Farmer's 4-Country Co-Op Assoc. Belle Plaine - Executive Summary

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Risk Management Plan - Executive Summary 
 
Facility:    Farmer's 4 County Coop. Assoc. Belle Plaine, Iowa 
Contact:    Dennis McLeod 
Phone:        319-444-2154 
 
1. Facility Policy. 
 
The owners, management and employees of Farmer's 4 County Belle Plaine, IA (the facility) are committed to the prevention of any accidental releases of anhydrous ammonia and  propane. If an accidental release should occur, the facility is prepared to work with the local fire department, or other authorities, to mitigate and minimize the impacts of the release to the people and the environment.   
 
2. Facility Information. 
 
The primary activity at the facility is the storage and blending of fertilizers for sale to farmers.  Anhydrous ammonia is received, stored and distributed for both direct application and for blending into mixed-grade fertilizers for crop production nutrients. 
 
3.    Worst-Case Scenario and Alternate Release Scenario 
 
a.    The worst-case scenario would be the release of the total contents of a storage tan 
k released as gas over a period of 10 minutes.  The maximum quantity released would be 110,500 pounds, which represents the volume of the largest storage tank at 85 percent capacity as limited by design standards.  The distance to the end point (point of dispersion to 200 parts per million, or ppm) is 2.43 miles.   
 
       Propane: The maximum quantity released would be 56,610 pounds. The distance             to the end point (point of 1 psi overpressure) is 0.3 miles. 
 
b.    The alternate release scenario, based on the five-year accident history (or the most likely potential incident), is a release from a break in a transfer hose.  The distance to the endpoint (point of dispersion to 200 ppm) is 1.56 miles.   
 
       Propane: A release from a hose rupture caused by a pull-away and assumes a 25-            foot length of 4 inch transfer hose. The active mitigation devices are assumed to             function as designed, limiting the release to the contents of the hose. The                 maximum quantity released would be 69 pounds. Th 
e distance to the end point             (point of 1 psi overpressure) is 0.03 miles. 
 
 
 
 
 
4.    Accidental Release Prevention Program 
 
The facility has been reviewed for general compliance with the provisions of "Safety Requirements for the Storage and handling of Anhydrous Ammonia, K-61.1", published by The American National Standards Institute, Inc. (ANSI), and the standards of the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), 29 CFR 1910.111, "Storage and handling of anhydrous ammonia".  The ANSI Standard has been adopted by reference by Iowa Administrative Code Part 21-Chapter 43-Rule 43.6(200)-Standard for the storage and  handling of anhydrous ammonia.  The applicable standard for propane is NFPa-58.  The OSHA standard is referenced in the Registration Form Section 8.3.b. 
 
5.    Five-Year Accident History.         
 
There have been no accidental releases of anhydrous ammonia or propane in the past five years that: have caused any deaths, injuries or significant property damage at the faci 
lity; nor to our knowledge, have resulted in off-site deaths, injuries, evacuations, sheltering in place, property damage, or environmental damage.   
 
6.    Emergency Response Program. 
 
   The facility has: 
 
   a.    a written action plan, in accordance with OSHA standard 29 CFR 1910.38; 
 
b.    provided state and local authorities with the emergency planning and community right-to-know information as required under SARA Title III (EPCRA); 
 
   c.    a written emergency response program, in accordance with OSHA standard  
29 CFR 1910.120, including pre-emergency planning and employee training. 
 
7.    Planned Changes to Improve Safety. 
 
Safety improvement is an on-going process at the facility.  Periodic evaluations are performed to assess the maintenance of safe conditions. There are no additional specific safety recommendations regarding storage or use of anhydrous ammonia and propane for implementation at this time.
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