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Natech Accident
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Type
Natech Accident
Date
2017/09/09
Natural Hazard
Livorno flood (nubifragio), Italy, 2017
Site
Livorno refinery ENI, Italy
Status
Published

Units Involved

  1. Name
    Storm water collector tank
    Type
    Other: Waste disposal
    Description
    Rainwater is collected, decontaminated and treated before being emitted to the nearby watercourse.

Event Sequences

  1. Name
    Emission of oil wastes into creek
    Unit
    1. Storm water collector tank
    Substances Involved
    1. Name
      Waste hydrocarbons
    Initiating EventCritical EventMajor Event
    Natural Hazard: Floating oil in drainage systems due to inundation
    Water polluted by hydrocarbons overflowed from stormwater catchment network.
    Building (Non-structural): Wall damage
    Plant wall failed in the flood.
    Release: Liquid release to water body
    Water contaminated by hydrocarbons flowed with the floodwater into a creek.
    Contributing Factors
    Measure: Containment system (e.g. walls, dikes, enclosed room): Unavailable
    According to some media the containment wall built around the site breached, allowing water polluted with hydrocarbons to exit the site. This wall constitutes the perimeter of the facility and it was not meant to contain spilled hydrocarbons.
    Dispersion: Substance in / on water
    Hydrocarbon wastes entered a creek and reached the sea.

Weather Conditions

Precipitation
Rain

Emergency Response

Response Planning
Emergency response plan is sufficient in taking Natech events into consideration: No
Difficulties in Response to the Natural Hazard
Insufficient personnel and equipment to respond to both emergencies: No
Natech event prevents access of personnel to natural hazard affected area: Yes
Natech event prevents efficient operation of personnel in the natural hazard affected area: No
Response to the Natural Hazard
The weather condition and flood limited access to the site. The presence of floating hydrocarbons was noticed only several hours after their release.
Difficulties in Response to the Natech Event
Insufficient personnel and equipment to respond to both emergencies: No
Damage to lifelines (e.g. water, power, communication, transportation): No
Response Teams and Equipment Involved
  • On-site systems (e.g. sprinkler, water cannon)
  • On-site hazmat team
  • Local hazmat team
Sheltering and Evacuation due to the Natech event
On-site evacuation
Response to the Natech Event
Since the site was flooded, the spill went unnoticed for a while. The oil spill response was delayed.

Consequences

Human Health Impacts
No injuries.
Environmental Zones Impacted
Shore (e.g. beach, dune, marsh land)
Environmental Impacts
A small quantity of hydrocarbon wastes reached a creek and the sea.

Remedial Activities

Decontamination Activities
A team from the establishment was sent to collect the pollutants that contaminated the site and the nearby creek. The hazmat teams prevented the spreading of the hydrocarbons using containment booms and they collected the waste oil spilled on-site and off-site. The oil recovery operation was performed under the supervision of the authorities for environmental control and of the local fire department.

Lessons Learned

Lessons Learned on Equipment
The incident highlighted the vulnerability of stormwater collection and wastewater treatment units.
Lessons Learned on Organisational Aspects
Spill detection was delayed because of the intense rain and flooding. A better spill detection system is required for a prompt response.
Lessons Learned on Mitigation Measures
The overflowing of a small local creek (Ugione) was the cause of the site flooding. The need to maintain the river banks and to reduce the flood risk for the community was acknowledged by the local authorities. Creek Ugione was in the list of watercourses that required maintenance but the works were not yet carried out when the accident occurred.
Lessons Learned on Emergency Response Aspects
Weather monitoring failed to deliver a proper warning on the possibility of a flood event. As a result, both the community and the refinery were caught unprepared by the sudden flood. Early-warning systems networks should be improved.
ID: 70, Created: Amos NECCI, 2018-06-15 13:06:32 – Last Updated: Elisabeth KRAUSMANN, 2023-01-31 17:00:53

Attachments

NoDescriptionFile Size
1.Alluvione Salute, inquinamento e rischio di incidenti: i fattori ignorati dalle istituzioni 2.13MB
2.Environmental pollution 404.09KB
3.Flooded refinery 193.87KB
4.Pollution 144.45KB
Last update: 2024/04/17 | Top