STAR OF THE WEST MILLING CO - Executive Summary |
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This document is the Executive Smmary of the Star of the West Milling Co. - Risk Management Program - for the Ligonier Flour Mill. The flour mill has chlorine gas on site in the form of one ton containers. We work together with our chlorine supplier and local fire department to establish effective procedures for an accidental release of chlorine gas. We have written procedures for the handling of chlorine and conduct annual employee training on the hazards of chlorine and the safe handling of chlorine. Our chlorine monitoring system monitors any potential leakage in the chlorine storage area and the agitators. We are committed to the safety of our employees and our community. The flour mill provides top quality flour to a number of food companys in the midwest. We use chlorine gas to bleach certain brands of flour and adjust there ph. We typically store eight chlorine one ton containers on site , of which we have four connected and available for use at any one time. The containe rs are stored in a separate isolated block building, which is adjacent to the flour mill. We have included two chlorine gas accidental release scenarios which we have computer modeled with EPA software. These scenarios are called "alternative" and "worst case." The "alternative" scenario assumes that the ton container has released its entire contents over a 40 minute period through a small hole in the fusible plug on the tank. This release would spread to a radius of 528 feet away from the tank, almost entirely contained on the plant grounds. The "worst" case" scenario assumes that all safety measures we have in place are not available, and that the one ton container has released it's entire contents in ten minutes. This release would possibly affect the community up to 1.3 miles away from the Star of the West Milling Co. flour mill, with the direction depending upon the wind direction and velocity at the time. We prevent accidents from happening in many ways. Our employees are tr ained in the safe handling of chlorine ton containers. We have two SCBA (Self Contained Breathing Apparatus) tanks and associated equipment on site. Chlorine monitors are located in the storage and agitator areas. Manual shut-offs are available on each tank. The facility is manned by a minimum of three people 24 hours per day when operating. Our piping system is designed for use with chlorine gas, and is inspected regularly. Employees check the lines daily and the chlorine supplier does a separate inspection on a quarterly basis. Our reports require listing the five-year accident history of our mill. We have had no reportable accidents in the last five years. The Ligonier Fire Department has been introduced to the physical and chemical characteristics of chlorine. Our company is undergoing outreach training at all three sites with local fire departments, County LEPC's, and school officials. We are also supplying "Shelter-IN-Place" guidelines and materials to follow in the event of an accidental release. We continually strive to improve the safety of our chlorine system. The latest improvement was the construction of a separate block building to house or store the one ton containers and the installation of chlorine monitos in 1999. |