William Olefins face compliance orders following plant explosion

New compliance orders have been issued to petrochemical company William Olefins by the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. The two orders are concerning possible air quality violations and water releases that occurred during an explosion at the company's Ascension Parish Facility in Geismar.

The Advocate has reported that the air quality compliance order cites around 39 violations committed by the company from 2007 up until the day following the explosion on June 13th this year.

A fire followed by a large explosion - which injured 114 people and killed two - was signalled by a vapour cloud that rose to around 200 foot into the air. Seconds later a vast fireball exploded from the facility, according to a testimony from the US Chemical Safety Board.

The cause of the explosion is as yet unknown and is being investigated by several state and federal bodies. Currently focus is on the propylene fractionator at the plant as a possible source of the incident. The machinery - that is used to refine propylene through heat - suffered severe damage, which could have been what started the chain of events that led to the fire.

William Olefins has also received another two compliance orders. One of these limits water discharges from a pond that is often pumped into the Mississippi River. Testing had shown that polluted water was entering the pond, which was then subsequently transferred to the river.

The final compliance order received by Williams Olefins concerns air quality violations dating back to 2007. This order also details three violations to the company's air permit as a result of the explosion and fire at the Ascension Parish plant. The issues raised by the order from before the fire will be addressed by the company as well as those related to the incident, according to Cheryl Nolan, DEQ office of environmental Compliance assistant secretary.

Ms Nolan said: as the investigation unfolds and we find more information, we may, in all likelihood, have to amend the order to address the new information."