Excel Corporation - Executive Summary |
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This facility is committed to the safety of its employees and the community, and to the quality of the environment. Our mission includes a commitment to act as responsible neighbors in our communities. We will accomplish our mission by adhering with all applicable federal, state, and local laws. The facility has developed an emergency response plan and has coordinated response activities with the Ottumwa Fire Department. This facility slaughters and processes pork for market distribution and ultimately for public consumption. Anhydrous ammonia is the only risk management program regulated substance processed at the facility in excess of threshold quantities. Ammonia is used for mechanical refrigeration throughout the plant for all areas that require cooling. There are two separate ammonia refrigeration systems and each system includes receiving tanks, compressors, chillers, freezers, condensers, and associated piping, valves, and other equipment. Our worst-case release scenario is t he failure of an accumulator tank, resulting in a release of 80,000 pounds of ammonia. The distance to endpoint for this scenario is 3.3 miles according to the look-up tables provided in the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) guidance document for ammonia refrigeration systems. Public receptors identified within 3.3 miles of the facility include residences, schools, a hospital, recreational areas, and commercial/ industrial areas. No environmental receptors are located within the distance to endpoint. An alternative release scenario was also analyzed. The alternative release scenario examined a release of ammonia from the same vessel as analyzed in the worst-case release scenario but under normal operating conditions and more likely weather conditions. The quantity of ammonia released for this scenario was determined to be 40,000 pounds. The distance to endpoint for the alternative release scenario is 0.4 miles. Public receptors identified within 0.4 miles of the facility include schools, residences, recreational areas, and commercial/industrial areas. No environmental receptors were identified. This facility complies with the EPA's accident prevention rule and all applicable state and local codes and regulations. In addition, the facility complies with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Process Safety Management regulation. Our prevention program includes written operating and mechanical integrity procedures, safe work practices, a contractor safety program, management of change, and pre-startup safety reviews. In addition, we have implemented a training program to ensure that our employees are knowledgeable in the hazards of the process and in their specific job functions. If an incident does occur, it is thoroughly investigated and the findings of the investigation are communicated to all affected employees. We believe our prevention program is key to minimizing the risk to our employees, the public, and the environment. In the past five years, we have had a single accident involving ammonia. The accident did not result in any on-site deaths or injuries; or result in any offsite deaths, injuries, property damage, environmental damage, evacuations, or shelterings in place. There was significant on-site property damage associated with the accident. In the event of an emergency involving ammonia, we will implement our emergency response plan. If necessary, we will also notify the Ottumwa Fire Department and request that they respond to the emergency. Our emergency response plan has been coordinated with the fire department and they have inspected our facility. Although we do not have any active projects to further improve the safety of our systems, it is our policy to continuously work towards better and safer systems. |