Farmers Cooperative Co. - Britt NT - Executive Summary |
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Farmers Cooperative Company Risk Management Plan - Executive Summary 1. Farmers Cooperative Co. (FC) accidental release prevention policy involves, but is not limited to technologies, procedures, and management practices. All applicable procedures of the ANSI K-61.1 - 1989 "Safe Requirements for the Storage and Handling of Anhydrous Ammonia", as adopted by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS), are adhered to. The FC emergency response policy involves the preparation of response plans which are tailored to each facility and to the emergency response services available in the community, and is in compliance with the EPA Emergency Response Program requirements. 2. The FC facility at Britt is in the business of selling anhydrous ammonia to farm customers as a form of nitrogen fertilizer. This facility is used for the purpose of parking & storing a varying number of anhydrous ammonia nurse tanks with a maximum single tank capacity of 6,170 lbs. of anhydrous ammonia. A maximum of ten (10) nurse tanks are stored at this facility at one time with a total ammonia capacity of 42,500 pounds. This facility is manned during normal business hours. 3. The off-site consequence analysis includes two anhydrous ammonia release scenarios, identified as "worse case release" and "alternative scenario". The first scenario is defined by EPA, which states that "the owner or operator shall assume that the maximum quantity in the largest vessel is released as a gas over 10 minutes due to an unspecified failure. The alternative scenario is defined as more likely to occur than the worst-case release scenario. The worst-case release scenario at FC - Britt involves a failure on the largest anhydrous ammonia nurse tank with the capacity of 6,170 lbs. of anhydrous ammonia. The off-site consequence analysis for this scenario was performed by using pre-defined EPA guidelines in RMP-Comp version 1.04 software. EPA mandated meteorological conditions were determined by using RMP-Comp version 1.04 for both the worst-case release scenario and the alternative release scenario. When atmospheric dispersion modeling for the worst-case release scenario was performed using RMP-Comp assumptions, a distance to toxic endpoint of 0.40 miles. An estimate of residential population potentially affected of six (6) was obtained by counting residence within the worst case toxic circle. The alternative scenario chosen involves vandals partially opening a liquid withdrawl valve on a ammonia nurse tank trailer in the parking lot. When atmospheric dispersion modeling for alternative scenario releases was performed using RMP-Comp assumptions, a distance to toxic endpoint of <0.1 miles. An estimate of residential population potentially affected of two (2) was obtained by counting residences within alternative scenario toxic endpoint. 4. FC's accidental release prevention plan is based on the following key elements: ?Annual training of all personnel required to hand le ammonia and what to do in an emergency ?Facilities constructed & maintained according to ANSI K 61.1 - 1989 standards adopted by IDALS in Iowa ?Use of usual anhydrous ammonia safety equipment ?Use of effective operating procedures according to Agricom's anhydrous ammonia safety procedures handbook and training videos ?Annual inspections by IDALS of storage tanks, piping for leaks, nurse tanks, applicators, transfer risers, riser hoses, safety equipment, pressure relief valve records, etc. ?FC site inspections by safety committee members at least twice a year 5. No accidental releases of anhydrous ammonia have occurred at this facility in the past five years. 6. This facility has an emergency response program, which has been coordinated with the Britt Fire Department, which is also under the jurisdiction of the North Central Regional Emergency Planning District in Iowa. This program includes response decision tree and a notification plan. Emergency operations and response pro cedures are reviewed annually, with a site visit of the facility by the Fire Department. 7. Changes to improve safety at this facility are completed as required by rule change and/or methods to increase safety and/or efficiency of operations. |