CSE: Haste to restart plant could have led to tragedy

NEW DELHI: The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a think-tank on environmental issues in its fact sheet on the Vizag gas leak episode said on Thursday that the incident seemed to be a case where the company management, in its haste to re-start the plant, ignored protocol of doing maintenance before resuming operations.
“This, combined with the lack of proper storage of gas – not maintained at the temperature required – and faulty fixtures could have resulted in the accident,” said the think-tank while noting that the Vizag incident could just be a tip of the iceberg.
The Vizag incident saw leakage of Styrene gas - an organic compound used in the manufacture of the polymers/plastic/resins - is classified as a “hazardous and toxic chemical” under India’s Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemical Rules, 1989.
“It is manufactured in petrochemical refineries. It is a likely carcinogenic substance. It can react with oxygen in the air to mutate into styrene dioxide which is more lethal,” said the CSE’s fact sheet.
“Styrene can stay in the air for weeks. It is highly reactive, it can combine with oxygen to form styrene dioxide which is more lethal. The presence of other pollutants can also affect the reactivity. On a sudden note operating one reactor in full load can also lead to such disasters,” said Thava Palanisami - professor, Global Centre for Environmental Remediation (GCER) & CRC for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE), University of Newcastle, Australia - as quoted by the CSE.
The CSE noted that the factory - LG Polymers India Pvt Ltd - had in 2018 submitted a Rs 168 crore proposals to the Union environment to expand its production capacity by another 250 tonnes per day (tpd) -- from the current 415 tpd. “This permission, as we understand it, has been recently granted,” said the think-tank while flagging how the factory lacked proper monitoring mechanism for running even on its existing capacity.
Noting lapse on maintenance at the Vizag factory during the lockdown period, the CSE said an immediate directive must go to all units to ensure safety while resuming operations -- in case the lockdown continues, these safety precautions must not be negated.
“The incident shows us that there are ticking bombs out there as the lockdown ends and industries start resuming activities,” it said.