Lake Charles Gas Processing Plant - Executive Summary |
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ACCIDENTAL RELEASE PREVENTION AND RESPONSE POLICIES The CMS Field Services, Inc., Lake Charles Gas Processing Plant plant has a standing commitment to worker protection and public safety. This commitment is demonstrated by the resources invested in accident prevention, such as training personnel and considering safety in the design, installation, operation, and maintenance of this facility. Our policy is to implement reasonable controls to prevent foreseeable releases of regulated substances. However, if a release does occur, gas plant trained personnel will respond to control and contain the release. DESCRIPTION OF THE STATIONARY SOURCE AND REGULATED SUBSTANCES The Lake Charles Gas Processing Plant, located near Lake Charles, Louisiana, operates a variety of processes to produce petroleum products (e.g., natural gas and propane) from natural gas. The Lake Charles Gas Processing Plant produces and stores propane, a regulated flammable substance. There are no regu lated toxic substances at the Lake Charles Gas Processing facility. OFFSITE CONSEQUENCE ANALYSIS RESULTS, The worst-case scenario (WCS) associated with a release of flammable substances in Program Level 3 processes at the gas plant is a vapor cloud explosion (VCE) involving the full inventory of the largest storage tank containing 13,289 gallons (53,422 lbs) of natural gas liquids (Y-Grade). A written procedure is in place to limit the storage inventory to 90% of the maximum tank capacity; therefore, the reduced inventory is assumed to release and ignite, resulting in a VCE. The maximum distance to the 1-psi endpoint for this WCS is 0.3 miles. Although numerous controls are in place to prevent such releases and to manage their consequences, no credit for passive mitigation measures was taken into account in evaluating this WCS. The Alternative Release Scenario (ARS) for flammable substances at the Lake CharlesGas Processing Plant is a VCE resulting from the release of 1,328 gallons from a product loading pump. The release is expected to be isolated by the operators within 5 minutes (active mitigation). The maximum distance to the 1-psi endpoint for this event is 0.1 miles. This event was selected as being a practical scenario for use in emergency planning and response. The the hazard assessment results for the flammable WCS and ARS events are grsphically presented in Figure 1. GENERAL ACCIDENTIAL RELEASE PREVENTION PROGRAM The following is a summary of the accident prevention program in place at the Lake Charles Gas Processing Plant. Because processes at the gas plant that are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) risk management program (RMP) regulation are also subject to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA's) process safety management (PSM) standard, this summary addresses each of the OSHA PSM elements and describes the management system in place to implement the accident prevention program. Employee Participation The CMS Field Services, Inc., encourages employees to participate in all facets of process safety management and accident prevention. Employees have access to all information in the facility accident prevention program. Process Safety Information The Lake Charles Gas Processing Plant keeps a variety of technical documents that are used to help maintain safe operation of the processes. These documents address chemical properties and associated hazards, limits for key process parameters and specific chemical inventories, and equipment design basis/configuration information. Chemical-specific information, including exposure hazards and emergency response/exposure treatment considerations, is provided in material safety data sheets (MSDSs). The operating personnel ensures that the process is maintained within acceptable limits using process controls and monitoring instruments, highly trained personnel, and protective instrument systems. Numerous technical documents are maintained at the facility, providing information about the design and construction of process equipment, This information includes materials of construction, design pressure and temperature ratings, and electrical rating of equipment. This information, in combination with written procedures and trained personnel, provides a basis for establishing inspection and maintenance activities, as well as for evaluating proposed process and facility changes to ensure that safety features in the process are not compromised. Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) The Lake Charles Gas Prossing Plant has a comprehensive program to help ensure that hazards associated with the various processes are identified and controlled. Within this program, each process is systematically examined to identify hazards and ensure that adequate controls are in place to manage these hazards. The Lake Charles Gas Processing Plant primarily uses what if methodology to perform these evaluations. To help ensure that the process controls and/or process hazards do not eventually deviate significantly from the original design safety features, the plant periodically updates and revalidates the hazard analysis results. These periodic reviews are conducted at least every five years and will be conducted at this frequency until the process is no longer operating. The results and findings from these updates are documented and retained. Operating Procedures The Lake Charles Gas Processing Plant maintains written procedures that address various modes of process operations,such as: (1) unit startup, (2) normal operations, (3) temporary operations, (4) emergency shutdown, (5) normal shutdown, and (6) initial startup of a new process. These procedures can be used as a reference by experienced operators and provide a basis for consistent training of new operators. These procedures are periodically reviewed and annually certified as current and accurate. The procedures are kept current