Heartland Co-op Minburn - Executive Summary

| Accident History | Chemicals | Emergency Response | Registration | Source | Executive Summary |

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.
Click to return to beginning