Las Animas Fertilizer Company, Inc. - Executive Summary |
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Executive Summary Las Animas Fertilizer Company, Inc. is a retailer for anhydrous ammonia (NH3) to the local agricultural community. This substance is a remarkable source of Nitrogen, which plays a key role in the farming industry. The material is housed in 1 - 12,000 gallon tank and distributed to the customer using nurse tanks. There are 30 - 1,000 gallon and 3 - 500 gallon nurse tanks that are being utilized at this time. A strong commitment to safety through training programs, procedural policies, and local emergency planning ensures that Las Animas Fertilizer is responsibly managing a chemical that is a necessity to their community. Accidental Release Prevention There is currently a procedural policy in place that addresses every step in the transfer process of anhydrous ammonia, thus maintaining a safe and consistent operation at this facility. Las Animas Fertilizer conducts internal site inspections prior to any transfer procedure and the Department of Agriculture performs state inspections throughout the year. In addition, various training seminars and refresher courses are provided for the employees and other interested members of the community. The tank is equipped with an excess flow valve that acts as an automatic shutoff when unstable conditions are present. There is also a main power switch and a separate manual shutoff that will instantly cease operations at the tank. Offsite Consequence Analysis Two separate scenarios for this anhydrous ammonia facility have been reviewed using the EPA's RMP Comp (version 1.06) program. Moderate weather conditions are assumed in both of these cases. The worst-case scenario demonstrates a 54,636-pound release for a 10-minute duration. Such liberation would produce an estimated toxic endpoint distance of 4 miles, based on a 0.14 mg/L toxic endpoint. An administrative control, which allows only 80% of the tank capacity to be utilized, will prevent 2,400 gallons from being present in the main tank storage of 12, 000 gallons. This release amount is extremely unlikely due to rapid response times, emergency shutoffs, and various other precautionary measures instituted by Las Animas Fertilizer. The alternative-case scenario is based on a hole in the headspace of the tank and demonstrates a 1,662-pound release for a 2-minute duration. This liberation would result in an estimated toxic endpoint distance of 0.5 miles, based on a 0.14 mg/L toxic endpoint. This is a conceivable analysis in the event of the delivery vehicle's bumper colliding with the tank itself. Both the angle of contact and travelling speed would be instrumental in determining the severity of the impact. Emergency Preparedness Plan In the unlikely event of an accidental release, there is a written response plan that will immediately go into affect. It entails notification of the facility owner, Las Animas fire department, La Junta HAZMAT, the Local Emergency Planning Committee, and the Las Animas Sheriff's department. These extern al agencies are an active part of the emergency planning and response for Las Animas Fertilizer. They will notify the public, implement evacuation measures, and directly take action to control and eliminate a discharge of anhydrous ammonia. Las Animas Fertilizer employees will not be involved with the ACTIVE response because they are not properly trained for such circumstances. Five-year Accident History There is no record of accidental releases during this time period. Planned Changes to Improve Safety Steel "crash" posts are planned for installation around the tank. These will help protect the piping, valves, hoses and tank from most motor vehicle collisions. There will also be a "warning" light installed at the facility. This will be activated in an emergency situation, alerting the public to danger. Las Animas Fertilizer Company, Inc. ? 8th Street, east of Carson Road, Las Animas, CO |