Public Advisory Group (PAG) Meeting Minutes
April 24, 2014
The meeting started at 5:05 p.m. at the Sayler Park Community Center.
Facilitator:
Deb Leonard, Environmental Quality Management, Inc. (EQ)
PAG Members Present (in alphabetical order): 18
Paul Beck, Miami Township
Rhonda Carter, Addyston resident
Tanya Carter, Sayler Park resident
Eric Cassisa, Site Manager, INEOS ABS
Jeff Demaree, Miami Township
Mike Fair, Southwest Ohio Air Quality Agency, Division of Hamilton County Department of
Environmental Services
Brad Fattlar, Environmental Engineer, INEOS ABS
Julie Fatora, Cincinnati Recreation Commission
Rick Fulwiler, Miami Township resident
Don Larrick, Three Rivers School District
Denny Meyer, Sayler Park resident
Tim Moller, Miami Township
Fred Myers, Miami Township resident
Marti Myers, Miami Township resident
Steve Ober, Miami Township Fire Department
Dan Pillow, Mayor of Addyston
Ken Schmidt, INEOS
Mark Townsend, INEOS ABS
Handouts:
The following handouts were distributed to PAG members:
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Agenda
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Environmental and Safety Performance handout
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Meeting minutes from February 27, 2014 PAG meeting
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Meeting:
Facilitator Deb Leonard welcomed the group and asked everyone to introduce themselves.
1)
Plant Safety & Environmental Performance Update — Brad Fattlar, Environmental
Engineer
Safety Performance
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OSHA Recordable Injuries
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The plant has not experienced any OSHA recordable injuries since July 2013.
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The plant’s Total Recordable Injury Rate (TRIR) is currently 0.6 (end of April
2014), which puts the plant in the top 10% of petrochemical sites in the world.
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Eric Cassisa, Site Manager, stated that he is very proud of the plant’s safety
performance. When he first arrived, the TRIR was at 2 and the Addyston plant
was among the worst performing of the INEOS sites.
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If there are no injuries by the end of July 2014, the plant’s TRIR will be at 0.
First Aid Incidents
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The plant has experienced 4 first aid injuries since the last PAG meeting on
February 27, 2014:
o
3/2/14: Technician was struck by a rubber bale, which caused a hyperextension of the knee
o
3/4/14: Abrasion on electrician’s finger
o
4/22/14: Laceration on compounding technician’s finger
o
4/24/14: Laceration on tank farm technician’s thumb
Environmental Performance

Malfunctions of Air Pollution Control Devices
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To date in 2014, there have been 13 malfunctions, totaling 331 pounds of
chemicals released to the atmosphere.
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Since the last PAG meeting in February, 3 equipment malfunctions have
occurred. Warmer weather has helped in reducing the number of malfunctions.
o
3/3/14 – Power blip caused a trip on the main duct (piping) to the boiler
(air pollution control device), releasing about 3.32 pounds of volatile
organic chemicals (VOCs) to the atmosphere.
o
3/5/14 – A high Lower Explosive Limit (LEL) detection caused
emissions from the Scripset process to divert from the duct (piping) to
the thermal oxidizer (air pollution control device). About 1 pound of
chemicals was released into the atmosphere.
An LEL is the lowest concentration of a gas capable of producing a
fire/explosion if an ignition source was present. LEL sensors are located
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within the ducts leading to the thermal oxidizer and boiler. If the sensors
detect high concentrations of chemicals (that exceed the LEL), a valve
opens to divert the chemicals to the atmosphere instead. This protects the
boiler and thermal oxidizer from fire/explosion.
In this case, the LEL sensor was not accurately reading chemical
concentrations, mainly due to the mixture of gas and water in the duct
system. The plant is currently conducting a study on how to improve the
reliability of this system.
o

Spills to the Ohio River
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3/17/14 – Emissions from the Scripset process diverted from the duct to
the thermal oxidizer due to a technician error. Less than 1 pound of
chemicals was released to the atmosphere.
The plant has been experiencing issues with chemical releases to the Ohio River,
mainly related to its sewer system. Since the last PAG meeting, there has been
two incidents:
o
3/14/14 – A dirty sewer (that discharges to the plant’s on-site wastewater
treatment plant) leaked through a hole into a clean water sewer that
discharges to the Ohio River. The hole was plugged, and the incident was
reported to the Ohio EPA.
o
4/7/14 – An oil sheen was found on the Ohio River. The spill occurred
when a few milliliters of residual fuel oil in a clean water sewer were
flushed through to the river following plant washing activities. The oil
was unable to be skimmed from the sewer’s catch basin because the
basin was under water due to high river levels. The fuel oil was
inadvertently spilled last December and thought to have been captured by
the catch basin. All oil sheens must be reported to the Ohio EPA.
