Texas Eastman

Year Submitted: 2003

Process: Leak Detection & Repair

Industry: Chemical Manufacturing

Wastes Reduced: VOC Emissions

Location: Longview, Harrison County TX

No. of employees: 2700

Contact: Glenn Phillips

Phone: (903) 237-5358

Description:

Over the past five years Texas Eastman has expanded their leak detection and repair program. A team is in place to monitor and eliminate leaks of all VOCs from the olefin plant's 20,000 valves and perhaps 80,000 flanges. Over the past five years benzene leaks found and eliminated has dropped from 119 per year to less than 36. A similar program at the polypropylene plant repaired 150 sources.

P2 Application:

Extremely sensitive analyzers are used which can detect leaks invisible to the naked eye.

Environmental Benefits:

Based on recently developed measurement techniques, it is estimated that material losses have been cut by more that 2,500,000 pounds a year at the olefin facility and 260,000 pounds from the polypropylene plant.

Details of Reductions

Additional Information :

The cost savings from the reduction in material losses amount to about $350,000 per year at the olefin plant and $50,000 at the polypropylene plant. This more than pays for the monitoring programs.

Source: TCEQ