PSM and RMP Citations/Analysis

Respondent owns and operates a facility that produces, processes, handles, and/or stores a regulated extremely hazardous substance, anhydrous ammonia. The facility uses anhydrous ammonia in a closed-circuit refrigeration system to produce and store ice. Though the ice maker process runs continually, employees are not normally present at the facility outside of business hours.  On March…...

Respondent owns and operates a soft drink manufacturing facility where it manufactures soft drinks and fills various can sizes and bottles for consumption. As a part of its manufacturing operations, the Facility utilizes a refrigeration cooling system, Ammonia is the refrigerant in the cooling system. The cooling system is used to lower the temperature at which…...

Respondent is a municipality operating two “stationary sources”, the Water Treatment Plant (WTP) and the Waste-Water Treatment Plant (WWTP). At the time of the inspection, respondent had submitted and registered RMPlans for each of its stationary sources at the WTP and the WWTP and had developed an RMProgram accidental release prevention program for each of…...

Respondent was engaged in the pork processing business and operated a closed-loop refrigeration system at the Facility which utilized anhydrous ammonia as a refrigerant. Respondent also owned and operated an anhydrous ammonia storage tank at the Facility. Respondent used and stored up to 153,000 lbs. of anhydrous ammonia in the Facility’s refrigeration system and stored…...

The Respondent’s facility consists of a large distribution warehouse, including a cold storage area, over 100 truck loading bays, 80 trucks, a truck maintenance garage, a diesel fueling depot, an administrative office, and an employee cafeteria and locker rooms. There is an approximately 1,500 square foot ammonia refrigeration machinery room (the “Machinery Room”) located at the…...

Respondent owns a combined-cycle cogeneration power plant facility. From approximately 1991 to December 2013, the Facility was operated as a combined-cycle cogeneration power plant. Beginning in April 2012, the Facility halted full-time operations and began operating one or two days per year in order to conduct ISO-New England capability tests; however, the ammonia refrigeration system…...

On September 1, 2016, EPA conducted a compliance inspection of the Respondent’s facility to determine compliance with the Chemical Accident Prevention Provisions (CAPP) regulations promulgated at 40 C.F.R. Part 68 under Section 112(r) of the CAA. The EPA found that the Respondent had violated regulations implementing Section 112(r) of the CAA by failing to comply…...

Information collected during the September 14, 2016 inspection of Respondent’s Facility revealed that Respondent failed to develop and implement a risk management program that complied with the requirements of 40 C.F.R. Part 68. EPA alleges that Respondent has violated the CAA and federal regulations promulgated pursuant to the CAA as follows: Count 1 Respondent failed…...

Respondent is the owner and operator or a commercial refrigeration facility that utilizes compressed anhydrous ammonia as the refrigerant. On or about January 28-29, 2015, EPA conducted an inspection at, and obtained information regarding the facility’s compliance with Sections 112(r)(1) and (7) of the CAA and the implementing regulations at 40 C.F.R. Part 68. Preliminary…...

Respondent operates a chemical manufacturing plant that has one RMProgram level 3 covered chemical manufacturing process, which stores or otherwise uses 1,3-Butadiene in an amount exceeding its applicable threshold of 10,000 pounds. On November 9, 2015, the EPA conducted an onsite inspection of the RMProgram related records and equipment for the purpose of assessing the…...

Respondent’s facility is a frozen food processing facility which primarily produces frozen dinners and entrees. As part of this process, Respondent uses ammonia in its plate freezers. On May 2, 2016 at approximately 2:35 p.m., a change in position of the stacking trays or plates located in Plate Freezer 1-6 caused the routine horizontality a1mm to…...

Respondent owns and operates a poultry processing facility which handles and stores approximately 49,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia in its ammonia refrigeration system. EPA conducted an inspection of the Facility on March 31, 2014 to determine Respondent’s compliance with CAA Section 112(r)(7) and the Chemical Accident Prevention Provisions at 40 C.F.R. Part 68. The Chemical…...