FIELDALE FARMS CORP. MURRAYVILLE COMPLEX - Executive Summary

| Accident History | Chemicals | Emergency Response | Registration | Source | Executive Summary |

1.0  ACCIDENTAL RELEASE PREVENTION AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE POLICIES 
 
AT FIELDALE FARMS CORPORATION, WE ARE COMMITTED TO OPERATING AND MAINTAINING ALL OF OUR PROCESSES (ESPECIALLY THOSE USING HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES) IN A SAFE AND RESPONSIBLE MANNER.  WE USE A COMBINATION OF ACCIDENTAL RELEASE PREVENTION PROGRAMS AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLANNING PROGRAMS TO HELP ENSURE THE SAFETY OF OUR EMPLOYEES AND THE PUBLIC AS WELL AS PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT.  THIS DOCUMENT PROVIDES A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE COMPREHENSIVE RISK MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES THAT WE HAVE DESIGNED AND IMPLEMENTED, INCLUDING: 
 
*A DESCRIPTION OF OUR FACILITY AND USE OF SUBSTANCES REGULATED BY EPA'S RMP REGULATION 
*A SUMMARY OF RESULTS FROM OUR ASSESSMENT OF THE POTENTIAL OFFSITE CONSEQUENCES FROM ACCIDENTAL CHEMICAL RELEASES 
*AN OVERVIEW OF OUR ACCIDENTAL RELEASE PREVENTION PROGRAMS 
*A FIVE-YEAR ACCIDENT HISTORY FOR ACCIDENTAL RELEASES OF CHEMICALS REGULATED BY EPA'S RMP RULE 
*AN OVERVIEW OF OUR EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAM 
*AN OVE 
RVIEW OF PLANNED IMPROVEMENTS AT THE FACILITY TO HELP ACCIDENTAL CHEMICAL RELEASES FROM OCCURRING AND ADVERSELY AFFECTING OUR EMPLOYEES, THE PUBLIC, AND THE ENVIRONMENT 
 
 
2.0  STATIONARY SOURCE AND REGULATED SUBSTANCES 
 
OUR FACILITY PROCESSES POULTRY.  ANHYDROUS AMMONIA IS USED IN THE REFRIGERATION EQUIPMENT TO KEEP THE POULTY COOL OR FROZEN DURING PROCESSING OR STORAGE.  ANHYDROUS AMMONIA HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED BY THE EPA AS HAVING THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE SIGNFICANT OFFSITE CONSEQUENCES IN THE EVENT OF A SUBSTANTIAL ACCIDENTAL RELEASE.  OUR FACILITY QUALIFIES AS A RISK MANAGEMENT PROGRAM 3 FACILITY BECAUSE WE ALSO ARE COVERED BY OSHA'S PROCESS SAFETY MANAGEMENT RULE (29 CFR 1910.119). 
 
TOXICS 
 
ANHYDROUS AMMONIA IS A TOXIC GAS REGULATED BY EPA UNDER THE CLEAN AIR ACT SECTION 112(R) RISK MANAGEMENT PROGRAM (RMP) RULE.  FIELDALE FARMS CORPORATION HAS ANHYDROUS AMMONIA IN VARIOUS INTERCONNECTED VESSELS, PIPING AND EQUIPMENT WHICH MAKE UP OUR AMMONIA REFRIGERATION SYSTEM.  OUR REFRIGERATION SY 
STEM CONTAINS IN EXCESS OF THE 10,000-POUND THRESHOLD QUANTITY AND IS REQUIRED TO COMPLY WITH 40 CFR 68 IN ADDITION TO 29 CFR 1910.119. 
 
OUR ACCIDENTAL RELEASE PREVENTION PROGRAMS AND OUR CONTINGENCY PLANNING EFFORTS HELP US EFFECTIVELY MANAGE THE HAZARDS THAT ARE POSED TO OUR EMPOLYEES, THE PUBLIC, AND THE ENVIRONMENT BY OUR USE OF THESE CHEMICALS. 
 
 
3.0  KEY OFFSITE CONSEQUENCE ANALYSIS SCENARIOS 
 
EPA'S RMP RULE REQUIRES THAT WE PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT THE WORST-CASE RELEASE SCENARIO(S) AND ALTERNATIVE RELEASE SCENARIO(S) FOR OUR FACILITY.  THE FOLLOWING ARE BRIEF SUMMARIES OF THE SCENARIOS, INCLUDING INFORMATION ABOUT THE KEY ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROLS AND MITIGATION MEASURES TO LIMIT THE EXPOSURE DISTANCES FOR EACH SCENARIO: 
 
