Lonza Inc. - Executive Summary |
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1.0 ACCIDENTAL RELEASE PREVENTION AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE POLICIES At algroup lonza, we are committed to operating and maintaining all of our processes in a safe and responsible manner. We use a combination of release prevention programs and emergency response planning programs to help ensure the safety of our employees and the public as well as to protect the environment. A brief overview of the comprehensive risk management activities that we have designed and implemented include: (1) A description of our facility and use of substances regulated by EPAs RMP regulation. (2) A summary of results from our assessment of the potential offsite consequences from accidental chemical releases (3) An overview of our accidental release prevention programs (4) A five-year history for accidental releases of chemicals regulated b EPAs RMP rule (5) An overview of our emergency response program (6) An overview of planned improvements at the facility to help prevent accidental chemical re leases from occurring and adversely affecting our employees, the public, and the environment. (7) The certification that EPAs RMP program requires us to provide. (8) The data elements about our risk management program 2.0 STATIONARY SOURCE AND REGULATED SUBSTANCES Our facility produces specialty chemicals. These chemicals are used in a variety of applications in the food, powdered metal, personal care, and water treatment industries, to name a few. This facility uses a variety of processing operations and equipment. In our processes, we use the following chemicals that EPA has identified as having the potential to cause significant offsite consequences in the event of a substantial accidental release: chlorine, formaldehyde, ethylene oxide, and ethylenediamine. Our accidental release prevention programs and our contingency planning efforts help us effectively manage the hazards that are posed to our employees, the public, and the environment by our use of these chemicals. 3.0 RELEASE SCENARIOS AND OFFSITE CONSEQUENCE ANALYSIS EPA's RMP rule requires that we provide information about the worst-case release scenarios and alternative release scenarios for our facility. The following are brief summaries of these scenarios, including information about the key administrative controls and mitigation measures to limit the exposure distances for each scenario: 3.1 Worst-case Release Scenarios - Regulated Toxic Chemicals Chlorine The worst case scenario that was selected is having a railcar, containing 180,000 pounds of chlorine, rupture and lose all its contents within a ten minute period of time to the atmosphere. The estimated distance to the toxic endpoint is 25 miles and potential public and environmental receptors include residences, businesses, national parks, schools, hospitals, and prisons. Ethylenediamine The worst case scenario is the rupture of the ethylenediamine tank, which has a maximum capacity of 228,000 pounds. The release happens ins tantaneously and is contained within a concrete dike. Under worse-case weather conditions, the substance could travel 0.05 miles. There are no public or environmental receptors within the affected area. 3.2 Alternative-case Release Scenarios - Regulated Toxic Chemicals There are three alternative release scenarios that were selected for this facility. Chlorine The alternative case scenario selected is the shearing off of the 1-inch unloading line from the chlorine railcar resulting in a release of 280 pounds of chlorine in a ten minute time period. The estimated distance to the toxic endpoint is 0.44 miles with area residences and businesses in the affected zone. Formaldehyde The alternative case scenario selected is a 1-inch diameter rupture in the 2-inch transfer line from the formaldehyde storage tank, resulting in a release of 175 pounds of formaldehyde in a thirty minute time period. The estimated distance to the toxic endpoint is 0.25 miles with area businesses in the a ffected zone. Ethylene Oxide The alternative case scenario selected is a 1-inch diameter rupture in the 2-inch unloading line from the ethylene oxide railcar, resulting in a release of 1685 pounds of ethylene oxide in a ten minute time period. The estimated distance to the toxic endpoint is 0.38 miles with area residences and businesses in the affected zone. We are using this information to help us ensure that our emergency response plan and the community emergency response plan address all reasonable contingency cases. 4.0 OVERVIEW OF ACCIDENTAL RELEASE PREVENTION PROGRAMS We take a systematic, proactive approach to preventing accidental releases of hazardous chemicals. Our management systems address each o the key features of successful prevention programs including. 7 Process safety information 7 Process hazard analysis 7 Operating procedures 7 Training 7 Mechanical integrity 7 Management of change 7 Pre-startup reviews 7 Compliance audits 7 Incident investigation 7 Employ ee participation 7 Hot work permitting 7 Contractor safety These individual elements of our prevention program work together to prevent accidental chemical releases. Our company and our employees are committed to the standard that these management systems set for the way we do business, and we have specific accountabilities and controls to ensure that we are meeting our own high standards for accident prevention. 5.0 FIVE-YEAR ACCIDENT HISTORY We keep records for all significant accidental chemical releases that occur at our facility. The following is a brief summary of accidental chemical releases involving materials covered under EPA's RMP rule during the past five years: We have had two accidental releases of chlorine in the past five years. The largest release was 1000 pounds on 1/4/96, which resulted in four onsite injuries. No one offsite was injured, but many in the greater Williamsport area were asked to shelter-in-place as a precautionary measure. The 11/15/98 relea se was small and contained within the plant, but did result in one onsite injury. For each of these incidents, we have conducted formal incident investigations to identify and correct the root causes of the events. 6.0 EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAM We maintain an integrated contingency plan, which consolidates all of the various federal, state, and local regulatory requirements for emergency response planning. Our program provides the essential planning and training for effectively protecting workers, the public, and the environment during emergency situations. Furthermore, we coordinate our plan with the community emergency response plan. We also installed an emergency siren located on the eastern edge of the plant boundary to quickly notify our closest neighbors in the event of an accidental release. We have a trained emergency response team on site, and if necessary we coordinate with Williamsport Area Fire Department for handling larger emergency incidents. Our emergency re sponse team has incident command, fire, and HAZMAT training and drills with the Lycoming County LEPC. 7.0 PLANNED CHANGES TO IMPROVE SAFETY algroup lonza subscribes to the Chemical Manufacturers' Association Responsible Care initiative, which provides for continuous improvements in all aspects of our safety, health and environmental programs. In addition, the plant safety program includes safety observations and safety alerts as well as celebrations of safety milestone achievements. |