Eastman Chemical Company, Tyler Terminal - Executive Summary |
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Eastman Chemical Company Texas Eastman Division, Tyler Terminal Facility Executive Summary I. Accidental Release Prevention and Emergency Response Policies Texas Eastman Division's accidental release and emergency response policies are summarized in our company "Principles of Safety" Document: "Eastman will conduct all aspects of its business in a manner that provides for the safety of employees, contractors, communities, customers, and the environment." Our safety process consists of 5 main steps: * Hazard identification, prevention and control * Safe design and construction * Safety and health education and training * Employee involvement, accountability, and responsibility * Systematic evaluation for continual improvement Details of our accident prevention efforts are contained in the Texas Eastman Division General Operating Procedures, the Texas Eastman Authorized Safe Practice Manual and the Standard Operating Procedures of each production unit. These documents specify pr actices and procedures to help ensure the safety of our employees, our contractors, our community, and the environment. Details of Texas Eastman Division's emergency response efforts are contained in the above documents as well as the Texas Eastman Emergency Plan. This plan specifies the responsibilities and duties of Eastman personnel during emergencies and potential emergencies. These responsibilities and duties provide for the prompt mobilization of the Company's resources, including both personnel and equipment in an emergency situation. These plans are updated routinely, and are periodically reviewed in their entirety. II. Description of Stationary Source and Regulated Substances Handled Stationary Source Description Eastman Chemical Company is a leading international chemical company that produces more than 400 chemicals, fibers, and plastics. Founded in 1920 in Kingsport, Tennessee, as a unit of Eastman Kodak Company, Eastman Chemical Company was spun off in 1994 and is now an independent, publicly held company traded on the New York Stock Exchange (ticker symbol EMN). Eastman has approximately 5300 customers worldwide and posted 1998 sales of $4.48 billion. With corporate headquarters in Kingsport, Eastman employs 16,100 people in more than 30 countries. The Texas Eastman Division of Eastman Chemical Company has its Tyler Terminal facility located on a 320-acre site in Smith County near Tyler, Texas. The Tyler Terminal facility receives butane, ethylene, propane and propylene by pipeline and truck and stores these materials in above-ground tanks and in underground caverns in a salt dome formation over 1000 feet below the surface. There are no chemical manufacturing operations at the Tyler Terminal facility. The materials received and stored at Tyler Terminal are sent by pipeline to the Texas Eastman Longview plant site where they are used in the manufacture of over 40 different chemical intermediates, solvents, coatings, resins and plastics. No consumer items are made directly at Texas Eastman. Instead, the Texas Eastman products are supplied to industrial customers for use in the manufacture of hundreds of consumer items which enhance the quality of life of millions of people worldwide. These products include automobile interiors, paints, tires, food preservatives, adhesives, furniture, cosmetics, pharmaceutical products, disposable baby diapers, food packaging, toys, soft drink bottles, floor polish and waxes, printing inks, latex paint, fiberglass, fabric and many other consumer and industrial products. Regulated Substances Description Texas Eastman Division's Tyler Terminal site handles a number of flammable gases listed in 40 CFR Section 68.130 in quantities above the threshold limit. The Tyler Terminal site does not have any of the toxic substances listed in 40 CFR Section 68.130 in quantities above the threshold limit. Flammable Gases and Liquids Basic Information: Texas Eastman Division uses flammable gase s and liquids in many of its operations. Three examples of flammables handled and stored at the Tyler Terminal facility include ethylene, butane and propane. All of the gases handled at the Tyler Terminal facility are colorless gas with a mild petroleum type odor and all are extremely flammable. Leaks of these materials can ignite and create a flash fire or a vapor cloud explosion. Uses: Texas Eastman Division uses butane and propane as the basic feedstock for the Texas Eastman Longview plant site. Ethylene is used by the Texas Eastman Longview plant site as one of the basic building blocks for most of the other chemicals produced. III. Worst Case Release Scenarios and Alternative Release Scenarios Toxic Substance Worst Case Scenario There are no toxic substances at the Tyler Terminal facility above the threshold quantity and no potential for impact of the community with toxic materials. Flammable Substance Worst Case Scenarios Ethylene constitutes one of Tyler Terminal's flammable worst case scenarios. In this scenario, the well head on one of the underground storage wells was assumed to fail catastrophically and ethylene was assumed to escape from the well at full flow until the largest possible flammable vapor cloud formed (about 10 minutes). It was assumed that all of the safety systems in place to mitigate and reduce the amount of vapor in the atmosphere and prevent ignition also failed. It was assumed that the vapor cloud then ignited and exploded. This scenario shows potential off-site consequences. Butane constitutes a second flammable worst case scenario for the Tyler Terminal because its potential off-site consequences impact in a slightly different part of the community. In this scenario, it was assumed that the largest storage tank containing butane failed catastrophically and the entire contents of the storage tank plus all adjacent connected storage tanks immediately vaporized. It was assumed that all safety systems in place to miti gate and reduce the amount of vapor in the atmosphere and prevent ignition failed. It was assumed that the vapor cloud ignited and exploded. This scenario shows potential off-site consequence. Toxic Substance Alternate Release Scenarios There are no toxic substances at the Tyler Terminal facility above the threshold quantity and no potential for impact of the