PHOENIX INDUSTRIES - Executive Summary |
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PHOENIX INDUSTRIES WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1978 AS A PUBLIC WAREHOUSE AND DISTRIBUTION CENTER. THE SITE FORMERLY OPERATED AS A CITRUS PACKING AND PROCESSING FACILITY. PHOENIX IS COMPRISED OF APPROXIMATELY 238,000 SQUARE FEET UNDER ROOF, OF WHICH: 163,000 SQUARE FEET ARE OPERATED AT MULTIPLE TEMPERATURES UNDER AMMONIA REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS (3), IN EACH OF THE 12 COOLER/FREEZER STRUCTURES (RANGING FROM O DEGREES TO AMBIENT; AND, 75,000 SQUARE FEET ARE OPERATED AS DRY WAREHOUSES (AMBIENT). AS A RULE, PHOENIX ONLY STORES AND DISTRIBUTES PACKAGED FOOD AND FOOD RELATED PRODUCTS. PACKAGED FOOD INCLUDES: CITRUS CONCENTRATES, USDA COMMODITIES, GROCERY ITEMS, INGREDIENTS FOR FOOD PROCESSORS AND MANUFACTURERS, AND SOME NON-RELATED BUILDING PRODUCTS SUCH AS PUMPS AND THRESHOLDS. FOOD RELATED PRODUCTS INCLUDE: CARDBOARD PACKAGING MATERIALS, EMPTY CONTAINERS, ETC. THOSE BUILDINGS UNDER AMMONIA REFRIGERATION ARE OPERATED BY THREE SEPARATE AND DISTINCT AMMONIA COMPRESSOR SYSTEMS (MOTOR ROOMS 1,2,A ND3). ALL SYSTEMS AND FACILITY INTERIORS, AS WELL AS EXTERIOR GROUNDS ARE MONITORED AROUND THE CLOCK, 365 DAYS PER YEAR BY ON-SITE PERSONNEL, AS WELL AS AN EXTENSIVE SAFETY ARRAY, INCLUDING: AMMONIA DETECTION DEVICES,ALARMS, RELAYS, PROTECTIVE SHUT-DOWN SYSTEMS (AUTOMATIC AND MANUAL), CONTRACTED SECURITY AND MONITORING SERVICES, AND AN AGGRESSIVE, PROACTIVE RISK CONTROL COMMITTMENT FROM THE OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT OF THE COMPANY. MOTOR ROOM NR. 1 SERVICES 90,000 SQUARE FEET WHICH INCLUDES 7 SEPARATE BUILDINGS, AND IS LOCATED SOUTHERNMOST ON THE PHOENIX PROPERTY. THIS LOCATION IS NOT THE SITE CONSIDERED FOR BOTH WORST AND ALTERNATIVE CASE SCENARIOS INVOLVING THE RELEASE OF ANHYDROUS AMMONIA, EVEN THOUGH THIS LOCATION IS APPROXIMATELY .1 MILE FROM THE CLOSEST PUBLIC RECEPTOR--SNIVELY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL; RATHER, MOTOR ROOM NR. 3 IS CLASSIFIED FOR BOTH WORST AND ALTERNATIVE AS THE LARGEST VESSEL RULE APPLIES (40 CFR PART 68). OTHER, LESS POPULATED PUBLIC RECEPTORS WITHIN THE TOXIC END PO INT AS ESTABLISHED VIA EPA OFFSITE CONSEQUENCE ANALYSIS (RMP COMP/ALOHA/MARPLOT SOFTWARE PROGRAMS), ARE: ARR-MAZ PRODUCTS, ALTERMAN TRUCK LINES AND THE FRESH JUICE COMPANY. THE ESTIMATED POPULATION WITHIN THE ALTERNATIVE CASE CONSEQUENCE ANALYSIS IS 1,000 DURING SCHOOL HOURS, AND THE SAME FOR THE WORST CASE ANALYSIS. ALTERMAN AND FRESH JUICE BOTH OPERATE SIMILAR AMMONIA REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; CONSEQUENTLY, ALL THREE COMPANIEW WORK CLOSELY IN COORDINATING TROUBLESHOOTING, REPAIR ASSISTANCE, AND EXCHANGING INFORMATION. SNIVELY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CLASSES HAVE VISITED PHOENIX FOR "FIELD TRIPS" AND PHOENIX IS ESTABLISHED AS A BUSINESS PARTNER WITH THE SCHOOL. THE CHEMICAL SAFETY RECORD AT PHOENIX INDUSTRIES HAS BEEN EXCELLENT. DURING THE PAST 20 YEARS, THERE HAVE BEEN NO REPORTABLE RELEASES OF AMMONIA, NO TREATABLE INJURIES ASSOCIATED WITH AMMONIA, AND NO ACCIDENTS WITH AMMONIA. CONSTANT VIGILANCE, METICULOUS RECORDKEEPING TO EVALUATE PROPER AMMONIA SYSTEM OPERATION, CONTINUOUS SAFETY TRAINING, AND PLANNED MAINTENANCE HAVE CREATED A SAFE WORK SITE AND A SAFE NEIGHBORHOOD. THE FIRST RESPONDER TO ANY CALL FOR ASSISTANCE INVOLVING A TOXIC REPORTABLE RELEASE IS THE POLK COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT (HAZMAT CAPABLE). PHOENIX ROUTINELY PRACTICES DRILLS SIMULATING A TOXIC RELEASE, TESTING RESPONSE OF BOTH PERSONNEL AND EQUIPMENT. PHOENIX IS REGISTERED WITH THE STATE OF FLORIDA AND POLK COUNTY EMERGENCY RESPONSE COMMISSIONS (LERC DISTRICT 7). FIRE DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL ROUTINELY INSPECT THE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR FACILITIES AND OPERATING EQUIPMENT TO KEEP THEMSELVES FAMILIARIZED WITH WAREHOUSE CONTENTS, FIRE HYDRANT LOCATIONS AND FLOW TESTS, AND GENERAL OPERATING PARAMETERS. THE FIRST RESPONDER ALSO MAINTAINS UP-TO-DATE CAD SCHEMATIC PINPOINTING LOCATIONS OF ON-SITE EMERGENCY RESPONSE TOOLS, EQUIPMENT, AND POTENTIAL HOT SPOTS. IT IS TO BE REEMPHASIZED THAT WHILE PHOENIX REFRIGERATION PERSONNEL ARE TRAINED TO RESPOND TO INCIDENTAL, OPERATIONAL RELEASES AND SUBSEQUENT REPAIRS, PHOENIX WILL RELY ON THE POLK COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT AND HAZMAT/HAZERT TRAINED PROFESSIONALS FOR ULTIMATE EMERGENCY RESPONSE. |