Environment & Safety
Linde wins top award for chemical railcar safety
The North American business of gases and engineering firm Linde has been awarded the top chemical safety award for 2010 from Norfolk Southern. This is the fourth year in a row and the 10th time that Linde in North America has been recognized by Norfolk Southern since the award was instituted 15 years ago.
Shell shuts down large Singapore refinery after fire
Shell is in the process of shutting down its 500,000 bpd refinery in Pulau Bukom, Singapore, following the recent fire at the facility, company officials said on Thursday. The fire, which began on Wednesday and may have been started during maintenance work, has been extinguished. However, there are still traces of fuel vapor, according to Shell officials.
API seeks delay of US EPA refinery emissions rules
The American Petroleum Institute (API) is asking the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for additional time to make comments on EPA's proposed rules for emissions from the production of oil and natural gas. API also asked for the EPA to delay its proposed rule for refinery emissions to allow adequate time for EPA to review emissions data submitted by industrial facilities this month, it said.
Albemarle forms new pollution control division
US-based specialty chemicals firm Albemarle has formed an environmental division, seeking to enhance what it called an “important market segment” within the air pollution control industry. Albemarle’s environmental division is focused on expanding the product and service offerings for the company’s environmental business through the development of multi-pollutant control technologies, it said.
European process safety guru says 'macho culture' creates more accidents
Trevor Kletz, one of the world’s most revered experts on process safety, has cited industry’s ‘macho culture’ as one of the main causes of recent accidents. Kletz, who spent almost forty years at ICI before forging a second career as an author on process safety and loss prevention, says that while there has been no deliberate decision to spend less on safety, many senior managers have taken their eye off the ball and that a macho approach to ‘get stuck in’ has been the underlying cause of recent incidents.
NPRA lauds US House bill to delay EPA regulations
National Petrochemical & Refiners Association (NPRA) president Charles T. Drevna welcomed recent action by the US House of Representatives approving the Transparency in Regulatory Analysis of Impacts on the Nation (TRAIN) Act of 2011, and he called on the Senate to pass the measure as well.
FMC, partners form US air pollution control venture
FMC Corp., Church & Dwight Co. and TATA Chemicals (soda ash) have agreed to form a partnership to manufacture and market sodium-based, dry sorbents for air pollution control in electric utility and industrial boiler operations.
EU Parliament seeks stricter greenhouse gas rules
The European Parliament is calling for fast action to reduce non-CO2 climate forcers including black carbon soot, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), methane, and ground-level ozone, which together are responsible for nearly half of climate forcing, the group said.
Johnson Controls to build China auto battery plant
Johnson Controls is investing $100 million to build a Start-Stop vehicle battery plant in China, citing increasing global demand for high-quality automotive batteries with environmentally-friendly Start-Stop technology.
GE sees rising gas turbine sales in North America
GE has received more than $1 billion in orders for heavy duty and aeroderivative gas turbines for projects throughout North America in 2011, underscoring a growing trend to use abundant, cleaner-burning natural gas for power generation. That figure is up more than 10% from 2010, the company said.
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