Nobel/Sysco Food Services Co. - Executive Summary |
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1. Accidental Release Prevention and Emergency Response Policies. At Nobel/Sysco Food Services Company, we use ammonia (anhydrous) which is considered a hazardous substance by the EPA. The properties which make ammonia valuable as a refrigerant also necessitate certain safety precautions. We at Nobel/Sysco Food Services are committed to employee, public and environmental safety. Through continued, accurate training and various safety devices and procedures, we work to minimize potential releases. We work in conjunction with the Albuquerque Fire Department as well as the Bernalillo County Emergency Planning Committee. 2. The Stationary Source and the Regulated Substance Handled. The primary purpose of our facility is Food Distribution which includes the temporary storage of frozen foods. We utilize anhydrous ammonia as the primary means for our refrigeration. The maximum amount of ammonia that could be stored at this facility is 15,250 pounds; however, based on our operati onal needs, we only maintain an inventory of 11,000 pounds. 3. The Worst Case Release Scenario and the Alternative Release Scenario, including Administrative Controls and Mitigation Measures to Limit the Distances for each Reported Scenario. The worst case and alternative release scenarios both include a catastrophic release of anhydrous ammonia from Nobel/Sysco Food Services Company. Through our safety and maintenance program, we strive to keep the possibility of a release from happening. Our entire system is checked daily and a written log is maintained. We keep our inventory of ammonia down to 11,000 pounds based on our operational needs. Once a year, an outside service that specializes in ammonia systems inspects the entire system to ensure it is properly maintained. Alarms are installed and tested to ensure a quick response if a release were to occur. 4. The General Accidental Release Prevention Program and Chemical-specific Prevention Steps. Nobel/Sysco Food Servi ce maintains a record of safety information that describes the chemical hazards, operating parameters, and equipment design that are associated with the ammonia process. Our facility conducts detailed studies to ensure any hazards associated with our process are identified and controlled efficiently. We maintain written operating instructions that cover various modes of operation such as initial start-up, normal operation, normal shutdown, emergency operations and emergency shutdown. This information is regularly reviewed and readily accessible. Our maintenance personnel are school trained and refresher training is done yearly. New employees are sent to school, then supervised on the job until they are able to work independently. 5. The Five Year Accident History. There have been no accidental releases of ammonia during the past 5 years. 6. The Emergency Response Plan. This facility has a written ER plan which includes actions to be taken in response to accidental release of regulated substances. This facility coordinates with the Albuquerque Fire Department and the Bernalillo County Emergency Planning Committee. 7. We will continue to review our procedures to maintain our equipment and continually review our training procedures to ensure we remain current with all the governing agencies' policies. |