Logan Generating Co., L.P. - Executive Summary

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Logan Generating Plant is operated and managed by PG&E Generating, the competitive electric generation business of San Francisco-based PG&E Corporation.  PG&E Generating operates the Logan facility in strict accordance with stringent policies and protocols designed to protect the health and safety of our employees and neighbors, as well as the environment.  Responsibility for safety and environmental performance at the plant is shared by every employee.  This message is communicated through ongoing training programs designed to raise awareness and build necessary on-the-job skills.  Performance in these areas is regularly evaluated through audits, assessments and other mechanisms, with the goal of measuring progress and identifying areas for continued improvement. 
 
Logan Generatings approach to chemical safety is to always use the least hazardous chemical available for any application, to use chemicals only in equipment that is designed to handle such chemicals safely, and to train fa 
cility personnel in the safe handling of all chemicals onsite.  Logan operates an electric and steam generating facility.  Pulverized coal is burned in a state-of-the-art boiler, and the steam is used to generate electricity.   
 
As is the case for many facilities, Logan Generating Plant's participation in the RMP program is triggered by the use of only one substance (ammonia) on-site in quantities that exceed a threshold amount.  At this and other PG&E Generating facilities, ammonia is a key ingredient in the facilities' air pollution control systems.  In both the design and operation of our plants, among the most important priorities is the minimization of air emissions, including nitrogen oxides (NOx).  Nitrogen oxides are a primary contributor to smog.  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and state regulators have identified NOx emissions reductions as one of the most important keys to achieving national air quality improvement goals.  In order to help achieve this objective, t 
he Logan facility employs advanced emissions control technology that uses ammonia to reduce nitrogen oxides emissions.  This technology enables the plant to achieve NOx emission rates that are among the lowest for any facility of its kind. 
 
Logan Generating stores ammonia as an aqueous solution, which is safer to handle than anhydrous ammonia.  Aqueous ammonia is stored in a 24,000 gallon storage tank inside a concrete dike.  This dike will limit evaporation of ammonia in the unlikely event of a tank failure.  Logan Generating analyzed several possible release scenarios. The worst-case release was predicted based on a tank failure releasing the contents into the dike, and evaporation of ammonia from this liquid spill.  The WAKE model has predicted a "distance to endpoint" within the property boundaries.  A pipe shear outside the diked area was reviewed as the alternative release; again, the "distance to endpoint" is within the property boundaries.  No public receptors will be affected. 
 
 
The aqueous ammonia system has had no spills and no accidents.  Significant releases of aqueous ammonia are very unlikely because any loss of aqueous ammonia flow would instantly cause an alarm in the control room, where trained operators would take immediate action to correct the problem.  All aqueous ammonia deliveries are supervised, and only trained personnel are allowed near the ammonia system. 
 
Logan Generating has an Emergency Response Plan which is coordinated with the Logan Township Office of Emergency Management.  Workers undergo annual hazardous materials safety training and emergency response training, as well as regular emergency drills. 
 
Importantly, even under the worst-case scenario, the impact of an accidental ammonia release on-site would be contained within the boundaries of the facility, posing no risk to our neighbors beyond the fence.  Within the fence, the risks to our employees are minimized through ongoing skills and awareness training. 
 
Logan Generating Pl 
ant is pleased to share the information in this document.  As the operators of this facility, PG&E Generating takes seriously its commitment to accident prevention and effective emergency response. While no industrial site is entirely free from risk, it is our goal, through continuous improvement, to manage risks as effectively as possible.  This plan demonstrates that the company has the programs in place both to minimize the possibility of a release and to respond to one in the unlikely event that it occurs.
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