Westway Terminal Company, Inc. - Executive Summary |
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Westway Terminal Company, Inc., operates a chemical storage and distribution terminal located near Berth 70/71 on Signal Street in San Pedro, California. A variety of chemicals arrive at the terminal via tank truck, railcar, ocean-going ships and barges. Liquid vinyl acetate (VA) arrives by railcar, is pumped into storage tank #2, and from there is shipped outbound via tank truck. Westway Terminal Company, Inc. is committed to safety at all of our sites. Top management supports our safety committment and all employees are trained in product safety, process safety, and emergency response procedures. The Terminal's Emergency Response Plan is contained in the HS&E Manual, the Emergency Action Plan, OPA Plan and SPCC Plan. These manuals contain response plans to address various emergency situations, which include fire, ground spill, water spill, earthquake, first aid, and evacuation. All operators have received at least 24 hours of HAZWOPER training and if they are present at the te rminal at the time of an incident, they are expected to serve in an appropriate capacity on the emergency response team under the incident command system (ICS). All employees are trained to recognize an incident, isolate the area, and notify. Tank #2 is an ordinary, vertical-cylindrical, atmospheric storage vessel constructed of carbon steel using API 12C standards, with an aluminum floating roof. The tank has a 35 foot diameter and a height of 30 feet; with the floating roof in place, the maximum storage volume is 189,000 gallons; however, the maximum inventory allowed is 154,459 gallons and is the inventory level used in worst-case calculations. The diked area surrounding Tank #2 is 21577 square feet. The following supporting technical studies have been conducted: HAZOP Checklist: Participants: William Marshall, Westway, Operations Manager Jane Besch, Westway, Regulatory Compliance Manager Offsite Consequence Analysis: Participants: Jane Besch, Westway, Regulatory Compliance Manager (using RMP*Comp) Seismic Study: Participants: Mr. Wen Tong, EQE International, Associate Harry Hill, Westway,Manager of Engineering and Maintenance Management Audit: Participants: William Marshall, Westway, Operations Manager Michael LaCavera, Westway, Terminal Manager RMP Development: Participants: Jane Besch, Westway, Regulatory Compliance Manager The Offsite Consequences Analysis (OCA) (calculations were made using RMP*Comp) showed that in the event of a major earthquake, when more than 150,000 gallons of VA could be released into the diked area, individuals within 2.8 miles downwind of the source could be exposed to vapor concentrations at the toxic endpoint of 0.26 mg/L. (Please note that the residential population affected, as reported in this RMP assumes the maximum radius from the release. In reality, when taking into consideration prevailing winds , the residential population affected is significantly less). If a transfer line broke and released 200 gallons of liquid, the study showed that individuals within 0.1 miles downwind of the source could be exposed to concentrations at the toxic endpoint of 0.26 mg/L. At exposures as high as 10 ppm (the TLV) this product is mildly irritating, but not life threatening. A simple yet effective response from a resident downwind of a vapor would be to go indoors, turn off all air conditioners, fans and air circulation devices and wait for the VA cloud to dissipate. No accidents have occurred at this facility involving VA since it has been stored and handled at this site (since March 1983). All recommendations made by the seismic consultants for improvements to the vinyl acetate will be completed by September 1, 1999, with the majority being completed by June 30, 1999. |