Mer-Roc FS, Inc. - Executive Summary |
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The management and employees of Mer-Roc FS, Inc. are committed to the prevention of any accidental releases of anhydrous ammonia. If an accidental release should occur, the facility is prepared to work with the local fire department, or other authorities, to mitigate any release and minimize the impact of the release to people and the environment. The primary activity at the facility is the storage and blending of fertilizers for sale to farmers. Anhydrous ammonia is received, stored, and distributed for direct application as a crop production nutrient. Access to the site is restricted to authorized facility employees, authorized management personnel and authorized contractors. The maximum quantity of anhydrous ammonia that can be stored would be 260,000 pounds. The worst-case release scenario would be the release of the total contents of a storage tank released as a gas over 10 minutes. The maximum quantity released would be 140,000 pounds, which represents t he volume of the largest storage tank as limited by design standards. The distance to the endpoint of .14 mg/L for the worst-case scenario is 2.5 miles. The alternative release scenario based on the most likely potential incident is a release from a break in a transfer hose. The distance to the endpoint of .14 mg/L for the alternative scenario is .19 miles. This release has the possibility of extending beyond the facility boundary. This facility complies with EPA's Accidental Release Prevention Rule and with all applicable state codes and regulations. This facility has implemented the provisions of "Safety Requirements for the Storage and Handling of Anhydrous Ammonia, K-61.1", published by The American National Standards Institute, Inc. as adopted by state regulation and the standards of the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), 29 CFR 1910.111, "Storage and Handling of Anhydrous Ammonia". The following is a list of accidental releases in the past five years that have occurred at the facility: - We had an accidental release of 80 pounds of anhydrous ammonia on 4/12/96. One employee was injured. - We had an accidental release of 90 pounds of anhydrous ammonia on 10/31/98. One employee was hospitalized. Safety improvement is an on-going process at the facility. Periodic evaluations are performed to assess the maintenance of safe conditions. There are no specific safety recommendations for implementation at this time. |