community with toxic materials. Flammable Substance Alternate Release Scenario For flammable substances at Texas Eastman Tyler Terminal, an alternate release or emergency-planning scenario was estimated. The assumed alternate release scenario was a 2-inch hole in a propane pipeline. It was assumed that the propane leaked to form the largest possible vapor cloud from this leak (approximately 10 minutes), then ignited and created a flash fire. This scenario shows a potential for off-site consequence. IV. General Accidental Release Prevention Program and Chemical Specific Prevention Steps Texas Eastman Division utilizes a "layers of protection" approach to protect people and the environment. This approach includes, but is not limited to, the following elements: Designing For Safety * Storage tanks, vessels, and equipment are designed and constructed to strict industry and government standards. * Process design and operations are analyzed for safety prior to their installation, and periodically thereafter, in accordance with the requirements of OSHA's Process Safety Management standard. * Control systems and instruments provide continuous monitoring of operating conditions and alarm operators of upset conditions. * Emergency shutdown systems automatically shut down operations to a safe state if emergency conditions develop. * Area and equipment are protected by automatic deluge systems to cool the equipment in the event of a fire and disperse flammable vapors in the event of leaks. * Combustible gas monitors are installed in critical locations to sound an alarm and turn on the deluge systems in th e event of leaks. * Automatic and remotely operated isolation valves are installed on all wells. These valves will close automatically in the event of a gas leak or fire and can be closed by operating personnel from a safe location. * Storage tanks and process equipment are equipped with pressure relief devices to prevent rupture. Operating Safely * Operators, mechanics, and contractor personnel are trained and qualified in accordance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OHSA) regulations. * Standard written operating procedures are developed and used by operations personnel. Maintaining Safe Operations/Auditing our Operations * Storage tanks, vessels, and equipment are inspected on a regular basis. * Numerous mechanical integrity and preventative maintenance programs are in place to ensure that equipment is in sound working condition. These include an extensive piping and equipment corrosion and vibration inspection and correction program. * Both internal and corp orate audits are conducted on a regular schedule to help ensure compliance with company safety procedures and regulations. Training * Operators are initially trained on the specifics of the process they will be running. Refresher training is supplied at least every three years. * New Operators and Maintenance Mechanics take an extensive apprenticeship-training program. This program covers seven crafts and is registered by the U.S. Department of Labor. Each trainee completes 525 to 950 hours of related instruction and another 500 to 1,000 of on-the-job training, depending on the craft. * Contract employees are required to have OSHA mandated training prior to performing work at Texas Eastman. In addition, Texas Eastman provides a site-specific contractor Safety and Health orientation for all contractors employed at the work site. In addition to the above elements, the Texas Eastman Division of Eastman Chemical Company is an OSHA Volunteer Star site in the federal OSHA Voluntary Protection Program (VPP). VPP is a cooperative program between employers and OSHA to improve worker safety and recognize outstanding safety performance and programs. Texas Eastman Division is one of fewer than 400 sites nationwide to qualify for Star status. To maintain Star status Texas Eastman Division must meet specific safety performance measures and pass an OSHA VPP inspection every few years. V. Five Year Accident History In the five years previous to the submission of this report, the Texas Eastman Division Tyler Terminal facility has had no RMP reportable incidents. VI. Emergency Response Program Texas Eastman Division maintains a comprehensive site emergency response plan. Employees study the plan as they prepare for the annual plant wide drill. Key elements of the emergency response plan as it relates to community emergency response include, but are not limited to, the following: * Selected Texas Eastman Tyler Terminal employees are provided with specialized train ing and proper personal protection to allow them to respond to flammable gas and liquid leak, disperse vapors with water, stop the leak and extinguish a fire. * For emergencies beyond the capabilities of Tyler Terminal employees to respond and control, outside assistance is available from the Tyler Fire Department and Smith County emergency response organization by calling the 911 emergency number. * For significant emergencies, emergency response personnel from the Texas Eastman Longview Plant are dispatched to the Tyler Terminal facility to assist. * Texas Eastman maintains a comprehensive site emergency plan for Tyler Terminal which includes procedures for notifying the City of Tyler Fire Department, Smith County Sheriff's Office and Smith County Fire Marshal's Office of any incident that has a potential for offsite impact. * Texas Eastman serves on Smith County LEPC * Texas Eastman hosts the Northeast Texas Fire School where local municipal and volunteer fire fighters from through out the area receive both classroom and hands-on training for hazardous materials response. VII. Planned Changes to Improve Safety Improvement plans fall into three primary areas: Hazard Analysis-Continual identification of potential hazards, and prompt implementation of corrective action are done in accordance with applicable regulations and as a matter of company policy Incident Investigation-Prompt, thorough investigation of all significant incidents and near-misses are conducted and learnings will be shared across the company. Benchmarking-Through our trade association, the Chemical Manufacturers' Association, and through other cooperative efforts, such as the Center for Chemical Process Safety, we continually evaluate our safety programs and processes against the best in the world, with the goal of continual improvement. |