November 30, 2006 by admin.

The Illinois Petroleum Marketers Association/Illinois Association of Convenience Stores (IPMA) addresses common misconceptions about ultra-low sulfur diesel. (Full Story)

Posted in Ultra-Low-Sulphur Diesel | Print | No Comments »

November 28, 2006 by admin.

First bus fleet to be zero sulphur by February; Transport Briefing - London, UK (off-site)

Posted in Acid Rain, Emission Incidents & Issues, Sulphur Logistics | Print | No Comments »

November 26, 2006 by admin.

Diesel Fuel Shortages Blamed on Sulfur (off-site)

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November 25, 2006 by admin.

UK: The Environment Agency has approved plans to extend an 18-month trial burning of petcoke by a further six months, to June, 2007.

Selby District Council’s environment board met representatives from Drax and the Environment Agency on Thursday to discuss the trials.

They were commissioned last June to look at the environmental effects of burning petroleum coke - a by-product of the American petrochemical industry.

Green campaigners have dubbed petcoke the “fuel from hell” due to its high sulphur content, which causes acid rain. It also contains the heavy metal nickel, which is carcinogenic, and the irritant vanadium….(Full Story (off-site)

Posted in Acid Rain, Heavy-Metal Poisoning & Pollution, Sulphur-Dioxide | Print | No Comments »

November 25, 2006 by admin.

That is not sulphur-related news.  Nevertheless, it is of interest to people who live in rural areas in the vicinity of the waste-sulphur facility proposed by HAZCO.Application forms for energy-purchase contracts for members of the Bruderheim and Chipman REAs can be obtained now.  The contracts offer electric energy at a price that is about two cents per kWh below the price those members are paying presently for energy offered under the regulated rate tariff.  The regulated rate tariff has been increasing every month lately, while the contract price on offer will be guaranteed to stay for one year at the rate of 6.9 cents per kWh.  That is a clear and substantial advantage and explains why the application forms for energy purchase contracts are in such great demand.  (Additional Details)

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November 24, 2006 by admin.

Source (off-site)

French engineering and construction services company Technip has been awarded a contract worth approximately €67 million by PKN Orlen S.A. for the construction of a new diesel oil hydrodesulphurization unit in its refinery in Plock, in the center of Poland.

Hydrodesulphurization is a catalytic refining technology consisting in extracting sulphur contained in a petroleum product either to protect downstream unit catalysts or to maintain sulphur content at the level prescribed by the European norm intended to reduce transportation-related air pollution.

Technip’s operations and engineering center in Rome, Italy, will execute the project. The construction of the unit is scheduled to be completed in June 2009.
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Note by folc.ca: The story would have been much more informative if it had addressed how much waste sulphur will be produced by the process and what will be done with that waste sulphur.
That issue will greatly interest anyone wishing to make a living from selling sulphur produced by large desulpurization projects.

Posted in World Sulphur Glut, Sulphur Logistics, Ultra-Low-Sulphur Diesel, Hydrogen-Sulphide, Sulphur-Dioxide | Print | No Comments »

November 22, 2006 by admin.

…a growing number of studies by the EPA and others are demonstrating that mercury tends to accumulate downwind of large mercury air emissions sources, such as coal-fired plants. The Smokies are already heavily affected by power plant emissions such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides….(Full Story off-site)

Posted in Nitrogen-Oxides, Heavy-Metal Poisoning & Pollution, Emission Incidents & Issues, Sulphur-Dioxide | Print | No Comments »

November 18, 2006 by admin.

11/18/06 6:20 PST

BRENTWOOD (BCN)

[California] State Highway 4 has been closed in both directions in Brentwood after a truck carrying molten sulfur spilled part of its contents around 12:30 p.m. today, according to Brentwood Police Lt. Kevin King.

The two-lane highway, called Brentwood Boulevard within the city, is closed between Havenwood Avenue and Sunset Road, according to King.

Police expect the roadway to remain closed until at least 8 p.m., King reported.

The truck spilled “a small amount of product” onto the roadway, and while the substance isn’t dangerous in itself, the high temperature of the chemical makes it a hazard.

“It’s really, really hot, it’ll take a few more hours for it to solidify, crystallize,” King said.

The molten sulfur is carried in an insulated container within the truck at 300 degrees, King said.

However, the substance is contained and crews are working on getting it off the roadway, according to King. (Source: Bay City Newswire)
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Note by folc.ca: That “the substance isn’t dangerous in itself” is a seriously misleading statement. Certainly, sulphur by itself is not that dangerous, but it is irresponsible of anyone to state that sulphur isn’t dangerous by itself. Sulphur readily breaks down and reacts with other elements in the environment to produce a large range of chemical substances that pose a variety of serious health risks, some of which are extremely dangerous and even absolutely deadly.
Of particular concern should be the risk rating for liquid sulphur: WHMIS Class D - Division 1: Subdivision A: Very Toxic Material. Ask yourself how it can be that a substance that is rated as being very toxic can possibly be not dangerous. (More information at Sulphur Poisoning)

Posted in Emission Incidents & Issues | Print | No Comments »

November 12, 2006 by admin.

Under federal pressure, Georgia Power and others are spending billions to cut back air pollution.

Quoted from the article: “Due in part to these controls, U.S. sulfur dioxide emissions are expected to be cut in half during the latter half of this decade — from 10.9 million tons in 2004 to a projected 5.9 million in 2010, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.” (Full Story)
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Note by folc.ca: The cutting-back of 5 million tons of SO2 emissions annually means that enough storage for about an extra 1.6 million tons of sulphur (roughly 160 unit-sulphur trains of a 100 cars each fully loaded with waste sulphur) will have to be found each year. So, where will the US put all of that extra waste sulphur? Will it be cheaper for US sulphur consumers to use US-produced waste sulphur than to import Canadian waste sulphur? If so, where will Alberta put all of the sulphur it no longer will be able to sell to the US? Will that extra excess waste sulphur be put right smack into the centre of Lamont County?

Posted in Emission Incidents & Issues, Sulphur Logistics, Sulphur-Dioxide | Print | No Comments »

November 2, 2006 by admin.

Montreal Gazette
Nov. 2, 2006

Syncrude Canada began start-up activities at its Mildred Lake upgrader expansion project north of Fort McMurray, Alta., yesterday, following modifications to deal with odour problems. The odours, at the plant’s flue gas desulphurization unit, were apparently coming from new technology designed to eliminate sulphur-dioxide emissions. (Article accessible only to subscribers)

Posted in Emission Incidents & Issues, Sulphur-Dioxide | Print | No Comments »