Smith-Kem Inc. - Executive Summary |
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We are a fertilizer retail facility. Our facility has one 21,000 gallon tank, equipment for receiving ammonia by truck and rail, equipment for transferring ammonia from storage to trucks for delivery to customers, and equipment for mixing ammonia to make fertilizers. It is our policy to meet, or exceed, all local, state, and national standards relating to handling ammonia. In the past five years, we have not had any accidents or releases with off-site consequences. Specific safety features that we employ to minimize the impact of an accidental release include: 1. Pull-away shut off valves that immediately shut to minimize the amount released if a truck accidentally leaves before disconnecting hoses. 2. Emergency shut off valves, with both local and remote activation, to minimize the amount released if anything unusual occurs during loading or unloading. 3. Excess flow valves to prevent flow from the tank if any hose or line breaks. 4. Pressure relief valves on the storage tank to prevent overpressuring and rupture of the tank. 5. Annual inspections by independent inspectors to ensure that our equipment is maintained in a manner that ensures safe operation and prevents releases. To further ensure safe operation of the facility, our employees are trained, and periodically retrained, in safe operating and maintenance procedures. We have also coordinated with the Ellensburg Fire Department to respond in the unlikely event of an emergency. As required by the EPA, we have analyzed the worst-case release scenario defined by the EPA. This scenario involves a release of the entire contents of the storage tank. According to information supplied by the EPA the impact from this scenario would extend 3.6 miles from our facility, and would impact the city of Ellensburg, and schools and the hospital in the city. It is extremely unlikely that an event such as EPAs worst-case release scenario will ever occur. A more probable, but still highly unlikely event, would be an e vent like a hose break during a truck pull away. According to information supplied by the EPA, the impact from such a release would only extend 1000 feet and would impact several residences and a small part of an industrial area. |