Berry Petroleum Company, West Montalvo Field - Executive Summary |
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Berry Petroleum Company acquired the West Montalvo Field on May 1, 1990. The West Montalvo Field Gas Chiller Unit is a Natural Gasoline Liquid (NGL) processing, storage and transfer facility. There is one tank with a capacity of 18,000 gallons. The storage is controlled to a maximum of 15,230 gallons. The process is regulated by Cal OSHA Process Safety Management of Acutely Hazardous Materials, Title 8 California Code of Regulations 5189 and Title 19 California Code of Regulations 2735 California Accidental Release Prevention Program. This is a RMP/ CalARP Program Level 3 facility. The facility has implemented the prevention program described below. The prevention program meets the requirements of 40 CFR Part 68 and Title 19 CCR 2735 and includes the following: Employee Participation, Process Safety Information, Process Hazard Analysis, Operating Procedures, Training, Contractor Evaluation, Contractors and Visitor Orientation, Pre-Job Start-Up Review, Mechanical Integrity, Code of Saf e Work Practices (Hot Work Permit, Confined Space Entry, Control of Hazardous Energy), Management of Change, Incident Investigation, Emergency Planning and Response, and Compliance Audits. Training includes employee responsibilities in the process safety management program, emergency response, hotwork permit procedure, code of safe work practices, and operating procedures. All visitors onto the property must undergo an annual site safety orientation and check in prior to each visit. Planned changes to improve safety have been established and will be based on compliance with the process safety management audits and revalidation of the process hazard analysis. Berry Petroleum Company maintains an emergency response plan in compliance with local emergency response agencies. West Montalvo Field has a Hazardous Materials Business Plan on file with the Ventura County Environmental Health Department - Certified Unified Program Agency. The facility maintains an air pollution control district permit to operate with the Ventura Unified Air Pollution Control District. In the event of an accidental release, the facility operators are trained to sound the alarm, shut off the source from a safe location or activate one of the emergency shutdown devices, contact 9-1-1 and secure the area. The 9-1-1 system is used to notify the emergency responders. The chiller unit has a series of emergency shutdown valves and interlocks that isolate the system automatically in the event of a process upset. This is a new facility, based on the criteria set forth in 40 CFR 68.10 and 19 CCR 2735.4, this facility has not had an accidental release. The worst-case scenario and alternate release scenario were based on natural gasoline as the modeled substance. The worst-case release of 98,230 lbs of natural gasoline indicates a one-psi overpressure distance of 0.38 miles. This distance has public receptors of an adjacent farm. Although there are numerous controls in place, no allowance for passive mitigation was made in calculating worst-case scenario. This scenario is based upon the conservative U.S. EPA Vapor Cloud Explosion Methodology (TNT Equivalency Method). The Alternative Release Scenario for this process is a break in transfer hose connection. This scenario could result in release of 63 lbs of liquids over a ten-minute period. The maximum distance for this scenario is 0.03 miles. The process maintains mitigation measures consisting of relief valves, check valves, manual shutoff valves, automatic shutoffs, startup and operating procedures, grounding equipment, and excess flow devices. The facility operator and truck driver are in attendance during transfer operations. The seismic design meets the requirements of UBC 1997 and fulfills the requirements of the California Accidental Release Prevention Program, 19 CCR 2745.7(q)(2). This is a new facility. Based on the document Maps of Known Active Fault Near-Source Zones in California and Adjacent Portions of Nevada: Unif orm Building Code 1997, this facility resides outside the boundaries of a Near Source Fault Zone. Berry Petroleum Company has a commitment to employee and public safety. This commitment is demonstrated by the resources invested in accident prevention, such as training personnel and considering safety in design, installation, operation, and maintenance of covered processes. Berry Petroleum's policy is to implement reasonable controls to prevent foreseeable releases. However, if a release does occur, trained personnel will respond to control and contain the release. |