Wellman Friction Products - Executive Summary |
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Wellman Friction Products, located at 5372 West 130th St., Brook Park, Ohio, has on-site an anhydrous ammonia tank with a storage capacity of 40,800 pounds. This storage capacity represents liquid ammonia which is kept under pressure of up to 80 pounds per square inch. Wellman Friction Products administratively limits the actual quantity of ammonia in the tank to 32,640 pounds. Wellman Friction Products uses the ammonia in a metal sintering and/or nitriding process. The ammonia is used for the creation of a protective atmosphere within which the process can take place without loss of quality as well as for the nitrogen properties when nitriding of the metal is taking place. The worse case scenario for this source was developed using RMP*Comp ver. 1.06 modeling. The case included the release of the entire contents of the tank (32,640-lb) over a 10-minute period per 40 CFR 68.25(C)(1). No mitigation measures were accounted for in the scenario. The topography is urban with many co mmercial and industrial facilities located around the Wellman Friction facility. General assumptions used in this scenario included those specified in 40 CFR 68.22 for wind speed, stability, and air temperature. The alternative case scenario for this source was also modeled using the RMP*Comp ver. 1.06 program. This scenario included the breaching of a 2-inch gaseous ammonia pipe within the facility that flows at a rate of up to 2.0 lb/min at 80 PSI. The estimated duration of the release was 15 minutes, which represents the time it would take for a manual shut off valve to be reached and operated. Since the scenario included a release inside the facility, the building acts as a form of passive mitigation. This would in turn contain the quantity released into the environment until outside emergency services arrive for active mitigation. Wellman Friction Products has not experienced an accident of any sort with the tank or the associated piping within the last five years. Wellma n Friction Products is included in the Cuyahoga County Local Emergency Planning Committee's (LEPC) emergency response program. Wellman Friction Products does have its own emergency action plans in place for internal response considerations. The LEPC's emergency response program contains provisions for the use of a vast network of resources, communications and logistics, response management hierarchy and training and drills for possible third party responders. Wellman Friction Products' internal emergency response procedures include the evaluation of any ammonia leak from the tank or associated piping. After evaluation of the leak and if necessary, personnel will be evacuated from the facility in a safe and organized manner, away from direction of the ammonia cloud. Any leak from the ammonia tank or associated piping that results in a likely possibility of the cloud leaving Wellman Friction Products' property, procedures are in place for the immediate notification of local emergen cy services and the LEPC. Internally, Wellman Friction Products fully comply with OSHA's Process Safety Management, Hazard Communication and other safety standards. Wellman Friction Products understands that preventing a leak from the ammonia tank is far more desirable than having to mitigating a release from the tank or associated piping. To enhance Wellman Friction Products' prevention effort, a preventive maintenance program has been developed for the ammonia tank system and associated piping. Part of this program includes the identification of all piping containing ammonia and a regular inspection of all piping. Other items that Wellman Friction Products identified for the continued improvement of safety with the ammonia tank storage system is the installation of additional barriers around the tank. In addition, emergency shut off valves located at floor level will be installed. More detailed training for all maintenance personnel conducting maintenance on the ammonia tank s ystem will be implemented. |