COOPERATIVE AGRICULTURAL SERVICES, INC. - Executive Summary |
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The owners, management and employees of the Midwest Cooperative are committed to the prevention of any accidental releases of anhydrous ammonia. If an accidental release should occur, the facility is prepared to work with the local Fire Company, or other authorities, to mitigate any release and minimize the impact of the release to people and the environment. The primary activity at the facility is the storage and transfer of fertilizers. The maximum quantity stored would be 289,000 pounds in three 12,000 gallon tanks and on 30,000 gallon tank. The worst-case release scenario would be the release of the total contents of a storage tank released as a gas over 10 minutes. The maximum quantity store would be 131,300 pounds, which represents the volume of the storage tank at 85 percent capacity as limited by design standards. The distance to the endpoint (point of dispersion to 200 PPM) is 2.5 miles. The alternative release scenario based on the five-year accident history or the most li kely potential incident, is a release from a break in a transfer hose. The distance to the endpoint (point of dispersion to 200 PPM) is .83 miles. The facility has implemented the provisions of ANSI K-61 and OSHA 29CFR 1910.111. We have also complied with EPA, DOT and the Kansas Department of Agriculture who inspects our facilities on an annual basis do not only regulate our firm. These standards and regulations along with the safety culture and training our employees have been through have helped us achieve an outstanding safety record. There have been no accidental releases of anhydrous ammonia in the past five years that: have caused any deaths, injuries, or significant proper damage at the facility; nor to our knowledge, have resulted in offsite deaths, injuries, evacuations, sheltering in place, property damage, or environmental damage. The facility has a written emergency action plan, in accordance with OSHA and we report are regulated materials to the Community Right to Know program, the local fire department and the County LEPC. Our safety efforts go beyond what the rules require; we do what is good for business. Our goal is to effectively serve the community we operate in and deliver quality service to our farmer owners. |