Britz Fertilizers, Inc. - Bakersfield Plant - Executive Summary |
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This Britz Fertilizers, Inc. facility is located approximately 4 miles South of the city of Shafter, in Kern County, California, and is in the business of selling and distributing agricultural chemicals directly to farmers. This facility is new and is still basically under construction; however, those processes which are covered under the Federal Risk Management Plan requirements are nearly completed and will probably be ready for operation by 10 December 1999. Thus, this RMP submission now. We are currently occupying a facility (EPA Facility ID #1000 0012 2556) which is located approximately 100 yards SSE of this new facility, which will be closed (and all inventory transferred) when the new location is completed (estimated by 31 December 1999). The facility has a training program for those employees who handle chemicals, and an inspection program by management to minimize the potential for accidental releases. Employees receive training for their emergency responses to accidenta l releases. The facility has a program outlining the emergency notification procedures to the Kern County Fire Protection District, in the event of an accidental release which threatens to go off-site. There are residences and other industrial facilities, but no schools, prisons, hospitals or other similar public receptors within the toxic end point range of the worst case scenario. There are three processes at this facility which handle ammonia: 1. Anhydrous Ammonia railroad tank cars (30,000 gallon gross water capacity/156,000 pounds maximum), which are off-loaded to other processes. 2. Anhydrous Ammonia Storage/Load-out Tank (14,000 gross water capacity/11,900 gallon maximum [85%] fill/60,690 pounds), which is a nurse tank for process 3. 3. Ammonium Polyphosphate Solution Reactor (which blends anhydrous ammonia received either from the 14,000 gallon storage tank or directly from a railroad tank car, with other non-RMP l isted components into a non-RMP liquid fertilizer). The reactor unit has a maximum product output of 40 tons per hour, but realistically is only 30 to 35 tons per hour. Accordingly, the ammonia input is calculated at 7,400 pounds per hour. Program 2 is the default program level for all facilities. This facility does not manufacture fertilizers. It either puchases pre-manufactured fertilizer products from wholesaler manufacturers or distributors and blends them into other fertilizer products which are sold at retail to farmers, or it purchases other agricultural chemicals at retail and sell them directly to farmers, who the use these product in the production of food and fiber commodities. As such, it is not an OSHA PSM facility, nor does it qualify for a NAICS code which would require a Program 3. Alternatively, the facility does have public receptors within its worst-case zone, and therefore does not qualify for Program 1. Program 2 h as therefore been selected for this facility. The worst-case scenariois the total release of 156,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia from a railroad tank car, which has an off-site impact with the toxic endpoint at 1.7 miles.The alternative release scenarios involve leaks from hose or piping used in the transfer af ammonia between the railcar and either the storage tank or the fertilizer reactor, or between the storage tank and the reactor. All three of these transfer releases have off-site impacts with toxic endpoints of 0.83 miles. The toxic endpoints are calculated with the DEGADIS modeling method. No active or passive mitigation measures are assumed. The prevention program emphasises procedural and managerial steps which enhance maintenance and training. There have been no accidents in the last 5 years [this is a totally new facility]. The emergency response program includes a facility-specific evacuation plan for which our personnel receive training, as well as the county-wid e emergency response planwith the Kern County Fire Protection District as the designated responding unit, and the provisions of notifying other appropriate agencies in the event of a release which threatens or actually goes off-site. The facility has an ongoing training program for all personnel, including initial (after hire), and periodic (update refresher) training sessions. Some changes will be made to physical facilities in the near future, due to the findings in the inspections performed in conjunction with the preparation of this RMP. |