Dufour Petroleum, Inc. - Delta Facility - Executive Summary |
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The accidental release prevention and emergency response policies: Delta facility, owned and operated by Dufour Petroleum, Inc., operates under NFPA-58 requirements for LP-Gas storage and handling, NFPA 70 National Electrical Code, ASME, and it is our policy to adhere to all local, state, and federal regulations. Employees responsible for the storage and handling of regulated materials are required by company policy to complete extensive training, both classroom and on-the-job, before being allowed to perform sensitive operations. This involves operational, emergency operational, and release prevention training. Employees also receive periodic refresher training to maintain skills and awareness. Our Emergency Action Plan includes specific instructions for employees and contract personnel to follow in the event of an accidental release. Activation of this plan will place in motion a series of events specifically designed to minimize the impact of the release to our employees, the surrounding community, and the environment. As an integral part of the Emergency Action Plan, our facility actively participates in the dome storage area mutual response group, Petal Dome Mutual Aid (PDMA). PDMA is made up of eight LP-Gas and natural gas facilities and transporation companies in the immediate area. PDMA was established in the late 1970's. PDMA, Forrest County Emergency Management District, and Civil Defense have sucessfully worked with the surrounding community emergency response agencies and local and state governmental agencies to provide efficient, timely response to emergency situations in any of the participating facilities. Our company, along with PDMA, is actively involved in the Forrest County/Hattiesburg Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC). Dufour Petroleum and members of PDMA have responded to numerous requests from local and regional emergency response agencies to provide assistance and expertise for Liquified Petroleum Gas-related incidents in residential storage and highway and rail transporation not associated with Dufour Petroleum, Delta Facility, and/or PDMA. It is our intention, and pleasure, to continue the relationship we enjoy with local and state government, industry neighbors, and community. If an emergency were to occur at our facility, it is our policy to activate our Emergency Action Plan. Through the activation of this plan, emergency response agencies are notified on the 911 system and over the inter-plant/Civil Defense radio-alarm system monitored by each facility, the Emergency Management District, and Petal Police Department. The 911 call is channeled through the Forrest County Sheriff's Department to the Macedonia Volunteer Fire Department and all area emergency response agencies. A facility description and the regulated products handled: Delta Facility is a liquified petroleum gas (LPG) storage facility providing bulk storage for wholesale marketing. The facility consists of ten (10) 30,000 -- 33,0 00 gallon LPG storage tanks, one 2,400 gallon LPG storage tank, truck and rail loading/unloading stations, pumps, compressors, valves, and piping. Propane and butanes (LPG) are the regulated substances handled and stored in this process. The worst case release scenario(s) and the alternative release scenario(s): Our worst-case scenario is failure of a 33,000 gallon LPG storage tank when filled with the greatest amount allowed (88 % of capacity at 60 degrees F), resulting in a vapor cloud explosion. There will be off-site consequences. This incident carries a very low degree of probability compared to other more probable incidents. Our alternative release scenario involves a pipe on the discharge of the pump breaking during the loading process resulting in 11,000 lbs of propane being released with a vapor cloud explosion occurring. This incident carries a slightly higher degree of probability of occurrence than our worst-case scenario and there will be off-site consequences. The general accidental release prevention program and chemical-specific prevention steps: This facility complies with EPA's accidental release prevention rule and all applicable local and state codes and regulations. This liquified petroleum gas storage facility is designed, installed, and maintained in accordance with NFPA-58 and state law. This facility has in place an active SPCC plan developed in accordance with 40 CFR 112.7 and an OSHA Process Safety Management program in accordance with 29 CFR 1910.119. Five year accident history: In the past five years Delta Facility has not experienced an incident involving liquified petroleum gas that caused deaths, injury, property or environmental damage, evacuations, or sheltering in place. The emergency response program: In the event of an emergency involving our Delta Facility LP-Gas storage system, it is our policy to follow our Emergency Action Plan which is linked with the Petal Dome Mutual Aid and the Forrest County Emergency Mana gement District Emergency Response Plan. Activation of these emergency response plans sets in motion a pre-planned series of events which notifies neighboring facilities (PDMA) and all area emergency response agencies and our community neighbors nearest our facility. Notification of emergency response agencies include: Macedonia Volunteer Fire Department, Petal Fire Department, Forrest County Sheriff's Department, Petal Police Department, Forrest County Emergency Management District (EMD), AAA Ambulance, Mississippi State Highway Patrol (MHP), and the Hazardous Incident Response Team (HIRT). All agencies and personnel respond to predetermined staging areas with representatives from each agency and facility reporting to the Central Command Post (CP). Activation of this plan is accomplished by first activating our in-plant alarm/shutdown system and next by activating the PDMA radio/alarm. Each faciltiy maintains its own radio alarm system which operates over the approved Civil Defe nse frequency. The PDMA alarm systems are set off simultaneously from one transmitter, including an alarm-receiver located at the Petal Police Department, the agency located nearest to the facilities. The cost of maintaining the Petal Police Department alarm system is paid by the PDMA members. Under the Petal Dome Mutual Aid/Emergency Management District response plan, trained PDMA personnel respond initially by securing the area with: (1) roadblocks to prevent exposure to passersby; (2) assisting as needed in initial evacuation; (3) stopping and/or slowing operations as far as practical; and (4) reporting to the Command Post with any specialized equipment and trained personnel available to aid in containing or the controlling the incident. A contingency plan is developed and executed using trained industry personnel with other emergency response personnel from responding agencies, as needed. An immediate evaluation by facility personnel, the responding fire chief, and the EMD Di rector will determine the effect range with rapid notification being made to AAA Ambulance for evacuation of ambulatory residents located inside the determined zone. Those located closest to the incident are evacuated first with the evacuation broadening until the safe zone perimeter is reached. Residents requiring specialized care are transported to the local hospital of their choice while those merely displaced and in need of shelter are transported to a local motel. Periodic contact with residents located near the facilities enables the timely evacuation of these residents at the expense of the affected facility. Records of these residents are maintained at the EMD offices. Other affected residents are directed to evacuate to shelters set up under the direction of the EMD (Civil Defense) and local authorities. The PDMA Emergency Response Plan provides for all injured persons inside the effect zone to be moved to the Command Post for First Aid treatment and, if needed, to be tr ansported by AAA Ambulance to Forrest General Hospital or Methodist Hospital for emergency treatment. First Aid treatment will be provided at the Command Post by responding, trained emergency medical personnel from AAA Ambulance, Petal Fire Department, and Hattiesburg Fire Department and other available sources, as needed. Annual training in emergency response and fire-fighting is conducted jointly by PDMA members and local fire and emergency response agencies. This training involves both classroom instruction and hands-on fire control and suppression using both water and dry-chemical. Our facility, in conjunction with PDMA, supports the training of our local emergency response agencies, including paid and volunteer fire departments, through monetary contributions for equipment and supplies as well as providing time and fuel to train on PDMA fire-fighting apparatus. Our company also works, through local fire response agencies, with the Mississippi State Fire Academy in providing f uel for burns using the Academy portable apparatus. Employees of this facility are issued individual copies of the Emergency Action Plan when initially hired and the plan is reviewed in a timely manner. Updates to the plan are provided to all employees and the Emergency Action Plan is exercised in regular drills involving all facility personnel. This Emergency Action Plan and drill have been reviewed by the Emergency Management District Director and deemed to be acceptable. Planned changes to improve safety: Our facility has been directly involved in planning and support for installation of a Reverse 911 system for the Forrest County/Hattiesburg Emergency Response area. This system greatly enchances the process of notifying the public in the event of an emergency situation. |