Turlock Irrigation District - Executive Summary |
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The Almond Power Plant is a 49-MW combustion turbine facility producing power for the Turlock Irrigation District. The Almond Power Plant utilizes a General Electric LM-5000 gas turbine engine serving a 49-MW electrical generator and heat recovery steam generator (HRSG). Ammonia and chlorine are used in parts of the power generation process. The California Accidental Release Prevention (CalARP) Program merged the existing state Risk Management and Prevention Plan (RMPP) and the new federal Risk Management Plan (RMP) promulgated pursuant to Section 112(r) of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments. The California Office of Emergency Services (OES) oversees the CalARP regulations. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has delegated implementation authority for the federal program to OES. At the local level, the program is implemented by the Certified Unified Permitting Agency (CUPA). For facilities operating within the City of Ceres, the CUPA is Stanislaus County Environmen tal Resources, Hazardous Materials Division. Because the CalARP program is a combination of the federal and state requirements, the program includes two lists of regulated toxic and flammable substances. While many of the chemicals are present on both lists, the state applicability thresholds are generally lower. The federal threshold quantity for chlorine is 2,500 pounds and the state threshold limit is 100 pounds. The federal threshold quantity for anhydrous ammonia is 10,000 pounds and the state threshold quantity is 500 pounds. The RMP must be developed from a comprehensive assessment of the processes, operations, and procedures at the facility, and includes four main elements: A Management System that specifies qualified and responsible persons; A Hazard Assessment that analyzes and documents potential environmental and population receptors due to an accidental release; A Prevention Program that compiles operational procedures, safety information, and specific hazard information into a program that minimizes the threat of an accidental release; and An Emergency Response Program that establishes procedures to deal with the results of an accidental release. Also addressed in this document are requirements of Title 40, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 355. The requirements of this section apply to any facility at which an extremely hazardous chemical is present at or above the threshold planning quantity. The threshold planning quantity is the amount of a chemical above which the facility is required to notify the local emergency planning committee or emergency response personnel of the chemicals present, to provide a facility emergency response coordinator and to notify the committee of any changes that occur. Any facility that produces, uses or stores hazardous chemicals above the threshold planning quantity is required to notify specific agencies in the event of a release. The reportable quantity is the amount of chemical released requiri ng notification of designated agencies. Ammonia, a hazardous chemical located at the Almond Power Plant, has a threshold planning quantity of 500 pounds. The reportable quantity for ammonia is 100 pounds. Chorine, another hazardous chemical located at the plant, has a threshold planning quantity of 100 pounds. The reportable quantity for chlorine is 10 pounds. According to RMP regulations, sulfuric acid is "...listed as a regulated substance only under the following conditions: a) If concentrated with greater than 100 pounds of sulfur trioxide or the acid meets the definition of oleum. b) If in a container with flammable hydrocarbons (flash point <73 F)." The sulfuric acid used at this facility does not qualify as a regulated substance under these conditions. The guidance document used as a format for this document is taken from the Guidance Document for the California Consolidated Contingency Plan published by the Governor's Office of Emergency Services and is modeled afte r the National Response Team's Integrated Plan, the "One Plan." |