The Pillsbury Company - Vinita - Executive Summary |
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Executive Summary The Risk Management Program (RMP) includes an Executive Summary as required by 40CFR 68.155. This Executive Summary includes a discussion of the various Risk Management Program elements as follows: 1. Accidental release prevention and emergency response policies 2. Stationary source activities 3. Regulated substances handled 4. Worst-case and alternative release scenarios 5. General and chemical-specific accidental release prevention program 6. Five-year accident history 7. Emergency response program 8. Planned changes to improve safety 9. Summary 1. Accidental Release Prevention and Emergency Response Policies It is Pillsbury's policy to comply with all of the requirements of the EPA's Accidental Release Prevention Program regulation as well as all other applicable Federal and State rules and regulations. The Vinita Plant has developed an OSHA Process Safety Management (PSM) Manual that documents safety and risk management policies pertaining to the preventio n of accidental releases and emergency response. In addition to the PSM Manual, the Vinita Plant has developed a Risk Management Program that includes the OSHA PSM elements, a description of the risk management system, the Offsite Consequence Analysis (OCA), and the five-year accident history. 2. Stationary Source Activities The Vinita Plant is located in Craig County, Oklahoma. Heinz Bakery Products rebuilt the facility's in 1995 after a fire destroyed the original plant. Pillsbury purchased the facility from Heinz in October 1998. The facility produces frozen dough products, such as bread and rolls. The dough is processed, flash frozen, packaged and stored in a frozen goods warehouse prior to shipment. Ammonia is used to provide refrigeration for flash freezing and for frozen finished goods storage. Propylene glycol is used to provide process cooling and air conditioning. 3. Regulated Substances Handled The ammonia for the refrigeration system at the Vinita Plant is a regul ated substance under the EPA's Risk Management Program rule. The ammonia system is a closed loop which recirculates and reuses the same material. Infrequent makeup to the system is only to replace material lost due to maintenance activities and a small intermittent purge. The system consists of compressors, receivers, evaporators and condensers and has a maximum intended inventory of 44,000 pounds of ammonia. 4. Worst-Case and Alternative Release Scenarios For the worst case and alternative release scenarios, the EPA Model Risk Management Program and Plan for Ammonia Refrigeration (May 1996), the International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration (IIAR) Risk Management Guidelines for Ammonia Refrigeration (1998) and the EPA Risk Management Program Guidance for Ammonia Refrigeration (November 1998) were used for guidance. The Ammonia Guidance tables were used to derive the hazard distances for worst-case and alternative release scenarios. Releasing the contents of the High Pressu re Receiver (REC-1) which can contain up to 13,000 pounds (87.5% at 87F) of ammonia represents the worst-case scenario. The resulting distance to the endpoint extends offsite, and public receptors are within the distance to the endpoint. The alternative release scenario was chosen as a quarter-inch hole, which would be representative of a pump seal leak or a gasket rupture. The resulting distance to the endpoint also extends offsite, and public receptors immediately adjacent to the facility are within the distance to the endpoint. Discussion The results included in this analysis indicate that the worst-case release for the ammonia process can extend offsite and reach public receptors. However, it is important to emphasize that a worst-case release is extremely unlikely to occur because of the many safety features inherent in the design and operational systems for the plant. On the other hand, the alternative release scenario is based on credible assumptions. The alternative scenar io was selected from a number of possible scenarios, based on their potential to reach offsite. As mentioned in the Ammonia Model RMP, this scenario would be representative of a gasket leak or a pump seal leak. 5. Prevention Programs For the Vinita Plant ammonia system, Pillsbury followed the ANSI/IIAR 2-1992 Standard for Equipment, Design, and Installation of Ammonia Mechanical Refrigeration Systems and implemented an RMP Program 3 Prevention Program which is equivalent to the OSHA Process Safety Management (PSM) program. This is one of the most important ways for preventing ammonia releases and for minimizing the impacts of any release that does occur. Some of the key elements of the Prevention Program are summarized below. Process Safety Information(PSI) - A comprehensive set of process safety information has been compiled for the ammonia system. The PSI includes data on the chemicals, the equipment and the technology of the process. Process Hazards Analysis (PHA)- An initia l PHA was conducted to satisfy the PSM requirements in 1996 and was revalidated in 1999. Recommendations made by the PHA team to improve the safety of the systems are currently being addressed. Operating Procedures - An Operations and Maintenance Manual provides detailed written operating procedures for the ammonia system and for safe work practices. Training - Training is provided to each operator and maintenance person before they are certified to operate the system. Maintenance - All of the covered ammonia equipment is included in the