Heartland Co-op Panora - Executive Summary |
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I. Our Facility and the Regulated Substance we Handle This Risk Management Plan has been developed for Heartland Co-op. Our main office is located in West Des Moines, Iowa but we have anhydrous ammonia storage facilities in 24 locations in central Iowa. Our policies for each facility and the extent to which we our concerned with public and employee safety is consistent throughout our company. II. Accidental Release Prevention and Emergency Response Policies at our Facility Because of the nature of anhydrous ammonia, Heartland Co-op has had accidental release prevention programs and emergency response policies, as well as employee safety programs in place as long as we have stored and worked with this product. At least annually, our employees attend a safety training session which includes a review of the safe handling of anhydrous ammonia and a written test to confirm their knowledge. This session is held every spring and often repeated in the fall. In addition, our equipment , storage and application equipment, undergoes an annual inspection, as well as a safety check every time it is used. We have emergency shut off valves and relief valves on storage tanks. We supply information to the Local Emergency Planning Commission and to local fire departments every year. We invite local fire departments and emergency response teams to our facilities so that they are familiar with our plant layout and emergency shut off systems. III. Worst Case Scenario VS Alternate Release Scenario The worst case scenario that we were required to develop for this Risk Management Plan involved a total release of product from the largest storage tank at this facility. We would like to point out the unlikely nature of this ever happening. The tanks are welded and tested by professionals on a regular basis. Across the country, the more common release is the one we used as an alternate release scenario, which is the failure of a transfer hose. Even transfer hoses are chec ked and replaced annually, if necessary. If a transfer hose were to develop a leak, the leak could only take place with an employee present (all valves to the transfer hose are closed, unless product is being transferred by an employee). It would be immediately obvious, and the employee would close the valve to the supply hose. The leak would most likely be a small one, not the diameter of the transfer hose. Therefore, even the numbers shown in the alternate release scenario are exaggerated. IV. Five Year Accident History We have had no tank ruptures in the past five years. We have also not had any transfer hose failure. V. Emergency Response Program As noted above, we annually supply information with regard to our facility and our operations to the Local Emergency Response Commission and to the local fire department. We encourage both to visit our facilities to fully understand our operations. Our employees are trained in the safe handling of anhydrous ammonia. VI. Plann ed Changes to Improve Safety We will document the safety inspections of the storage tanks, transfer hoses, and application equipment. We will be more active in communications with the Local Emergency Planning Commissions and the local fire departments of emergency response teams and assuring their knowledge or familiarity with our facilities and the public that could be affected by our operations. We will consider implementation a policy of reducing off-season inventory in several of our storage tanks. |