Consumers Packing Co. - Executive Summary

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This facility complies with PSM requirements and it is our policy to adhere to all federal, state and local laws.  If an emergency were to occur, it is our policy to notify the Lancaster City Fire Department and request taht they respond to the emergency. 
 
This is a frozen and freeze dried food processing facility.  We also produce ice.  We use ammonia as the refrigerant to operate our freezers, freeze dryers, ice makers, water chillers and cold storage rooms.  There is a single high pressure receiver, located outdoors, which can hold our entire operating charge of 24,000 pounds ( based on 80 % full ).  In addition, there are 22 low pressure receivers operating at pressures ranging from 15 in Hg vacuum to 50 psi.  Capacities range from 25 pounds to the largest at 2500 pounds.  All low pressure receivers are located inside buildings. 
 
A catastrophic release of 24,000 pounds of ammonia, which is the entire contents of the refrigeration system, was modeled.  The RMP regulation requires mo 
deling the catastrophic release of the contents of the largest vessel over a 10 minute period.  As the main receiver at times holds the contents of the entire system, the entire inventory of ammonia was modeled.  The distance to the toxic endpoint was modeled using RMP*Comp, the USEPA's air dispersion model.  The toxic endpoint of 0.14 mg/L would be reached at a distance of 1.9 miles.  An estimate of the residential population impacted within a 1.9 mile radius circle with coordinates of 40-03-10 latitude and 76-17-55 longitude ( coordinates obtained from Hanover's Emergency Response Plan ) was obtained using an Internet site maintained by the US Census Bureau.  The residential population potentially impacted is 64,000.  In accordance with the RMP regulation, this scenario does not take credit for active mitigation factors.   
 
The RMP regulation allows companies to model the off-site impacts of an alternative release that is more likely to occur.  Hanover's alternative release is a comp 
ressor gasket failure.  The release would continue for 40 minutes, and a total of 75 pounds of ammonia would be released.  This scenario is based on an actual incident.  The compressor is located inside a building, which provides a mitigating factor.  Using RMP*Comp, the distance to the toxic endpoint is less than 0.1 mile, which is reported as 0.1 mile.  The residential population within a 0.1 mile radius circle with the same coordinates as above is 130. 
 
This facility does comply with both EPA and OSHA accident prevention rules and all applicable state and local codes and regulations. 
 
This facility has not had an accident involving ammonia that caused deaths, permanent injuries, property damage or environmental damage, evacuations or shelterings in place.  The only ammonia related accident in the past 5 years resulted in 2 persons desireous of a physician consultation. 
 
The refrigeration system has been inspected by the fire department and Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Indust 
ry.
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