Ammonia leak in a factory Total: production stopped in the workshop
(AFP) - 46 minutes ago
MELUN - The prefecture of Seine-et-Marne decreed Friday the stop of the production in the workshop of the GPN plant of the Total group in Grandpuits, where an ammonia leak had caused the previous day the displacement of 300 people in France. fallback room, we learned Saturday from concordant sources.
The prefectural decree recommends to the factory "that it stop production in the incriminated workshop" of the Grandpuits site, classified Seveso 2, and specialized in the manufacture of nitrogenous fertilizers, pending "the rehabilitation of the installations ", said the gendarmerie.
This is the second order of formal notice, after the incidents occurred on the site 22 and 27 July and August 13.
The first decree, taken on August 13, concerned the flight of 22 July, while that of Friday evening follows the last leak, told AFP the chief of staff of the prefect, Philippe Curé.
"As always for this type of classified installation, there is a formal notice which gives the company two months to carry out a series of prescriptions", explained Mr. Curé.
The July 27 incident was not subject to any action, he said.
That of Thursday is due to "a human error of a technician in a workshop who, around 11:00 a.m., forgot to switch a compressor valve to manual mode, there was an overpressure which led to the opening of a safety valve and the evacuation of ammonia outside the building, "a" dispersion in the atmosphere which caused no injuries ", according to the gendarmerie.
300 people were then placed in a fallback room, 31 others had been inconvenienced by the fumes and four officers transported to the hospital for observation had left a few hours later.
The prefecture has sent a report to the Regional Directorate for Industry, Research and Environment (Drire), whose conclusions are expected Monday.
In addition, "a review meeting" between the director of the Grandpuits plant, firefighters, gendarmes and mayors of neighboring municipalities is scheduled for mid-next week at the prefecture, added Mr. Curé.
The factory management did not wish to comment.
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