" A noise level was recorded that was audible even outside the plant." The statement Saras issued in response to requests from the Municipality of Sarroch , after last night's refinery flares once again lit up the sky, causing gas emissions into the atmosphere, did not mention smoke or flames.
These phenomena often occur at night, when—at least by eye—it's impossible to estimate the impact of a potential black cloud arising from burning hydrocarbons. This was evident from the responses the regulatory agencies gave to the town's health committee, alarmed by the flames that rose high earlier this month. The regional government, through its Department of the Environment, explained that the amount of gas released into the atmosphere was estimated to be between 2.7 and 21 tons per hour. And the flames had been visible for seven hours.
Much the same thing happened last night. And the Municipality has decided to take action: "This morning," a statement reads, "we requested adequate explanations from Sarlux management regarding what happened, further emphasizing that it is unacceptable for incidents of this kind to occur without adequate warning or, in the event of unforeseeable circumstances, immediate subsequent communication to the local population that hosts the facility."
The City Council believes that " the company is required to provide clear information on the causes of the event, the countermeasures taken, the safety status of the facilities, and any other potential dangers to citizens. We await answers to our questions for our assessment."
Sarlux issued a concise statement on its company website: "Following a technical fault with the coboiler equipment, which resulted in the temporary shutdown of the FCC plant, we hereby announce that the restart operations for the two units were completed this morning. During the overnight restart phase, a noise level was recorded that was audible even outside the plant." The statement concluded, "The plant is now fully operational and operations are continuing as normal."
Enrico Fresu