and accurate by revising them as necessary to reflect changes made through the management of change process. In addition, the Lake Charles Gas Processing Plant maintains written operating procedures, which are readily available to operators in the process unit and for other personnel to use as necessary to safely perform their job tasks. Training To complement the written procedures for process operations, the Lake Charles Gas Processing Plant has implemented a comprehensive training program for all employees involved in operating a process. New employees receive training in gas plant operations if they are not already familiar with such operations. After successfully completing this training, a new operator is paired with a senior operator to learn process-specific duties and tasks. After operators demonstrate adequate knowledge to perform the duties and t asks in a safe manner on their own, they can work independently. In addition, all operators periodically receive refresher training on the operating procedures to ensure that their skills and knowledge are maintained at an acceptable level. This refresher training is conducted at least every three years. All of this training is documented for each operator, including the means used to verify that the operator understood the training. Contractors The Lake Charles Gas Processing Plant uses contractors to supplement its workforce during periods of increased maintenance or construction activities. Because some contractors work on or near process equipment, the gas plant has procedures in place to ensure that contractors: (1) perform their work in a safe manner, (2) have the appropriate knowledge and skills, (3) are aware of the hazards in their workplace, (4) understand what they should do in the event of an emergency, (5) understand and follow site safety rules, and (6) inform gas plant personnel of any hazards that they find during their work. This is accomplished by providing contractors with: (1) a process overview, (2) information about safety and health hazards, (3) emergency response plan requirements, and (4) safe workpractices prior to their beginning work. In addition, the Lake Charles Gas Processing Plant evaluates contractor safety programs and performance during the selection of a contractor. Gas plant personnel periodically monitor contractor performance to ensure that contractors are fulfilling their safety obligations. Pre-Startup Safety Reviews (PSSRs) CMS Field Services, Inc., conducts a PSSR for any new facility or facility modification that requires a change in the process safety information. The purpose of the PSSR is to ensure that safety features, procedures, personnel, and equipment are appropriately prepared for startup prior to placing the equipment into service. This review provides one additional check to make sure con struction is in accordance with the design specifications and that all supporting systems are operationally ready. The PSSR review team uses checklists to verify all aspects of readiness. A PSSR involves field verification that accident prevention program requirements are properly implemented. Mechanical Integrity The Lake Charles Gas Processing Plant has well-established practices and procedures to maintain pressure vessels, piping systems, relief and vent systems, controls, pumps and compressors, and emergency shutdown systems in a safe operating condition. The basic aspects of this program include: (1) conducting training, (2) developing written procedures, (3) performing inspections and tests, (4) correcting identified deficiencies, and (5) applying quality assurance measures. In combination, these activities form a system that maintains the mechanical integrity of the process. Maintenance personnel receive training on: (1) an overview of the process, (2) safety and health hazards, (3) applicable maintenance procedures, (4) emergency response plans, and (5) applicable safe work practices to help ensure that they can perform their jobs in a safe manner. Written procedures help ensure that work is performed in a consistent manner and provide a basis for training. Inspections and tests are performed to help ensure that equipment functions as intended and to verify that equipment is within acceptable limits (i.e., adequate wall thickness for pressure vessels). If a deficiency is identified, employees will correct the deficiency before placing the equipment back into service (if possible), or a management of change team will review the use of the equipment and determine what actions are necessary to ensure the safe operation of the equipment. Another integral part of the mechanical integrity program is quality assurance. The Lake Charles Gas Processing Plant incorporates quality assurance measures into equipment purchases and repairs. This hel ps ensure that new equipment is suitable for its intended use and that proper materials and spare parts are used when repairs are made. Safe Work Practices The Lake Charles Gas Processing Plant has long-standing safe work practices in place to help ensure worker protection and process safety. Examples of these include (1) control of the entry/presence/exit of support personnel, (2) a lockout/tagout procedure to ensure isolation of energy sources for equipment undergoing maintenance, (3) a procedure for safe removal of hazardous substances before process piping or equipment is opened, (4) a permit and procedure to control sparkproducing activities (i.e., hot work), and (5) a permit and procedure to ensure that adequate precautions are in place before entry into a confined space. These procedures (and others), along with training of affected personnel, form a system to help ensure that operations and maintenance activities are performed safely. Managemen t of Change The Lake Charles Gas Processing Plant has a comprehensive system to manage changes to all covered processes. This system requires that changes to items such as process equipment, chemicals, technology (including process-operating