News Releases - 2000

Premcor Blue Island Refinery Release of June 16, 2000: Assessment of Environmental and Public Health Impacts

Springfield, Ill. --

What material was relased?
On Friday, June 16, 2000, the fluid catalytic cracking unit at the Premcor Refinery in Blue Island, Illinois, experienced a reported release of 22.7 tons of catalyst from the flue gas stack.

Catalytic cracking is a fundamental and widely used refinery process for converting heavy oils into more valuable gasoline and lighter products; more than one million tons of oil are processed by this method each day in the United States. The fluid catalytic cracking process employs a catalyst in the form of very fine particles.

A catalyst is a material used to change the rate of a chemical reaction. Over a period of time, the catalyst accumulates metals and other contaminants found in the oil feed stocks and must be replaced.

Based upon the prevailing winds on June 16, personal observations, and air modeling data, the release is believed to have primarily impacted a six to eight block area to the northeast of the refinery.

How can this material affect human health?
Short-term exposure to catalyst material that has been released into the air may be irritating to the eyes, skin, and respiratory tract. An exposed individual may also experience symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose, sore throat, and coughing. For most people, these symptoms should subside after exposure ceases. Long-term health concerns are not expected from this particular release of catalyst material, however, IEPA and IDPH will evaluate long-term consequences of exposure once all analytical data have been reviewed.

What environmental samples have been collected for analysis?
Two main objectives guided IEPA's collection of samples. The first objective was to collect samples that would allow for the best characterization of the material that had been released. In order to meet this objective, two samples of the catalyst material were collected on the night of the release. In addition, samples of the catalyst material were obtained by IEPA from the bottom of the drained pool at Memorial Park and directly from the refinery itself.

The second objective was to collect samples that would allow IEPA and IDPH toxicologists to assess potential human exposure to the catalyst material that was deposited in the area. IEPA obtained samples at Memorial Park (ball diamond and sand box), York Street Playground (ball diamond), and Hart Park (ball diamond) in order to evaluate exposure.

These samples were evaluated for metals and a number of organic chemicals, many of which are associated with the catalytic material or the catalytic cracking process.

What are the initial results?
Soil/Sandbox Sand Samples: The samples taken at the ball diamond and sand box at Memorial Park and the York Street Playground had no contaminants at levels that would cause health concerns. While we do not expect different results for the samples taken at Hart Park, these results are not yet available.

Catalyst Samples: Preliminary data are available on the catalyst samples obtained on June 16. These data, along with the results of the catalyst obtained from the refinery, will be further evaluated by IEPA and IDPH.

A review of the full analytical package should be complete within seven to 10 days.

What is the impact on area pools?
The pool located at Memorial Park and several private pools in the area were impacted by the June 16 release. IDPH recommended that all pools located in the affected area be drained and cleaned. This task has already been accomplished at Memorial Park.

Related Information

• News Release - Illinois EPA Urges Enforcement Action Against Premcor Blue Island Refinery For Catalyst Releases