Vinita preventive maintenance program. Equipment inspections, testing and preventive maintenance activities are performed following a structured schedule according to IIAR Bulletin 109. Management of Change (MOC) - An MOC procedure has been developed and is implemented for all changes made to the ammonia system, including the safety systems. Pre-startup Review (PSR)- Pre-startup reviews are conducted whenever a change results in a change to the PSI. Checklists are used to direct the PSR process. The checklists are used to ensure that all essential elements of the prevention program (i.e., engineered systems and documentation) were in place prior to startup. Compliance Audits - Compliance audits have been conducted, the latest in 1998. An action plan to address findings of the audit has been developed and is being implemented. Incident Investigation - The Pillsbury Company routinely investigates any ammonia related incident or accident that occurs at the Vinita Plant. An Incident Investigation procedure has been developed to help the investigation team determine the root cause of an incident and to help them develop measures to prevent recurrence. Employee Participation - An employee participation program (for safety and risk management) is in place and training in PSM has been conducted for all affected employees. Employee involvement in PHA studies and review of operating procedures is an important way in which employ ees take and retain ownership of the risk management programs. Hot Work Permit Program - A hot work permit program is being used at the Vinita Plant whenever hot work is conducted in and around the ammonia systems. Contractor Safety - Contractor safety procedures have been developed and are being implemented. 6. Five-Year Accident History In the last five years there have been three releases of ammonia from the Vinita Plant that meet the RMP reporting criteria. The facility was started up in early 1995 by Heinz Bakery Products. Prior to the purchase of the facility in October 1998 by The Pillsbury Company, the site had three ammonia incidents that caused off-site environmental or public impacts, per discussions with plant personnel and local/state officials. On March 19, 1995, a quantity of liquid and gaseous ammonia was released inside the engine room from safety relieve valves (SRVs) due to overpressurization of the system. Liquid ammonia entered the drains to the city of Vinita sanitary sewers, causing an impact to the municipal wastewater treatment plant and their effluent to Bull Creek. The incident was responded to by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife. The process design was reviewed and upgraded as a result of the accident. The SRVs were piped so that they vented outside. On July 17, 1995, liquid and gaseous ammonia were released due to pressure buildup during a power outage at the facility. The fire department and LEPC responded although there were no ordered evacuations. Liquid ammonia may have entered the drains to the city sanitary sewers, although there was no known impact to the municipal wastewater plant. On July 30, 1996, gaseous ammonia was released due to overpressurization of a chiller system. The SRVs lifted and it was later determined that a SRV would not reseat due to welding slag left in the piping during construction. This prolonged the release of ammonia, as a vapor cloud off the roof of the plant, until the system was i solated. The fire department responded and companies immediately around the plant were evacuated as a precaution. The incident was documented with the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality. There have been no ammonia releases with off site impacts in 1997 to present. 7. Emergency Response Program The Vinita Plant has an emergency response program which is described in the site Emergency Response Plan (ERP). This plan includes procedures for evacuations, notifying response agencies and adjacent businesses, emergency equipment list with maintenance schedule, and procedures for responding to any release that may occur. The plan also includes first aid procedures for toxic exposures to ammonia. The ERP is coordinated with the Vinita Fire Department and the Craig County Department of Civil Emergency Management. The facility has conducted risk management plan communication meetings with employees and has notified immediate offsite receptors. A public communications meeting was held on May 24, 1999 in cooperation with the Vinita Fire Department and the Craig County Department of Civil Emergency Management. 8. Planned Changes to Improve Safety All recommendations from previous PHAs, MOCs, and PSRs are being addressed. However, it is Pillsbury's policy to review operating, maintenance and emergency response procedures on a routine basis to ensure they are always applicable. This continuous review process does generate further recommendations for improved safety during the course of operations, but these measures are typically addressed in a very short time frame. 9. Summary The design, operation and maintenance of the ammonia system according to IIAR Standards and Guidelines and the implementation of the PSM and RMP programs provide a high level of assurance that the hazards and risks associated with the use of ammonia are being managed in an appropriate manner. The likelihood of a release is minimized through the implementation of these programs. Pill sbury has developed an Emergency Response Plan which is coordinated through the local response agencies and has communicated the information in this Risk Management Plan to the local community. |