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 Dodge City Fire Department. This facility produces beef products 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. The facility has two separate refrigeration systems, each of which contains in excess of the regulatory threshold. The refrigeration systems include receiving tanks, compressors, chillers, freezers, condensers, and associated piping, valves, and other equipment. Our worst-case release scenario is a failure of an accumulator tank, resulting in a release of 69,000 pounds of ammonia. This quantity of ammonia would rarely be present in the accumulator. During normal operations, the accumulator is approximately 20 percent full (14,000 pounds). The distance to endpoint for this scenario is 4.7 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 4.7 miles of the facility include residences, schools, hospitals, 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 approximately 5,400 pounds of ammonia resulting from a forklift striking and damaging a high-side receiver tank. The quantity of ammonia released for this sce nario was determined to be 5,400 pounds. The distance to endpoint for the alternative release scenario is 0.8 miles. Public receptors identified within 0.8 miles of the facility include residences, industrial facilities, and a recreational area. 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 processes and in their specific job functions. If an incident does occur, it is thoroughly investigated and the findings of the investigati on 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 not had an accident involving ammonia that resulted in any on-site deaths, injuries, or significant property damage; or that resulted in any offsite deaths, injuries, property damage, environmental damage, evacuations, or shelterings in place. In the event of an emergency involving ammonia, we will implement our emergency response plan. If necessary, we will also notify the Dodge City 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. |