Petit Jean Poultry - Executive Summary

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This is to inform all interested persons, including employees that Petit Jean Poultry's Danville facility is complying with EPA's Risk Management Program regulations (called RM Program), Title 40 CFR Part 68, to deal with the risk involved with the storage, handling, and processing of hazardous chemicals.  In this way we promote overall plant, worker, and public safety.  These programs enable our facility to prevent the occurrence, and minimize the consequences, of significant releases of toxic substances as well as fires, explosions, and other types of catastrophic accidents.  Overall, these programs prevent accidental fatalities, injuries and illnesses and avoid physical property damage. 
 
Our safety programs are applied to any activity involving hazardous chemical including any use, storage, manufacturing, handling, or the on-site movement of such chemicals, or combination of these activities.  Any group of vessels which are interconnected and separate vessels which are located such  
that a hazardous chemical could be involved in a potential release shall be considered a single process. 
 
Our safety programs prevent accidents because they focus on the rules, procedures, and practices which govern individual processes, activities, or pieces of equipment.  These rules are detailed and improved as necessary.  They are also communicated to and accepted by all employees at the facility. 
 
Anhydrous ammonia is used as a refrigerant at Petit Jean Poultry.   Mechanical refrigeration is a thermodynamic process rather than a chemical process.  Ammonia, the refrigerant is used as a heat transfer media to maintain a desired temperature in an enclosed environment.  The refrigeration cycle consists of four processes: evaporation, condensation, compression, and expansion.  Evaporation and condensation are designed to alter the quantity of energy associated with the refrigerant.  Compression and expansion are designed to change the availability of the associated energy.  The ammonia 
refrigeration cycle is in a closed system utilizing fluid temperature, pressure, and latent heat of vaporization for cooling.  To evaporate liquid ammonia to a vapor, latent heat of vaporization must be applied to the liquid. 
 
Petit Jean Poultry utilizes the ammonia refrigeration system for keeping plant processing areas at a constant temperature, preserving product, chilling water and  making ice.   
 
For worst-case release scenario purposes, Petit Jean Poultry chose a failure of the high pressure receiver containing 3,837 pounds of ammonia with the receiver quantity limited to 80% of the vessel capacity by facility procedures resulting in a ten minute release.  Under worst -case weather conditions, ammonia could travel 0.9 miles before dispersing enough to no longer pose a hazard to the public.  This scenario is unlikely for the following reasons: worst-case weather conditions are uncommon; the vessel is located in a restricted area of the facility; the vessel has guards in-place to  
protect it from impact; industry standards for the manufacture and quality control of pressure vessels; ammonia is not corrosive in this service; pressure safety valves limit operating pressure in the vessel; the accident prevention program is in place at Petit Jean Poultry including the mechanical integrity program for regular maintenance, inspection and testing, and replacement of equipment, if necessary; alarms in place to warn operating personnel of process upsets; and the emergency response plan and equipment in place at Petit Jean Poultry. 
 
For alternate-case release scenario purposes, Petit Jean Poultry chose the failure of a transfer hose during unloading resulting in a release of 71 pounds of ammonia over a time period of 10 minutes.  Under common weather conditions, ammonia could travel 0.11 miles before dispersing enough to no longer pose a hazard to the public.  Transfer hose failure was chosen as the alternative release scenario because it is a temporary connection and con 
structed of materials other than steel.  This scenario is unlikely for the following reasons: emergency equipment such as an excess flow valve on the tank truck and valves to isolate the transfer hose; Petit Jean Poultry' accident prevention program is in place including operating procedures to have personnel present at all times during unloading;  the mechanical integrity program for regular maintenance, inspection and testing, and replacement of equipment, if necessary; and the emergency response plan and equipment is in place at Petit Jean Poultry. 
 
Petit Jean Poultry, Danville, AR, has experienced one reportable release in the last five years.  This release took place on August 30, 1998.  The release was due to human error.  One of the refrigeration operators had performed maintenance activities on a cooling tower earlier in the day and water was not turned back on after the procedure was completed.  Pressure in the cooling tower was relieved to atmosphere by a safety relief valve. 
 Petit Jean Poultry estimates about 2,000 pounds of ammonia was released.  Standard operating procedures are now in place for the cooling towers and all other refrigeration equipment and operators have been trained. 
 
Although the ammonia refrigeration system at Danville contains under the threshold quantity of ammonia, Petit Jean Poultry will comply with a Program 3 prevention program.  This should help to provide a safer environment for employees and the community, plus make the refrigeration system more efficient.  All elements of the prevention program have been implemented.   
 
Petit Jean Poultry' emergency response program is based on the OSHA requirements for Emergency Action Plans (29 CFR 1910.38 and 1910.119) and HAZWOPER (29 CFR 1910.120).  We have trained employees for emergency response and maintain a written emergency response plan.  This plan is coordinated with the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) and the Danville Fire Department.  We conduct annual drills for im 
plementation of the emergency response plan at the facility with the participation of the LEPC and fire department.
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