PSM and RMP Citations/Analysis

Respondent owns and operates a food oil products manufacturing and distribution facility which is engaged in packaging margarine, liquid oil and shortenings. Respondent operates a closed loop refrigeration system which utilizes or utilized anhydrous ammonia at the Facility. Respondent uses and stores 13,800 lbs. of anhydrous ammonia in the refrigeration system. The Facility is subject…...

Respondent owns an ice production operation and two refrigerated warehousing storage operations which consist of two separate ammonia closed-loop refrigeration system processes. Both processes have refrigerated and frozen storage space using industry standard mechanical refrigeration designs including multiple cooling coils (evaporators), heat rejection towers (condensers), rotary screw compressors, and ammonia service pressure vessels. At the single…...

On November 1, 2016 through November 4, 2016, representatives from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region IX conducted an inspection of a refinery to determine compliance with the Risk Management Program (RMP). The preliminary findings of the inspection and additional information request were sent to the refinery and several agencies on March 27, 2017…....

Violation Summary   Serious Willful Repeat Other Unclass Total Initial Violations 15         15 Current Violations 15         15 Initial Penalty $128,562         $128,562 Current Penalty $75,000         $75,000   Violation Items # ID Type Standard Curr$ Init$ LastEvent 1. 01001 Serious 1910.119(d)Process…...

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…...

Lack of emergency planning for ammonia leaks put workers at a beverage plant in harm’s way three (3) times in the past year. As a result, the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) has fined the business $154,000 for multiple willful, serious and general workplace safety violations.  In each of the incidents, when the leaks…...

Respondent owned and operated a pesticide and specialty chemical manufacturing facility located in Louisiana. On January 8, 2014, EPA Region 6 conducted an on-site CAA 40 C.F.R. Part 68 and Section 112(r) Partial Compliance Evaluation of the Facility. The facility has 11 regulated substances that are held above the threshold quantities identified in 40 C.F.R.§…...

Respondent owns and operates a facility in Houston, Texas. The Facility processes, handles, and/or stores regulated substances and other extremely hazardous substances, including ethylene and ethylene oxide.  The Facility has a number of laboratory and pilot plant processes, including a Reversible Acid Pretreatment Pilot Plant (RAPT PP) and an Ethylene Oxide Pilot Plant (EOPP). On February…...

Respondent has submitted and registered an RMPlan to the EPA for its Stationary Source and has developed an RMProgram accidental release prevention program for the Stationary Source. At its Stationary Source, the Respondent operates a river barge terminal. The facility stores anhydrous ammonia and blends fertilizers for sale to farmers and cooperatives. Anhydrous ammonia is received…...

A cryogenic natural gas liquid (“NGL”) facility with capacity to process approximately 1.0 billion cubic feet per day of raw natural gas while recovering around 1.4 gallons per million cubic feet of NGL product in the ethane rejection mode of operation suffered a release of approximately 19,000 pounds of NGL at the truck loading area…...

OSHA issued the nine citations and fined a refinery $164,775 for process safety lapses resulting in a Nov. 22 fire that injured six workers.  8 of the 9 citations were “serious” and each carried a fine of $12,675. The ninth, listed as a “repeat,” was $63,373.  The refinery is contesting the citations and associated penalties.  The…...

Respondent operates a natural gas processing plant where raw natural gas is received via pipeline and processed to remove heavy natural gas liquids (NGLs) (i.e., butane, ethane, methane, pentane, propane, isobutane and isopentane ). After being processed and purified into a finished by-product, the NGL mixture is stored in pressurized tanks and transferred into tanker…...