big one’? When Ky. Experienced a 4.3two weeks ago, it was felt across 10-12 states. Although it didn’t knock runners off their feet, it did alarm many. Knoxville was among the cities that felt the quake. The shaking was not minor in many areas, and it scared people as walls shook and many began to pray.
This is something that I have written about previously, and we all need to keep our eyes open for more reports about earthquakes in the middle part of the country. When the “big one” does finally hit the New Madrid fault zone, it will be one of the biggest news stories ever.
We are talking about a catastrophe that would be so immense that it would be hard to imagine. According to ABC News, a study by the Mid-America Earthquake Center found that in the event of a major earthquake along the New Madrid fault, “nearly 750,000 buildings would be damaged, 3,000 bridges would potentially collapse, 400,000 breaks and leaks to local pipelines and $300 billion in direct damage and $600 billion in indirect losses would occur.”
You can ready much more about the New Madrid fault right here.
All of this is even more frightening when you consider that there are 15 nuclear reactors along the New Madrid fault zone.
In the event that the “big one” strikes, we could be looking at Fukushima times 15.
We have been blessed to have avoided a major earthquake like that for so long in the middle part of the country, but there is no guarantee that the New Madrid fault zone will always be stable – especially considering how much it is being aggravated by man-made activity.
There are even some that believe that eventually we will see an earthquake of magnitude-9.0 or higher along the New Madrid fault. Such an earthquake could literally change the face of the entire continent. We are talking about an event that could potentially change the course of the Mississippi River and create bodies of water where none existed previously.
We seem to be moving into a time of increased seismic activity on the earth, and many scientists are convinced that the New Madrid Fault zone is definitely overdue for a major earthquake.
Massive sinkhole swallows Florida home
By Andrew Mach, Staff Writer, NBC News
A home in Hudson, Fla., along Florida's west coast, was ripped apart Wednesday after a massive sinkhole opened beneath it.
No one was inside the house, belonging to 79-year-old Susan Minutillo, when it quietly crumbled to the ground, neighbors said.
“You just look over there and the whole back end of the house just flipped right down into the hole,” neighbor Mike Richards told First Coast News in Jacksonville, Fla.
Ironically, Minutillo was having her home evaluated for the risk of sinkholes when the ground opened up. As crews were surveying her property, she stepped out to run an errand, and by the time she got home, about half of her house was already in the ground, according to Pasco County Fire Rescue crews.
...As many as 150 sinkholes are reported in Florida each year.
Release of 100 pounds of hydrogen sulfide caused mystery odor in New Orleans? Report: Actual amount is “far more”
By Michael, on December 2nd, 2012
