Technical Chemical Company - Executive Summary |
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Technical Chemical Company is a manufacturer of specialty automotive additives, lubricants, and cleaners. Raw materials received in drum and bulk quantities are batch blended and packaged for sale. Both liquid and aerosol products are produced. Facility SIC Code is 2899. The chemicals of concern utilized by this facility are butane and propane. The butane and propane are utilized in a mixture as a propellant gas for aerosol products. Primary elements of the propane/butane propellant system include a bulk storage tank, transfer pumps, aerosol charging stations, and the associated piping. The aerosol propellant gas is stored onsite. The maximum quantity onsite is 114,000 lbs. The design and construction of the tank, pump, and transfer system is in accordance with applicable rules and guidelines of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), the Liquid Petroleum Gas Division of the Texas Railroad Commission, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and the Occupat ional Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The system is monitored and operated by employees of Technical Chemical Company who have been trained in facility safe operating procedures and the facility emergency response procedures. The charging operation is continuously monitored by area detectors which are designed to identify the presence of explosive gas in the atmosphere. At 20% of the atmospheric lower explosive limit (LEL), these detectors activate an emergency ventilation system. At 40% of the atmospheric LEL, these detectors shut down aerosol charging and transfer activity and isolate the tank. The system is equipped with automatic and manual emergency shutdowns at the bulk tank location, and there is a fire suppression system located in the aerosol charging area. The facility has developed procedures for unloading aerosol propellant gas, and for operation and maintenance of the system to minimize the possibility of an accidental release. The release prevention progra m for the system incorporates the elements required by OSHA 1910.119 (Process Safety Management of Highly Hazardous Chemicals). To satisfy the requirements of 40 CFR 68, the facility has filed information for a worst-case scenario at the facility, which is the release of all aerosol propellant gas from the bulk storage tank in a time period of ten minutes. The alternate scenario described in this submittal consists of a transfer line rupture. This would result in a maximum release from the bulk tank of 100 gallons per minute due to the presence of excess flow shutoff valves in the bulk tank transfer connections. The duration of this release is considered to be a maximum of 10 minutes before a manual or automatic shutoff valve is activated. Both the worst-case and alternate scenario are modeled using RMP*Comp, version 1.06, which is provided by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for that purpose. The facility emergency response plan includes notification and alarm procedure s to evaluate the facility and notify the local fire department, the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC), the State Emergency Response Commission (SERC), and the National Response Center (NRC) in the event of an accidental release as required by regulation. The facility is inspected annually by the local fire department. No significant releases of the propellant gas have been experienced by the facility in the five years previous to this submittal. |