E&J Gallo Winery - Modesto - Executive Summary |
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - RISK MANAGEMENT PLAN The E&J Gallo Winery is located at 600 Yosemite Blvd. in Modesto, California. The facility receives bulk shipments of wine and distilled spirits by tanker truck, and rail tank car, stores the product in tanks and oak barrels for aging, and performs processing and bottling of consumer wine products. The facility operates six anhydrous ammonia refrigeration plants to provide product cooling. Refrigeration systems have a storage vessel (receiver) sized to contain all the liquid ammonia in the system, with 15% additional capacity for thermal expansion. The ammonia refrigeration system is a closed loop heat transfer system. Ammonia moves through the system due to pressure differences produced by the compressor. Heat is transferred to liquid ammonia refrigerant in the chiller unit, causing vaporization of the refrigerant. The vapor moves to the evaporative condenser where heat is transferred through the walls of metal tubing to flowing air and water, and the refrigerant is condensed back to a liquid. A brief description of the ammonia refrigeration cycle follows: 1. The receiver vessel stores liquid ammonia under pressure. High pressure liquid ammonia flows from the receiver through liquid lines to the expansion valve, which partitions the pressure and temperature. Liquid ammonia at reduced pressure and temperature is then piped into the chiller shell. Product is circulated through sealed stainless steel tubing within the chiller shell. Heat from the warm product transfers through the tubing walls to the cooler refrigerant, causing liquid refrigerant to boil off as low pressure vapor. The rate of vaporization, and thereby the cooling of product, is determined by the amount of pressure in the chiller as controlled by a back pressure regulator, and suction from the compressors. 2. The compressors draw the low pressure vapor from the chiller, compress it into high pressure vapor, and discharge to the evaporative condenser (cooling tower). 3. In the evaporative condenser, ammonia vapor flows through tubing which is sprayed with water and located within fan driven air flow to promote cooling. The high pressure ammonia vapor transfers heat through the tubing walls to the flowing water, and condenses back to a liquid which drains by gravity back to the receiver vessel. In addition to ammonia refrigeration systems, the facility uses anhydrous ammonia to produce ammonium hydroxide solution, and to adjust the pH of wastewater prior to discharge to the city sewer system. Hazardous Material Processes - Federal RMP Ammonia Systems - Nine Processes - Federal Program Level 3: Refrigeration Plant 1 - Federal Program Level 3 Receiver vessel = cap 4,507 gal x 85% = 3831 gal Refrigeration Plant 2 - Federal Program Level 3 Receiver vessel = cap 2,829 gal x 85% = 2405 gal Refrigeration Plant 3 - Federal Program Level 3 Two interconnected receiver vessels #102065 and #102067 capacity 1,202 gal each = 2404 gal x 85% = 2043 gal Refrigeration Plant 6 - Federal Program Level 3 Receiver vessel = cap 2,829 gal x 85% = 2405 gal Refrigeration Plant 7 - Federal Program Level 3 Receiver vessel = cap 2,892 gal x 85% = 2458 gal Ammonium Hydroxide Production System - Federal Program Level 3 Storage tank #6 = cap 3,046 gal x 85% = 2589 gal Sump Wastewater pH Adjustment System - Federal Program Level 3 Storage vessel = cap 12,475 gal x 85% = 10,604 gal = 54,823 lbs. FIVE YEAR ACCIDENT HISTORY In the five year period prior to this submission, the E&J Gallo Winery has experienced no accidents involving RMP covered processes resulting in injury or evacuation of employees or the public. TOXIC WORST CASE RELEASE SCENARIO: The worst case release scenario was determined in accordance with requirements of the California Accidental Release Prevention Program. This requires modeling the offsite consequences of a total catastrophic failure of the largest storage vessel, with all product within t he vessel dispersing into the air within ten minutes. Under pessimistic weather conditions (stability F, wind speed 1.5 meters per second) ammonia was predicted to reach the toxic endpoint of 200 parts per million in air at a distance of 1.6 miles from the source. Land within this zone is characterized as urban. This is an unrealistic scenario and highly unlikely to ever occur. Among other things, it does not take into account the plants safety programs and specific operational and prevention programs. TOXIC ALTERNATIVE RELEASE SCENARIO: An alternative offsite release scenario would involve damage to liquid ammonia piping at a chiller due to contact from motorized equipment operating in the area. If damage was sufficient to cause a failure, it could occur at a flange due to bolt failure, and result in a 1 square inch opening. The release of liquid ammonia from the opening could be expelled into the air and onto the concrete surface below the chiller. Under more likely weath er conditions (stability C, wind speed 5 meters per second) the predicted distance to the 200 ppm toxic endpoint would be 0.43 mile from the source. Land within this zone is characterized as urban. ACCIDENTAL RELEASE PREVENTION The E&J Gallo Winery employs refrigeration mechanics, supported by refrigeration engineers. The refrigeration system is maintained through the implementation of a scheduled preventive maintenance program based upon standard industry practices, and many years of practical experience. Employees required to operate ammonia refrigeration equipment receive training specific to their assigned duties. EMERGENCY RESPONSE The facility coordinates emergency response through the Security Department. In the event of a reportable chemical release, notifications will be made to the appropriate agencies including the Stanislaus County Environmental Resources Department, the Consolidated Fire Department, the City of Modesto Public Works Department Industrial Was te Division, the State Office of Emergency Services, and the Federal National Response Center. Gallo security officers, management and members of the in-house emergency response team would respond to the site, and work with public emergency response personnel in mitigating the problem. PLANNED CHANGES TO IMPROVE SAFETY A Hazard and Operability Study (HAZOPS) of the ammonia systems was performed during 1994. The study team was composed of engineering, refrigeration maintenance, and management personnel from E&J Gallo Winery. As a result of the study, numerous improvements were made to existing systems, and included in major renewal and upgrade projects. |