Explosions & fire at Sunoco refinery on Delaware River

Explosions & fire at Sunoco refinery on Delaware River

An explosion Sunday at the Sunoco refinery along the Delaware River could be felt for miles and resulted in flames shooting high into the late-night sky, officials and witnesses said.

The blast happened about 10:15 p.m. in the ethylene unit of the refinery that straddles the Delaware/Pennsylvania border, said Thomas Golembeski, a Sunoco spokesman. No one was injured and all refinery workers were accounted for by midnight, he said.

Golembeski said he did not know what caused the blast. It was safe for residents of surrounding neighborhoods to stay in their homes, according to Golembeski and Delaware State Police Cpl. Jeff Whitmarsh.

The fire was in storage tanks in the Claymont part of the plant and was largely under control, though still burning at 12:12 a.m. today, Golembeski said.

About 10:30 p.m. Sunday, a large cloud of black smoke could be seen heading north from Harvey Road. The cloud had dissipated by about 12:15 a.m. today. Both Golembeski and Whitmarsh said ethylene oxide is not dangerous to humans.

It is produced in large volumes and is used primarily as an intermediate in the production of several industrial chemicals, according to OSHA. It also is used as a fumigant in certain agricultural products and as a sterilant for medical equipment and supplies. Ethylene oxide is flammable and highly reactive. The Marcus Hook refinery is the second largest in the Northeast, capable of processing 178,000 barrels a day.

In March 2006, an explosion rocked the refinery and led to a large fire that took more than an hour to bring completely under control.
The facility employs around 700 people and opened in 1902. The 82-acre refinery is Sunoco’s biggest refinery and the seventh largest in the United States.

Ethylene oxide

Ethylene oxide (EtO) is produced in large volumes and is primarily used as an intermediate in the production of several industrial chemicals, the most notable of which is ethylene glycol. It is also used as a fumigant in certain agricultural products and as a sterilant for medical equipment and supplies.

Unfortunately, EtO possesses several physical and health hazards that merit special attention. EtO is both flammable and highly reactive. Acute exposures to EtO gas may result in respiratory irritation and lung injury, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, shortness of breath, and cyanosis. Chronic exposure has been associated with the occurrence of cancer, reproductive effects, mutagenic changes, neurotoxicity, and sensitization.

Ethylene oxide is a flammable gas with a somewhat sweet odor. It dissolves easily in water.

Ethylene oxide is a man-made chemical that is used primarily to make ethylene glycol (a chemical used to make antifreeze and polyester). A small amount (less than 1%) is used to control insects in some stored agricultural products and a very small amount is used in hospitals to sterilize medical equipment and supplies.