"Shell earlier shut down units in the vicinity of the fire and is flaring off hydrocarbons, saying, "The flare is a safety procedure and is no cause for alarm. There are no toxic vapors released."
"While there is no cause for alarm currently, those with respiratory problems should avoid the western part of Singapore near Bukom," said the agency.
COMMENT:
When flaring occurs, toxic hydrocarbons and other toxic chemicals are burned off the well-head and are emitted into the atmosphere. Recently you read about the flaring taking place in North Dakota...some 30% of the methane is flared, or burned off into the atmosphere there. The rate of asthma is skyrocketing in San Juan County as well, with the 60 years of oil and gas development toppling that New Mexico county.
Royal Dutch Shell is the same parent corporation that holds leases in Mora County, New Mexico. When industry states that no toxic vapors are being released into the atmosphere in Singapore, you can count on the same set of lies that would be given to the people in Mora County.....
Royal Dutch Shell prides themselves in their safety record, yet incidents like the story below continue to occur around the world and at home.
SINGAPORE, September 29, 2011 (ENS) - A fire at Shell's Pulau Bukom refinery on an island near the Singapore mainland was extinguished late Thursday night, local time, after blazing intermittently for 36 hours. The massive fire sent plumes of black smoke high into the atmosphere.
Shell officials said earlier on Thursday that they are closing all refining units at the facility, Shell's largest petrochemical production and export centre in the Asia Pacific region. The procedure could take up to two days.
"We are focused on safety, and are going through the progressive shutdown of the refinery," Vice President for Manufacturing Operations Martijn van Koten told reporters.
Fire at Shell's Pulau Bukom refinery, September 29, 2011 (Photo credit unknown)
"The affected area has lengths of pipelines and connected pumps, and holds a mix of hydrocarbons. This was the reason for the erratic fire, sometimes waning and sometimes growing," Shell said in a statement Thursday...continued....
