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Sparrows Point furnace fire more serious than publicly reported

November 3, 2009 at 9:31 am 12

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by MARK REUTTER

     A September explosion that sent hundred-foot flames, burning debris and dirty gases out of a furnace at Severstal Sparrows Point was more serious than the company had publicly reported — but a spokesperson said the company does not expect to be fined.

     Officials from the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) met with Severstal officials on Friday to discuss the September 29 accident at the Baltimore County facility. The meeting follows a company report to MDE revealing that far more pollution was released into the atmosphere than indicated to the media.

     Severstal spokesperson Bette Kovach said in an email that the company has not been cited for pollution violations, “nor do we expect to be.” Steve Lang, chief of MDE air quality compliance, had threatened to take action against Severstal two days after the incident, according to documents obtained by The Brew. An MDE spokesman said yesterday that the case was still under investigation.

     The magnitude of flames and debris that erupted from the top of “L” blast furnace on Sept. 29 had employees fearing for their safety and nearby residents concerned about a thunderous roar that could be heard for miles around the steel plant.

 

Big L furnace. Bleeder valves are at the top, about 300 feet high. Photo by Mark Reutter.

Big L furnace. Bleeder valves are at the top, about 300 feet high. Photo by Mark Reutter.

 

     Baltimore County firefighters were called to put out brush fires started by fiery chunks of coke (a form of coal) that blew hundreds of yards out the furnace. “It was like a volcano,” one employee told The Brew. “It was a miracle nobody was injured.”

     A media statement issued by Severstal after the incident said that a single emergency bleeder valve on the L furnace had opened and was quickly shut. “Once the bleeder valve was closed, normal furnace conditions resumed.”

     However, Russell Becker, Sparrows Point environmental program manager, told MDE in his Oct. 9 report that not only the clean gas bleeder, but all three dirty gas bleeders had opened, releasing untreated gas, dust, burning coke and other materials into the atmosphere. The valves remained open for three minutes between 1:59:49 and 2:02:48 p.m.

     “A dirty gas bleeder opening is a rare event on L furnace,” Becker stated, and “when it has happened in the past, it normally lasts about 30 seconds or less.”

     Employees called the incident one of the worst at the furnace in some time. “Think of four or five jet planes revving up their engines – that’s how loud the [pressure] buildup sounded,” said an employee who witnessed the event. “Then you looked up and saw L furnace on fire. Then you saw pieces of coke, 2-3 inches in diameter, falling over the roads, the buildings, the parking lots, cars and dumpsters.”

     L furnace is an enormous, 300-foot-high pressure cooker that operates around the clock. Thousands of tons of iron ore, coke and limestone are dumped at the top of the furnace. Blasts of hot air ignite the raw materials as they slowly drop through the furnace and separate into molten iron and slag waste.

     The furnace is supposed to stop inserting raw materials whenever a bleeder valve opens. But in this case, according to Becker’s report, “a batch of coke” was inserted into the furnace after the valves had opened. The coke ignited as the pressure from the furnace shot the material out of the valves.

     According to Becker’s report, the emergency valves had opened following a small “slip,” or sudden drop of raw material inside the furnace. The slip went undetected by the furnace’s computer controls. This led to the accidental release of coke into the furnace, Becker wrote.

    In fact, according to a knowledgeable source, the furnace had just experienced a “tremendous” slip. This had caused the inside furnace pressure to suddenly spike to 25 pounds per square inch (psig) – far above the furnace’s hazard point of 15 psig.

     “If this was just a little slip, then why did all four bleeders open up?” asked the source. Furnace operators scrambled to lower the pressure without causing a potentially catastrophic “breakout” of hot metal in the furnace hearth.

     The untreated emissions released by the furnace would typically contain iron dust, zinc, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Becker said that the company could not reliably estimate the type or amount of pollutants released “from the open burning of the gas and … coke for three minutes.”

     Under state law, equipment malfunctions that temporarily release pollutants are subject to fines.

     One of several unanswered questions is why Severstal operates bleeder valves under state pollution permits that are not attached to “scrubbers” and other pollution control equipment. Attempts to clarify this and other issues with MDE have been unsuccessful.

     Spokesman Jay Apperson said yesterday that “because this investigation has not been completed, it would be inappropriate for the department to comment at this time.”

     Sparrows Point is under a 1997 court-ordered decree to reduce pollutants. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation has threatened to file a lawsuit against MDE for failing to enforce the terms of the decree.

     Severstal spokesperson Kovach said the company’s release was based on information she knew at the time. “On the afternoon of September 29, I had to respond as quickly as I could to reporters’ deadlines and to head off any customer concerns about the operational status of the furnace. Hence, we developed and released a statement based on what we knew at the time – all within an hour of the event.”

     She said the company then completed “a much more comprehensive account of the event as a result of a thorough investigation.”

  • Ann Sinnott

    What do you possibly have to gain by writing crap like this? No damage, no one hurt, plenty of innuendo over a three minute incident.

    Let’s look at your article.

    Information ostensibly obtained from unnamed sources is always viewed with a great deal of skepticism. If these sources are anything like the ones you regularly go to for information or comment about Sparrows Point I have no faith in their credibility at all. If these people really exist you had better check them out real well before you hitch your wagon to their horse. But you probably don’t care anyway as they give you good, but probably untrue copy.

    Regarding the incident to be more serious than publically reported – stretching the point a little aren’t we. Kovach gave you what she had early in the game. Had she given nothing you and your ilk would have accused her of stonewalling and hiding something nefarious. So she is damned if she does and damned if she doesn’t.

    Calling Becker a liar, in so many words makes you look like a fool. You have Becker’s side and your unnamed source information and you side with your source. Care to share the information that you used to determine that Becker is the teller of tales and not your unnamed soource?