conditions), procedures, and other facility changes be properly reviewed and authorized before being implemented. Changes are reviewed to (1) ensure that adequate controls are in place to manage any new hazards, and (2) verify that existing controls have not been compromised by the change. Affected chemical hazard information, process operating limits, and equipment information, as well as procedures, are updated to incorporate these changes. In addition, operating and maintenance personnel are provided any necessary training on the change. Incident Investigation The Lake Charles Gas Processing Plant promptly investigates all incidents that resulted in, or reasonably could have resulted in, a fire/explosion, toxic gas release, major propert y damage, environmental loss, or personal injury. The goal of each investigation is to determine the facts and develop corrective actions to prevent a recurrence and forwards these results to gas plant management for resolution. Corrective actions taken in response to the investigation team's findings and recommendations are tracked until they are complete. The final resolution of each finding or recommendation is documented, and the investigation results are reviewed with all employees (including contractors) who could be affected by the findings. Incident investigation reports are retained for at least five years so that the reports can be reviewed during future PHAs and PHA re-validations. Compliance Audits To help ensure that the accident prevention program is functioning properly, the Lake Charles Gas Processing Plant periodically conducts an audit to determine whether the procedures and practices required by the accident prevention program are being implemented. Compliance audi ts are conducted at least every three years. Corrective actions taken in response to the audit team's findings are tracked until they are complete. The final resolution of each finding is documented, and the two most recent audit reports are retained. CHEMICAL-SPECIFIC PREVENTION STEPS The processes at the Lake Charles Gas Processing Plant have hazards that must be managed to ensure continued safe operation. Following is a description of existing safety features applicable to prevention of accidental releases of regulated substances in the facility. Universal Prevention Activities The accident prevention program summarized previously is applied to all RMP-covered processes at the Lake Charles Gas Processing Plant. Collectively, these prevention program activities help prevent potential accident scenarios that could be caused by equipment failures and human errors. Specialized Safety Features The Lake Charles Gas Processing Plant has safety features installed on many units to h elp: (1) contain/control a release, (2) quickly detect a release, and (3) reduce the consequences of (mitigate) a release. The following types of safety features are used in the covered processes: Release Detection 1. Hydrocarbon detectors with alarms Release ContainmentlControl 1. Process relief valves 2. Valves to permit isolation of the process 3. Automated shutdown systems for specific process parameters 4. Curbing or diking to contain liquid releases 5. Atmospheric relief devices Release Mitigation 1. Trained emergency response personnel 2. Personal protective equipment FIVE-YEAR ACCIDENT HISTORY The Lake Charles Gas Processing Plant has an excellent record of accident prevention over the past five years. Therehave been no off-site accidents within this time period. EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAM INFORMATION The Lake Charles Gas Processing Plant maintains a written emergency response program that is in place to protect worker and public safety, as well as the environment. The program consists of procedures for responding to a release of a regulated substance, including the possibility of a fire or explosion if a flammable substance is accidentally released. The procedures address all aspects of emergency response, including proper first aid and medical treatment for exposures, evacuation plans and accounting for personnel after an evacuation, notification of local emergency response agencies and the public, if a release occurs, and post incident cleanup and decontamination requirements. In addition, the plant has procedures that address maintenance, inspection, and testing of emergency response equipment, as well as instructions that address the use of emergency response equipment. Employees receive training in these procedures as necessary to perform their specific emergency response duties. When necessary, the emergency response program is updated based on modifications made to ga s plant processes or other CMS Field Services, Inc., facilities. The emergency response program changes are administered through the MOC process, which includes informing and/or training affected personnel in the changes. The overall emergency response program for the Lake Charles Gas Processing Plant is coordinated with the Calcasieu Parish Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC). This coordination includes periodic meetings of the committee, which includes local emergency response officials, local government officials, and industry representatives. Information concerning hazardous materials used and stored at the facility, is also provided. The Lake Charles Gas Processing Plant plant has around-the-clock communications capability with appropriate LEPC officials and emergency response organizations (i.e., fire department). This provides a means of notifying the public of an incident, if necessary, as well as facilitating quick response to an incident. Refresher training is pr ovided annually to CMS Field Service employees, regarding the hazards of regulated substances in the gas plant. PLANNED CHANGES TO IMPROVE SAFETY The Lake Charles Gas Processing Plant resolves all findings from PHAs, some of which may result in modifications to the process. At the current time, no changes are planned over the foreseeable future. |