Southwest Ag Inc. - Executive Summary |
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - ANHYDROUS AMMONIA ACCIDENTAL RELEASE PREVENTION and EMERGENCY RESPONSE POLICIES: This facility complies whith the ANSI K 61.1 "Safety Requiments for the Storage and Handling of Anhydrous Ammonia". In addition, it is our policy to adhere to all applicable federal, state, and local laws. Southwest Ag Inc.'s MISSION states "to provide for the safety of our employees, our customers and the general public". In order to fulfill this mission, Southwest Ag Inc. strives to maintain field and facility safety standards in all asspects of our handling of Anhydrous Ammonia. This location conducts its own audit, utilizing checklist survey forms that are reviewed regularly and updated as necessary to ensure all applicable federal, state, and local regulations are covered. As this is a small business with few employees, owners are present with most all aspects of the day to day operations. The owners are therefore, the locations emergency contact. This facility is a wholes ale farm supply distribution center. We store and distribute a wide variety of fertilizers including anhydrous ammonia. Anhydrous ammonia is received by TRUCK, and is handled and stored on site, and is a substance regulated by the EPA requiring us to comply with the Risk Management Program. We sell anhydrous ammonia to grower customers in 1,000 gallon nurse tanks. The customer applies the ammonia into the soil as a source of nitrogen fertilizer for growing agricultural crops. WORST CASE SCENERIO: Our worst case scenario is the loss of the total contents of the 12,000 gallon storage tank, when filled to the greatest amount allowed, (85% of capacity), released as a gas over 10 minutes, resulting in total vaporization. The maximum quantity released would be 56,520 lbs. According to DEGADIS modeling, this release (distance from point of dispersion to 200 ppm) would have off-site impact. It should be noted that this industry has never had a release of an entire stationary anhydrous ammonia storage tank from any distribution facility. Alternative Release Scenario: The most common alternative release scenario from our facility WOULD NOT reach and end point off-site. The alternative release modeled for the purpose of this plan is a 2-minute release from a stationary storage tank representing a valve and hose failure requiring a manual shut down. The release scenario (distance from point of dispersion to 200 ppm) would have off-site impact. It should be noted the industry has not had a release of this type from any distribution facility. GENERAL ACCIDENTAL RELEASE PREVENTION PROGRAM AND CHEM-SPECIFIC PREVENTION STEPS: The anhydrous ammonia system is designed , installed, and maintained in accordance with ASTM standards and ASME codes. This facility complies with the ANSI k 61.1 standards, osha (29CFR 1910.111), EPA'S Accidental Release Prevention Rule, and all applicable federal and local codes and regulations. Our ammonia system is inspected on a regular b asis with maintanance and preventive maintenance scheduled performed. Liquid vapor valves, hoses, excess flow valves, gauges, and relif valves are replaced when necessary and according to the guidelines in the ANSI standards. Training is provided to all employees at least annual, whenever there is change in the process, or whenever competency with the regulations is questioned. The training consists of lecture, videos, testing and much on the job training and supervision. THREE YEAR ACCIDENT HISTORY: There have been no accidents involving anhydrous ammonia that caused deaths, injuries, property, or enviromental damage, including evacuations on or off-site, as defined be th RMP regulation. Following is a list of accidental releases of anhydrous ammonia at our site for the past 3 years. There have been no accidental releases of anhydrous ammonia at out site for the past 3 years. (NOTE) This company was stared in March of 1997. EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAM: In the event of an emer gency involving our ammonia system, it is our policy to notify the local community fire department and request that they respond to the emergency. In preparation for this , we have coordinated with all of the local response agencies by providing information and facility tours to ensure that they are familiar with the property and are prepared for an incident at our facility. This will help to ensure that our community has the strategy for responding to and mitigating the threat by an ammonia release. This complies with the requirments for our facility to be included in the community emergency response plan prepared under EPCRA and coordinated with our LEPC. IN ADDITION Southwest AG Inc. has an Emergency Response and contigency Plan for our facility that complies with the requirment of OSHA (29cfr 1910.1200). The plan inculdes provisions for public notification, initial medical care, evacuations, and LEPC coordination. PLANNED CHANGES TO IMPROVE SAFETY: We do not plan to make any changes to the physical site. We will continue to provide to our employees with ongoing annual training to ensure that they are current with safe ammonia transfer and handling procedures. We eill also provide regular inspection and maintenance of all ammonia equipment. CERTIFICATION STATEMENT FOR THE RISK MANAGEMENT PLAN, PROGRAM 2 ANHYDROUS AMMONIA To the best of the undersigned's knowledge, information, and belief formed after reasonable evaluation and by actual knowledge of the facility and process, the information submitted is true, accurate, and complete. ___________________________________ ____________________________________ SIGNATURE NAME (PRINTED) ___________________________________ _____________________________________ TITLE DATE RMP Validation Errors--- N o Data to Report |