    As to why the emergency bleeders are not hooked up to a scrubber or like equipment is something a first year engineering student or any plumber could answer. A scrubber operates on the principle of pressure differential which essentialy means there is a restriction in the system. Now why in the world would you want to hook up an emergency relief system to a piece of equipment that creates a backpressure thereby restricting the pressure relief action. You could essntially make a bomb that way. You should check with someone who knows something before you make such outlandish statements. But again, you did it to create an uproar.

    What in the name of all that is decent has the Consent Order got to do with a three minute pressure relief incident. Why bring the CBF suit into this when, if it had merit, it would have been filed by now.

    I have my own sources at the Point and I believe what they told me about this incident and the fact that you are making much ado about nothing.

    It must give you some kind of perverse pleasure to try to destroy reputations and create more unrest in a community already plagued with numerous sources of misinformation such as yourself.

    Nevertheless, after reading this you will continue to peddle your bile. Fortunately for us in will be in a little known and little read rag which is right where it should be. If your blog was in print it would line the bottom of my birdcage.

  • Editor

    Mark Reutter replies: “As pointed out in my article, one bleeder valve was attached to air pollution control equipment, but the three other bleeder valves were not. Had proper control equipment been installed on those valves, would the noxious gases and fist-sized balls of flaming coke that spewed out of “L” furnace (setting brush fires on the ground) been averted? Hopefully, the Maryland Department of the Environment’s investigation will answer this and related questions.”

  • Ann Sinnott

    Mr. Reutter. I spoke to my engineering sources who have actually designed, built, operated, and maintained complex industrial and pollution abatement equipment and they told me that the bleeders were properly designed for the function assigned them. It was a matter of safety that the remaining three were not attached to pollution abatement equipment. The designers did not watnt to produce a bonb.

    I also expected you to state that you stuck by your sources when I challenged them. It was curious that you did not unless they were fictitous or unreliable.

    Further, I consulted my sources at the Maryland Department of the Environment regarding the actions which you attributed to Steve Lang. When asked if Lang has contemplated doing what you said at that time the answer was a resounding NO!

    Now, I am a reasonable person and I am willing to allow you the opportunity to prove yourself by producing the alleged document you have that proves Lang’s actions. I thought it odd that you did not at the time link to it since you linked to other doucments to prove your case.

    Again I ask why all of the concern over a three minute incident in which no one was harmed and there was no environmental damage. Perhaps too much time on your hands or is it the old traning from the Sun and Post to revert to muckraking when there are no facts to suuport your bias?

    I eagerly await the production of the documents.

  • A greatful neighbor

    The explosion rocked our home, the smell was unbelievable I had to take my 4 yr old child in the house and shut the windows, we lived thru the experience and it wasnt pleasant to say the least, my child still wakes up at night scared because of the explosion. I am certain all things were not released publicly, heck they didnt even release it to the press til hours later… They still blast that several times at night more than during the day… it is a loud unpleasant experience when you live close to the plant ,we are accross the watercould you imagine living on north point road… I am glad someone showed concern over a 3 minute incident we all should have lots of concern of this plant its polution to our environment and our health… thank you a concerned neighbor

  • A greatful neighbor

    Also the cinders landed on my porch and all over my home and vehicle… it was not small in size…maybe the particals that come out of the furnace should be tested because our home is always covered with residue

  • Anonymous

    This plant is a toxic waste dump. I know – I worked there. The heavy metals alone present in the soil and leaching into the river are beyond comprehension. Now I work for the evil energy company that just spent 1 billion dollars on a stack emissions scrubber system. Why we have to do this, and the unionized in the pocket of the worthless democratic Maryland government gets a pass on this? Its all about the money. Shut this plant down, we will all be better off as residents of MD

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  • Observer123

    ” The slip went undetected by the furnaces computer controls”…….’ Beast of the East’ ? I DONT THINK SO!!!!!!!!!     BE careful fellows- make sure you get to go home. If something seems not working report it. (over and over)    1190 SOLIDARITY FOREVER !

    • Guest

      Observer123 your commenting on an event that occured when Severstal owned the “Point” and was cutting every corner they could. Im sure i could dig up some dirt and recycle it about Warren, Mingo, Wheeling…….pick one of the Ohio Valley plants.

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    When you are going to purchase your new furnace then there are lots of things that you have to keep in mind like you should ask about gas furnaces size and you should also ask about its warranties.

  • Anonymous

     Yes Bette, there is a Santa Claus and his name is STEVE LANG – a leftover from the George Ferreri days.   ”Severstal spokesperson Bette Kovach said in an email that the company has not been cited for pollution violations, “nor do we expect to be.  Steve Lang, chief of MDE air quality compliance,” blah blah blah!
    FACT — Lang has been looking after air quality at Sparrows Point for at least the last 20 years or so – just ask Ralph Hall – Lang  once said that he did not know where the KISH falling over Dundalk and Turners came from, Steve never saw or heard of the stuff while he was at the plant??? – for years he suggested  it came from BG & E across the Patapsco River from the plant and the wind blew it over Dundalk , Edgemere, and Turners- Ferreri agreed with him.   The tax payers have been paying Lang’s salary all these years to look after the plant’s interest  -just ask Hoopman  and Mendelson –  when cornered, Ferreri said do not blame me and Lang, blame the polictians  for putting the heat on MDE.   Lang knows more then he let’s  on – just ask reporter Pat Williams and the lady on Sparrows Point road with the clogged swimming pool filters – Steve remembers her!

    I am tired of the dirt and games, I am on my way to Oak Lawn – thanks for the ticket Steve!

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