KERN OIL AND REFINING - Executive Summary

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

a.    Kern Oil and Refining is committed to the safety and well-being of its employees and the public. Kern Oils policy is to implement reasonable measures to prevent a release of hazardous material from occurring, to provide early detection of a release in the unlikely event that one would occur, and to have in place a contingency plan to respond promptly yet safely to such a release. 
 
b.    This Risk Management Plan (RMP) has been prepared to address the handling of flammable regulated substances at the Kern Oil refinery located at 7724 E. Panama Lane, Bakersfield, CA 93307. The refinery handles crude oils and petroleum products containing one or more of the following flammable regulated substances: 
 
   -  Methane 
   -  Ethane 
   -  Propane 
   -  Butane 
   -  Pentane 
   -  Hydrogen 
 
c.    The worst case flammable release scenario modeled was the release of the entire contents of the largest butane storage vessel in 10 minutes. The alternate flammable release modeled was the release of butane liquid from 
a severed fill hose or line or pump failure. Although there are numerous controls in place to prevent and/or mitigate such releases no credit was taken for any such measures in evaluating the release scenarios. 
 
d.    Kern Oil  has in place a comprehensive release prevention program. Physical safeguards to prevent a release of a regulated substance include design and construction to strict national standards; monitoring, alarm and shutdown systems; extensive operating procedures and training; and rigorous inspection and maintenance routines.  
 
e.    Kern Oil has had two releasse of regulated flammable substances reportable under the 5-year accident history. One occurred in December 1995 and the other in October 1998. Both involved fires inside equipment. No one onsite was injured and there was no impact to people or property offsite. 
 
f.    Kern Oil has a comprehensive emergency response program in place to provide prompt but safe response to halt and/or mitigate a release. Kern Oil has worked 
closely with the Kern County Fire Department (KCFD) in developing its response plan. 
 
g.    Kern Oil has performed a Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) and reevaluated on a systematic basis for all its process units.  The most recent PHA was performed in May of 1999 on the LPG Unloading and Storage Unit. Planned changes to improve safety arising from the most recent PHA include addition of a high pressure switch to a transfer pump.
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