Hutto CO-OP Gin Company - Executive Summary |
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We are a fertilizer retail facility. The only material considered hazardous at this facility is anhydrous ammonia. Our facility has one 12,000 gallon tank, equipment for receiving ammonia by truck and equipment for transferring ammonia from storage to trucks or nurse tanks for delivery to customers. It is our policy to meet, or exceed, all local, state, and national standards relating to handling ammonia. In the past five years, we have not had any accidents or releases with off-site consequences. Specific safety features that we employ to minimize the impact of an accidental release include: 1. Excess flow valves to prevent flow from the tank if any hose or line breaks. 2. Pressure relief valves on the storage tank to prevent overpressuring and rupture of the tank. 3. Inspections by independent inspectors to ensure that our equipment is maintained in a manner that ensures safe operation and prevents releases. To further ensure safe operation of the facility, our employees are t rained in procedures for safe handling of hazardous materials, and in safe operating and maintenance procedures. We have also coordinated with the Hutto Volunteer Fire Department to respond in the unlikely event of an emergency. As required by the EPA, we have analyzed the worst-case release scenario defined by the EPA. This scenario involves a release of the entire contents of the storage tank. According to information supplied by the EPA the area affected by this scenario would extend 2.7 miles from our facility, and would include the city of Hutto and its schools. It is extremely unlikely that an event such as EPAs worst-case release scenario will ever occur. A more probable, but still highly unlikely event, would be an event like a hose break during a truck pull away. According to information supplied by the EPA, the area affected by such a release would only extend 760 feet and would include several residences, but no schools. |