WORST CASE RELEASE SCENARIO(S)--REGULATED TOXIC CHEMICALS 
 
OUR WORST CASE TOXIC RELEASE SCENARIO IS THE FAILURE OF OUR LARGEST STORAGE TANK WHEN FILLED TO THE GREATEST AMOUNT OF ANHYDROUS AMMONIA. THIS SCENARIO WOULD RELEASE 17,400 POUNDS OF ANHYDROUS AMMONIA I 
N 10 MINUTES TO FORM A TOXIC VAPOR CLOUD.  COMPANY POLICY (ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROL) AND PRACTICES PUBLISHED BY THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUE OF AMMONIA REFRIGERTION (IIAR-CONSENSUS STANDARD) LIMIT THE MAXIMUM FILLING CAPACITY OF THIS TANK TO 80 PERCENT AT APPROXIMATELY 70 DEGREES F.  ACCORDING TO EPA'S OFFSITE CONSEQUENCE ANALYSIS LOOKUP TABLES, THE DISTANCE TO THE TOXIC ENDPOINT (200 PPM) IS 2.2  MILES.  THERE WERE APPORXIMATELY 2,417 PEOPLE LIVING WITHIN A 2.2 MILE RADIUS OF OUR PLANT  ACCORDING TO THE 1990 U..S. CENSUS AND RECORDED IN LANDVIEW III SOFTWARE OBTAINED FROM THE U.S. BUREAU OF THE CENSUS.  THERE IS A SCHOOL, A U.S. POST OFFICE, RECREATION AREA AND NUMEROUS RESIDENCES WITHIN THIS DISTANCE. WE HAVE IDENTIFIED NO ENVIRONMENTAL RECEPTORS WITHIN THIS DISTANCE.    
 
THE ALTERNATIVE RELEASE SCENARIO(S)--REGULATED TOXIC CHEMICALS 
 
THE ALTERNATIVE TOXIC RELEASE SCENARIO FOR OUR FACILITY IS A RELIEF VALVE FAILURE RESULTING IN A TOXIC GAS RELEASE.  WE ASSUME THE 600-POUND RELEASE OF ANH 
YDROUS AMMONIA WOULD BE LIMITED BY APPLICATION OF PROPER EMERGENCY SHUTDOWM OPERATION PROCEDURES.  THIS POTENTIAL RELEASE RESULTS IN A DISTANCE TO TOXIC ENDPOINT (200PPM) AT 0.19 MILES (1,000 FEET). ACCORDING TO THE 1990 U.S. CENSUS AND RECORDED IN LANDVIEW III SOFTWARE OBTAINED FROM THE U.S. CENSUS BUREAU APPROXIMATELY 32 WERE LIVING WITHIN THIS DISTANCE.  THERE IS A U.S. POST OFFICE AND SEVERAL RESIDENCES WITHIN THAT DISTANCE.    
 
WORST-CASE RELEASE SCENARIO(S)--REGULATED FLAMMABLE CHEMICALS 
 
NOT APPLICABLE 
 
ALTERNATIVE RELEASE SCENARIO(S)--REGULATED FLAMMABLE CHEMICALS 
 
NOT APPLICABLE 
 
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  GENERAL ACCIDENTAL RELEASE PREVENTION PROGRAM AND CHEMICAL  SPECIFIC PREVENTION STEPS 
 
WE TAKE A SYSTEMATIC, PROACTIVE APPROACH TO PREVENTING ACCIDENTAL RELEASES OF HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS.  OUR MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS ADDRESS EACH OF THE KE 
Y FEATURES OF SUCCESSFUL PREVENTION PROGRAMS INCLUDING: 
 
*PROCESS SAFETY INFORMATION 
*PROCESS HAZARD ANALYSIS 
*OPERATING PROCEDURES 
*TRAINING 
*MECHANICAL INTEGRITY 
*MANAGEMENT OF CHANGE 
*PRE-STARTUP REVIEW 
*COMPLIANCE AUDITS 
*INCIDENT INVESTIGATION 
*EMPLOYEE PARTICIPATION 
*HOT WORK PERMIT 
*CONTRACTORS 
 
AS PART OF OUR PREVENTION EFFORTS, WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED THE FOLLOWING CHEMICAL SPECIFIC PREVENTION STEPS: 
 
1. A PROCESS SAFETY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM UNDER 29 CFR 1910.199 THE PROCESS SAFETY MANAGEMENT (PSM) RULE. 
2. AMMONIA REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS DESIGNED, INSTALLED AND MAINTAINED IN ACCORDANCE WITH INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF AMMONIA REFRIGERATION (IIAR) CONSENSUS STANDARDS. 
3. TRAINING, PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE, AND OTHER SPECIFIC PROGRAMS WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE PSM RULE AND IIAR RECOMMENDED PRACTICE. 
 
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 S 
YSTEMS 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.  WITHIN THE PAST FIVE YEARS, FIELDALE FARMS CORPORATION MURRAYVILLE COMPLEX HAS NOT HAD AN ACCIDENT INVOLVING AMMONIA WHICH CAUSED  DEATHS, PROPERTY, OR ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE, EVACUATIONS OR SHELTERINGS IN PLACE. 
 
 
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. 
 
IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY INVOLVING THE AMMONIA REFR 
IGERATION SYSTEMS, IT IS OUR POLICY TO NOTIFY BOTH THE HALL COUNTY  EMA  AND THE HALL COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT.  NORMALLY, WE REACH THEM BY TELEPHONE  (911).  WE REQUEST THEY RESPOND TO THE EMERGENCY.  WE HAVE DISCUSSED THIS POLICY WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS AND MEMBERS OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS HAVE BEEN INVITED TO VISIT OUR FACILITY.  
 
7.0 PLANNED CHANGES TO IMPROVE SAFETY
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