The Testor Corporation - Blackhawk Park Avenue - Executive Summary |
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The Testor Corporation Blackhawk Park Avenue Facility Rockford, Illinois 1.0 SOURCE AND PROCESS DESCRIPTION The Testor Corporation (Testor) Blackhawk Park Avenue facility located in Rockford Illinois is subject to the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA's) Risk Management Program (RMP) for Accidental Chemical Release regulation (40 CFR 68) because it stores a mixture of propane [Chemical Abstract System (CAS) number 74-98-6) and isobutane (CAS number 75-28-5) on-site in quantities exceeding 10,000 pounds. The mixture is the propellant in aerosol paint cans warehoused at the Blackhawk Park Avenue facility. The propellant is stored within individual aerosol cans ranging in size from 3 ounces to 15 ounces net weight. The Testor Blackhawk Park Avenue facility is used to assemble and fill paint bottles and paint pens, and the facility is also used as a warehouse for finished material including aerosol paint and propellant cans. The aerosol paint cans are stored in a s pecified area near the center of the warehouse which is protected by fire-rated block walls. Based on the size of the storage area, a maximum of 1.2 million cans can be stored at any one time. This equates to a total propellant storage of 202,500 pounds. The largest single container is a 15 ounce can which contains 100 percent propellant. The propellant is a gas at ambient temperature and pressure, is flammable, and is potentially explosive. The propellant is not inherently toxic. 2.0 POTENTIAL RELEASE SCENARIOS Consistent with the RMP rule requirements, a worst case release from the largest single container was analyzed to assess the maximum distance to an endpoint that could result in offsite impacts. The worst-case scenario assumes that a failure of the largest single container, a 15 ounce aerosol can, results in a release of propellant. The released material is assumed to form a vapor cloud which comes into contact with an ignition source and detonates. The endpoint for this release is defined as an overpressure of 1 pound per square inch caused by the explosion and is considered the threshold for potential serious injuries to people as a result of property damage caused by an explosion. Based on this quantity of propellant, the distance to the endpoint for a worst-case release is contained to the inside of the building. No public receptors are located within the endpoint distance. The release scenarios analyzed and the endpoints evaluated are based on the guidance contained in the USEPA's Risk Management Program Guidance for Propane Storage Facilities (the "Propane Guidance"), dated October 1998, and the USEPA's Offsite Consequence Analysis Guidance ("OCAG"), dated April 1999. 3.0 ACCIDENT HISTORY There have been no accidental releases of propellant at the Testor Blackhawk Park Avenue facility in the last five years that have resulted in death, injury, or significant property damage on site, or death, injury, property damage, evacuation, shelt ering in place, or environmental damage off site. 4.0 PREVENTION PROGRAM The Blackhawk Park Avenue facility is considered a Program 1 process under the RMP regulations and, therefore, implementation of a prevention program is not required. Also, based on the worst case scenario, an offsite impact cannot occur. Preventive measures implemented to ensure that there are no off site impacts include storing the materials in a designated, concrete block, sprinklered room near the center of the building. 5.0 EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAM The Testor Blackhawk Park Avenue facility has implemented a detailed written Emergency Action Plan (EAP). The EAP is intended to address all emergencies at the facility, including incidents related to a release of propellant. The EAP includes awareness and response training for plant employees, coordination with the local fire department, and evacuation of personnel in the facility. The EAP identifies specific individuals and their responsibilities, a nd identifies procedures for emergency medical care. |