Valero Energy’s Corpus Christi (TX) refinery sued after water contamination

Chron.com ^ | Dec. 15, 2016 | Jennifer Hiller

[bgill]

“At this time, we believe this is a localized backflow issue from third party operations in the area of Valero’s asphalt terminal … We believe this issue is isolated to a lateral industrial line. Valero is offering its resources to assist the city in isolating the issue and to help confirm this has not impacted the city’s water supply.” The Corpus Christi legislative delegation released a statement saying two chemicals may have been released into the public water system, according to the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. The city previously identified Indulin AA-86, an emulsifying agent for asphalt, as the main hazard. It’s an amber liquid considered hazardous by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and can cause eye and skin burns and severe respiratory tract irritation, according to the chemical Material Safety Data Sheet.

[bgill]

"A news release from the city stated the chemical is Indulin AA-86, an asphalt emulsifier. Three to 24 gallons of the chemical possibly entered the city's water after an incident in the Corpus Christi industrial district... A lot of schools and businesses are closed today," Kastelic told CNN Thursday morning.

"Many grocery stores sold out of water last night and early this morning but emergency shipments of water just arrived at some local H-E-B locations," he added, referring to a Texas chain of grocery stores. "People (are) waiting in aisles with their grocery carts ready for them to put out the new water shipments."

http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/15/health/corpus-christi-water/index.html

[ColdOne]

Who owns Valero?

[bgill]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valero_Energy

It’s wiki page shows it’s a spin off of this and that and the other and a few more oil companies with more spin offs of itself. Way too complicated - intentionally or not. Also, has many government contracts.

[ColdOne]

thanks. Thought for a minute it was owned by Venezuela.

[Darksheare]

I think Venezuela owns citgo if memory is correct.
Might not be.

[Dr. Sivana]

That’s Citgo.

[ColdOne]

Thank you..citgo!

[bgill]

Valero is American.

Citgo was Venezuelan.

[texas booster]

Corpus Christi turned off tap water earlier this year, due to a city water dept problem.

I suspect that they are overreacting to avoid any taint with the earlier events.

[SanchoP]

LMAO!!! The landsharks jumped all over this one. Valero has zero to do with the water contamination other than their employees spotted it. Three "boil warnings" this year puts Corpus Christi up with Flint for bad water and crooked politicians.
The real story is how "scalpers" rushed out to buy up all the bottled water (truck loads) for resale. Now they're stuck with hundreds of gallons of water so you can figure out where the butthurt and the lawyers come from.

[aomagrat]

A news release from the city stated the chemical is Indulin AA-86

As long as it wasn't Illudium Q-36 they should be OK.

[bgill]

They were on it within hours, huh.

[SanchoP]

Yep,thanks to Valero’s help. It was confined to that one lateral.
Ergon is the culprit but Valero has deeper pockets. The local “abogados” figure on an out of court settlement and some free money.

[SanchoP]

I stand corrected. The local mafia has seen this story go nation wide. There is no contamination found in the water but the city insists the ban is still on.
It looks like I'll have to get a pitchfork and torch to join my fellow citizens at city hall. Imagine a tourist town with no restaurants open and the local mafia dragging their feet looking for a kickback from Valero. YES! They are that corrupt.

[Pearls Before Swine]

Who owns Valero?

Valero.

It's the largest independent refining company in the US, listed on the NYSE under its own name, symbol VLO.

[PAR35]

Looks like a lot of the ownership is in mutual funds and institutional investors.

[TStro]

Went to eat at the CC Twin Peaks yesterday. Closed. Drove around, all of the restaurants were closed. Wound up in Portland across the bay. I feel sorry for all the restaurant employees.