The plant has received a Notice of Violation due to recurring spills into the river.
A Compliance Attainment Meeting was scheduled with the Ohio EPA to discuss
these issues. INEOS is implementing new policies, such as sandbagging sewers,
and is going to trace the sewers around the plant.
Community Feedback
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To date in 2014, there have been 7 community complaints: 5 for chemical odors
and 2 for wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) odors.
-
Since the last PAG meeting in February, there were 6 complaints, 5 of which
were linked to the plant:
o
March 3 – Two calls came from a complainant in Sayler Park. One
complaint was linked to the plant cleaning a tank. The other complaint
was linked to the WWTP.
o
March 7 – A Miami Township resident called to report a burnt plastic
smell. It was linked to the startup of a plant process.
o
March 8 – A call came in about a sweet chemical smell. It was linked to
the cleaning of a tank.
o
March 18 – A call came in from Shady Lane. It was linked to the
cleaning of the same tank.
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o
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Plant Alarms
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March 26 – A call came in about a skunk-like, garbage smell. The smell
was determined to come from a skunk.
The plant has experienced the following alarms since the last PAG meeting in
February:
o
March 3, 2014: Small motor fire at rubber conveyer pull box. The Fire
Brigade did not respond; the fire was put out with nearby extinguishers.
o
March 28, 2014: False alarm due to issues at the pull box.
o
March 24, 2014: Plant wide drill. Fire Brigade responded.
The alarm is tested once a month at 11 a.m. (first Wednesday of each month).
Kibby Lane Monitoring Station
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The Southwest Air Quality Agency, a division of the Hamilton County
Department of Environmental Services, operates the Kibby Lane monitoring
station in Sayler Park.
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The station takes 24-hour composite air samples every six days using SUMMA
canister technology. The samples are analyzed for about 60 different chemicals,
including butadiene, acrylonitrile and styrene, the three main chemicals used at
the plant. The results are publicized online at www.southwestohioair.org.
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The Kibby Lane monitor takes “long-term samples” for chronic risk analysis
(lifetime exposure to chemicals). It does not take real-time samples or measure
acute risks.
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The plant is reporting the average year to date (2014) concentrations (in parts per
billion) of acrylonitrile, butadiene, and styrene as compared to the three previous
years. All concentrations are well below 1 ppb.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
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Since 2010, INEOS has been reporting greenhouse gas emissions to the U.S.
EPA. Greenhouse gas emissions are determined by looking at production data on
how much fuel the plant has burned for the year. Using this information, the EPA
estimates the site’s emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide.
From 2012 to 2013, there was an approximately 63% reduction in greenhouse
gas emissions from the plant. This drop is due to the shutdown of the coal boiler
and startup of the new natural gas-fired boiler during the second half of 2013.
The plant expects a bigger reduction in 2014.
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
Consent Decree
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2)
Citizen Complaints — Mike Fair, Southwest Ohio Air Quality Agency
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3)
4)
The agency received one odor complaint to report odors on April 20, 21, and 22.
Plant Business News — Eric Cassisa, Site Manager, INEOS ABS
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The plant is behind its financial targets for the year. A large investment program is
taking place to improve plant operations.
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The plant has been hiring new employees: 1 maintenance employee, 2 technicians, 1
maintenance manager, and 1 engineer have been hired. INEOS is looking to hire 2 more
technicians and 1 more engineer by summer.
Other Business
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5)
INEOS will meet with the U.S. EPA in early May to begin discussing closure of
the Consent Decree and incorporation of environmental requirements into the
site’s Title V air permit, including the leak detection and repair (LDAR) program
and operation of the plant’s flare.
All the past newsletters and meeting minutes are on the website.
Community News
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Miami Township
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Within the next six weeks, bids will be out for the new park behind the new
school. Miami Township will share layout for the park at our June 2014 PAG
meeting.
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The old gas station on the corner of Shady Lane and Bridgetown was purchased.
The property will be demolished, and grass will be planted. The township hopes
to put additional turn lanes in that area in the future.
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The county sheriff on Shady Lane is sponsoring a prescription drug take back
program on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Addyston
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The community is preparing for its annual “We Thrive” celebration. This year’s
celebration will be a health fair on June 14 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
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Rhonda Carter is a new Addyston council member.
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The community’s Great American Cleanup is May 17th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Three Rivers
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The new stadium is underway, and it will be in use starting September. A nearby
park will have baseball fields, softball fields, and tennis courts.
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Sayler Park
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6)
Some foreclosures have been demolished, and property owners are renovating
other abandoned houses.
Planning for Next Meeting
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The next PAG meeting is scheduled for 5-7 p.m., Wednesday, June 26, 2014 at the
Miami Township Community Center.
The meeting adjourned at 7:00 p.m.
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