Mobil Joliet Refinery - Executive Summary |
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1.0 ACCIDENTAL RELEASE PREVENTION AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE POLICIES The Mobil Joliet Refinery in Channahon, Illinois (part of the Elwood Fire Protection District) produces gasoline and distillate from raw Crude Oil. Our products are used primarily in the Midwest. The Joliet Refinery utilizes certain safety precautions to prevent unnecessary on site human exposure and to minimize the potential for any off site exposure. These safety precautions include: 7 Effectively managing our process operations; 7 Investing in the latest process safety technologies; 7 Training of our personnel on an ongoing basis; 7 Reviewing our processes for hazards on a continuous basis; 7 Ensuring safety is considered in process design, installation, operations and maintenance; 7 Training and maintaining a highly efficient emergency response organization; and 7 Extensive written Safety, Health and Environmental procedures. The Joliet Refinery maintains a policy to be a good business partner and a s afe and conscientious neighbor; who will operate its facility in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. The Joliet Refinery has a standing commitment to worker and public safety. This is evidenced by: 7 Our history of support and commitment to the community; 7 Our high safety, health, and environmental standards; 7 Our participation as a STAR facility in the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) since 1991 and 7 Our participation as a Mentor site for OSHA's Voluntary Protection Program. We are proud of our Safety, Health, and Environmental programs and continue to strive to be the best in our industry. 2.0 DESCRIPITON OF THE STATIONARY SOURCE AND REGULATED SUBSTANCES The manufacturing processes at the Joliet Refinery contain the RMP regulated flammable substances of butane, isobutane, isopentane, propane, propylene, 1-butene, ethane, methane, pentane, and flammable mixtures in various combinations of th e preceding substances. RMP regulated toxic substances present at the Joliet Refinery are hydrofluoric acid, anhydrous ammonia, and hydrogen sulfide. 3.0 HAZARD ASSESSMENT RESULTS The RMP rule requires companies to develop chemical release scenarios that estimate the potential community impact from an accidental release. These scenarios are useful for emergency planning in the event of an accident. There are two types of scenarios required by the EPA. The worst case scenario (WCS) is the release of the largest quantity of a regulated substance. It assumes the worst case meteorology that would allow the release to travel the greatest distance. The alternative release scenario (ARS) allows industries to develop a more realistic planning scenario. The WCS and ARS for flammable chemicals at the Joliet Refinery involve the release of butane. Off site impact is mitigated by our prevention programs listed in Section 1 above. The WCS and ARS for toxic scenarios at the Joliet Refine ry involve the release of hydrofluoric acid, anhydrous ammonia and hydrogen sulfide. Off site impact is mitigated by our prevention programs listed in Section 1 above. 4.0 GENERAL ACCIDENTAL RELEASE PREVENTION PROGRAM AND CHEMICAL-SPECIFIC PREVENTION STEPS To ensure that our risk management program is appropriately developed and implemented, our site manager has assigned the role of RMP coordinator to a staff member with the necessary background, training and experience. The RMP coordinator, acting with the authority delegated directly from the site manager, has the responsibility for the development and implementation of our risk management program. The Joliet Refinery has developed programs to comply with the industry's most stringent environmental, health and safety standards. The Joliet Refinery was the first major refiner certified as a STAR facility in OSHA's VPP program. Facilities in the STAR program are required to demonstrate exemplary safety performance and agree to work cooperatively with OSHA to serve as an example for other industry to follow. We are audited by OSHA for compliance every few years. The Joliet Refinery has earned the prestigious STAR recognition and has maintained it through two OSHA inspections over an eight-year period. Additionally, the Joliet Refinery has served as a training site for OSHA Compliance Officers attending the OSHA Training Institute in Des Plaines, Illinois. We take a systematic, proactive approach to prevent accidental releases of hazardous chemicals. Our process safety management systems address each of the essential features of successful accident prevention programs including: -Process safety information -Pre-startup review -Process hazard analysis -Compliance audits -Operating procedures -Incident investigation -Training -Employee participation -Mechanical Integrity -Hot work permit -Management of change -Contractor safety Our RMP uses the individual elements to prevent accidental chemical releases. In addition to our industry leading management programs, we have designed state of the art systems and equipment to control, prevent, detect and mitigate potential accidental releases. We employ extensive mechanical integrity and preventive maintenance programs to ensure the integrity of our equipment and safety systems. Our mechanical integrity program uses equipment surveillance and preventive maintenance activities to identify equipment that may be deteriorating and in need of repair or replacement, before failure occurs. This program also specifies the repairs (or parts replacement) needed to return equipment to acceptable specifications. We train our employees to safely perform their assigned tasks. Our training program includes initial training as well as periodic refresher training and training updates when major process or equipment changes are made. As part of our training, we include provisions for ensuring that employees understand the training, including written test s and field demonstrations. 5.0 FIVE-YEAR ACCIDENT HISTORY The Joliet Refinery has not had any accidental releases of regulated flammable substances from RMP covered processes within the last five (5) years that have resulted in death, injuries, significant property damage, evacuations, shelter-in-place or environmental damage. The Joliet Refinery has had only one accidental release of regulated toxic substance from RMP covered processes within the last five (5) years that meet the reporting criteria. The accidental release occurred when a Production Technician was assisting in determining the level of acid in a process vessel. The employee suffered a second-degree burn when a drop of acid contacted his lip. The employee received medical treatment and returned to work. 6.0 EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAM The Joliet Refinery's emergency response plan serves as a line of defense against accidental releases and other emergencies and the procedure for reacting to unwanted releases and other emergencies if they occur. The Joliet Refinery maintains an emergency responder brigade of over one hundred employee volunteers. We also maintain a state certified fire academy and regularly train other industrial fire brigades as well as local municipal departments. The Joliet Refinery maintains a written emergency response plan at the facility and is included in the community response plan. The Joliet Refinery coordinates its emergency response drills with the local emergency responders, the Will County Emergency Management Agency, local hospitals, and various other government agencies. 7.0 PLANNED CHANGES TO IMPROVE SAFETY The Joliet Refinery is a STAR facility in OSHA's Voluntary Protection Program. We are continually improving our safety programs. |