January 28, 2019: Annual State of the Plants.

Deer Park industrial facilities reviewed their 2018 achievements and their 2019 goals and plans at the January meeting of the Deer Park Community Advisory Council (DPCAC). Many highlighted their safety or environmental performance, and several spoke of growth and expansion.

Evonik and Hexion reported they had no spills in 2018 of a quantity requiring a report to the National Response Center.

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulates workplace safety. A recordable rate of 1.00 is the equivalent of one injury among 100 workers in a 12-month period. The best recordable rate is 0.00, meaning no injuries requiring a doctor’s intervention. Evonik, Oxy Vinyls Deer Park VCM, and Valvoline had no OSHA recordable injuries in 2018. Dow Deer Park (0.10), Vopak (0.18), Clean Harbors (0.59), and Lubrizol (0.62) all had fewer than one injury per 100 workers last year.

In terms of growth, Clean Harbors added a shredder for recalled air bags. GEO Specialty Chemicals will re-start a unit idled a decade ago. Lubrizol expanded two existing units and will start up a new unit in 2019. Shell started up a flare gas recovery system that will reduce emissions from flaring. Texas Molecular added a third deepwell. Oxy Vinyls Battleground is installing a new process control system, Valvoline is adding to its tank farm, and Vopak is putting 10 new storage tanks into service.