FORT PAYNE - EARTHGRAINS - Executive Summary |
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The Earthgrains Company operates a commercial bakery facility in Fort Payne, Alabama. The facility makes various bread, bagel, and snack cake products. Ammonia is used in the refrigeration system at the Facility for cooling the building, making ice, and freezing products. Propane or LP-Gas is used as fuel when natural gas is not available. This facility complies with the ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 15 for the ammonia refrigeration system. The propane system is designed and maintained in accordance with NFPA-58 and state requirements as set by the Alabama Liquefied Petroleum Gas Board. It is the policy of Earthgrains to adhere to all applicable federal, state, and local laws. Earthgrains has in place policies which limit the amount of ammonia and propane at the Facility. Additionally, Earthgrains has prevention and management programs which are implemented to increase the safe operation of both systems. Earthgrains believes that safe operations and accident prevention is the way to do business everyday. In the event of an emergency involving either of the ammonia or propane systems, it is Earthgrains policy to notify Ft. Payne Fire Department and request that they respond to the emergency. Earthgrains has discussed this policy with the fire department and has a written letter of agreement which outlines how responses will be handled. Members of the department have inspected the facility. In the past five years, the facility has not had an accident involving ammonia or propane that caused deaths, injuries, property or environmental damage, evacuations, or sheltering in place. The maximum amount of ammonia stored to 11,600 pounds in the storage tank and associated piping, valves and other miscellaneous equipment. The worst-case scenario for ammonia is a failure of the storage tank and release of the entire contents over a ten-minute period. Based USEPA's look-up tables, the distance to the endpoint is 1.5 miles. Approximately 943 people live within the 1.5 mil e radius from the facility. Topographic maps and visual receptor surveys indicated the area has other industrial properties, churches, public recreational areas and two schools within this area as well. The alternative release scenario for ammonia is a "pull-away" failure during filling operations when the most that would release is the contents of the filling hose (approximately 3" dia. x 25'). Using the EPA's look-up tables, the conservative distance to the endpoint is 0.1 miles. The maximum amount of propane or LP-Gas stored onsite is 24,000 gallons in the storage tank and associated piping, valves, burners and other miscellaneous equipment. The worst-case scenario involving propane or LP-Gas is a vapor cloud explosion. Based on the USEPA look-up tables, the distance to an endpoint is estimated to be 0.4 miles. Approximately 121 people live within the radius of the endpoint from the facility. Topographic maps and visual receptor surveys indicated the area has other industri al properties, churches, public recreational areas and two schools within its radius. The alternative release scenario for propane or LP-Gas is a "pull-away" failure during filling operations when the most that would release is the contents of the filling hose (approximately 3" diameter x 25'). According to EPA's look-up tables, the conservative distance to the endpoint is less than 0.1 miles. |