Gas leak discovered at Greka facility

By ERIC LINDBERG — March 13, 2009

Fire and petroleum investigators conducting a routine inspection of a Greka Energy oil facility near Santa Maria yesterday morning noticed the distinctive rotten egg smell of a hydrogen sulfide leak and evacuated the plant, fire officials said.

After cordoning off the area, a hazardous materials team isolated the leak, which apparently involved a vapor recovery system. County Fire Capt. David Sadecki said no injuries or road closures resulted from the incident, which occurred at Greka’s Bradley Three Island facility at 3851 Telephone Rd.

Inspectors first noticed the smell at approximately 10:30 a.m., he said, and a meter reading showed a dangerous level of hydrogen sulfide gas in the area.

Greka workers managed to repair the leak and emergency crews cleared the scene after five and a half hours, authorities said. Sadecki said the cause of the leak remains under investigation and the oil company will be submitting a failure analysis to the County Fire Department.

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: 3/13/2009

Shame on Greka Energy for ignoring the problem. Anyone can smell that smell, and their management should have taken care of it. But it took the investigators to do it? Greka obviously needs constant oversight.

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