ORANGE, Texas — A chemical manufacturing plant in Orange has been fined by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for release of hexane.
Lion Elastomers Orange, located at 5713 Farm-to-Market Road 1006, was fined $18, 625 for failing to prevent unauthorized emissions, according to the TCEQ.
The TCEQ says the plant released 33,046 pounds of volatile organic compounds as fugitive emissions during an emissions event on August 24, 2021 that lasted one hour and 15 minutes.
The emissions event occurred when a valve leading to tank DF-138 was left opened allowing a portion of hexane stream to flow into the tank, which caused it to overflow and spill into the containment area, according to the TCEQ.
Since the emissions event was not caused by a sudden unavoidable breakdown of equipment or process beyond the control of the owner or operator, the TCEQ says this could've been avoided by better design and/or better operational and maintenance practices.
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This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.