Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, L.P.-Morris Storage - Executive Summary |
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The Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, L.P. Morris Facility is a liquified petroleum gas products pipeline breakout storage facility. Most of the facility is regulated under the US Department of Transportation (DOT), which also has emergency planning requirements, and is, therefore, exempt from the EPA Risk Management Program (RMP). However, the ethane underground storage cavern at this facility is not regulated by the DOT and is required to have an RMP Plan. The facility receives ethane by pipeline and stores it in an underground rock cavern. The ethane storage cavern has a 4,200,000 gallon capacity. The storage cavern has process controls in place to prevent or minimize an emergency release, including automatic and manual shutoffs, alarms, vents, relief and check valves, excess flow devices, and grounding equipment. In addition, the facility has UV/IR fire detection "eyes" process area detectors. The worst case scenario (WCS) for this facility is a release of ethane from the caver n due to aboveground piping failure that results in a vapor cloud explosion. The quantity of ethane released in the WCS is estimated to be 420,000 gallons (1,200,000 pounds). Under EPA requirements, the WCS assumes weather conditions that allow the chemical to travel as far as possible, and further assumes that none of the facility's mechanical controls or safety systems are functioning. Based on these assumptions, the WCS vapor cloud explosion could potentially affect nearby public receptors. The process controls mentioned in the previous paragraph minimize the potential for the worst case scenario to occur. The ethane storage cavern at the facility complies with Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) regulations, including the process safety management (PSM) requirements. Facility personnel undergo operations competency training and testing, and emergency response training and drills. The response training and drills program includes notification of the State E mergency Planning Commission, Local Emergency Planning Committee, and local fire department. These three agencies also receive SARA Tier II Chemical Inventory reports annually. In addition, the facility is inspected and audited on a compliance schedule. A Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) is conducted at least every five years as part of the OSHA PSM requirements. The facility has not had any chemical release accidents from the underground ethane storage cavern since starting operations in 1967. |