the toxic truth - Greenpeace

the toxic truth
Trafigura started to buy cargos of the coker
naphtha from PMI Trading Ltd in January 2006,
and reportedly undertook the first caustic
washing of the coker naphtha at Fujairah,
United Arab Emirates, some time that month. 47
Caustic washing in Tunisia
Between January and March 2006, two
caustic washing operations were carried
out at Tankmed’s premises at the port of La
Skhirra. 48
On or about 14 March 2006, gases leaked
from TANKMED’s facilities, causing a serious
odour problem. Some of Tankmed’s workers
experienced breathing difficulties, 49 and three
people were reportedly admitted to hospital
following exposure to the fumes. 50
The odour problem at TANKMED’s facilities
caused serious concern amongst local
officials. A subsequent investigation into the
issue by the Tunisian International Center for
The company continued to purchase coker
naphtha from PMI over subsequent months,
and the caustic washing process was moved
to a facility in Tunisia called TANKMED, the only
other location the company had identified as
willing to undertake this process.
Environmental Technologies concluded that:
“ the abnormal emanation of nauseating
smells from the cleaning basins (BD) was mainly
due to Tankmed effluents containing sulphide
compounds (water from the petrol washed with
51
caustic soda). ”
The Center also noted that “spent caustics
should be treated through specialized and
specially adapted processes” and that
the facilities available at La Skhirra were
“insufficient and inadequate” to deal with the
waste material produced by caustic washing
of petrol. 52 As a result of the incident the
Tunisian authorities suspended the caustic
washing operations at La Skhirra. 53
27
Chapter 2
La Skhirra Port in
Tunisia, 15 July 2010,
where caustic
washing operations
were carried out in
early 2006, until
workers became ill
due to the smell of
the waste and the
authorities prohibited
any further washing
operations.
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