Blicks Inc. - Whiteface, TX (Lease Facility) - Executive Summary |
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1. FACILITY POLICY. The owners, management, and employees of Blick's Inc are committed to the prevention of any accidental release of anhydrous ammonia. If an accidental release should occur, the facility is prepared to work with Larry Beseda Fertilzer & Chemical Co. Inc, the Cochran County LEPC, and/or other authorities to mitigate any release and minimize the impact of the release to people and the environment. 2. FACILITY INFORMATION. The primary acitivity of the Larry Beseda Fertilizer & Chemical Company facility is normally the storage and blending of fertilizers for wholesale purposes. This RMP covers an occcasional operation the is carried out under a lease program to Blick's Inc. Anhydrous ammonia is the toxic chemical that is present at the facility. The Whiteface, TX facility (rail siding and storage tanks) is periodically leased from the Larry Beseda Fertilizer and Chemical Company by Blick's Inc for the ocassional production and storage of 10-34-0 liquid fertili zer. Blick's Inc brings a portable pipe reactor on site as needed to produce the product. Anhydrous ammonia is reacted with superphosphoric acid in the portable unit to produce the liquid fertilizer. Both the superphosphoric acid and the ammonia are brought on site in rail cars when an operation is scheduled. Approximately 75 tons of ammonia are received in a rail car. The ammonia rail cars are connected to a pump by rubber pressure-hose especially designed for ammonia service. The pump delivers the ammonia to the portable reactor at a regulated rate and pressure. The prevention program for the pipe reactor is directed at the safe maintenance and operation of the unit which is covered under PSM. Emphasis is given to the proper use of the ammonia feed system. Predictive filing is used because the operating schedule for the portable reactor is occasional and is highly variable depending upon fertilizer demands; the rail cars of ammonia are not on-site unless the portable uni t is scheduled to operate. The RMP for the Whiteface facility is normally covered under a Program 2 filing by Larry Beseda Fertilizer and Chemical Company, however during the lease period, while the reactor is on site, the facility becomes a Program 3 under the umbrella of Blick's Inc. 3. WORST-CASE SCENARIO AND THE ALTERNATIVE RELEASE SCENARIO. The worst-case scenario would be the release of the total contents of the storage tank. This could result in the release of up to 150,000 # of liquid ammonia over a 10 minute period. The distance to the endpoint (point of dispersion to 200 ppm) is 6.9 miles. The alternative release scenario, based on the most likely potential incident, is the rupture of an ammonia feed hose that is being used to transfer liquid ammonia from the feed pump to the portable reactor. This could likely result in an ammonia release of about 200 #/minute over a 5 miute period. The distance to the end point is 0.3 miles 4. ACCIDENTAL RELEASE PREVENTIO N PROGRAM The facility has implemented the provisions of "Safety Requirements for the Storage and Handling of Anhydrous Ammonia, K-61.1", published by the American Health Standards Institute, Inc. Equipment inspection prior to use is emphasized and enforced. 5. FIVE-YEAR ACCIDENT HISTORY There have been no accidental releases of anhydrous ammonia in the past five years at the facility; and to our knowledge no off-site concequences reported. 6. EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAM The facility has a written emergency response plan that works in conjunction with Larry Beseda Fertilizer & Chemical Company's ERP. The state and local authorities have been furnished the emergency planning and community right-to-know information as required under SARA Title III. 7. PLANNED CHANGES TO IMPROVE SAFETY Safety improvement is an on-going process at the facility. Periodic reviews are performed to assess the maintenance and operations to establish safe operating conditions. There are no add itional specific anhydrous ammonia safety recommendations for implementation at this time. |