Respondent is food facility that produces frozen French fries and other potato products. It operates two (2) ammonia-based refrigeration systems at its facility. Both E1 and E2 contain refrigeration systems which use anhydrous ammonia as a coolant. On March 17, 2010, Respondent filed a program 3 RMP for the Facility (the “2010 RMP”), and updated it on September 20, 2013 (the “2013 RMP”). The 2010 and 2013 RMPs both reported that the E1 Process and the E2 process used 55,000 pounds and 26,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia, respectively. During the evening of February 22, 2014, a boiler operator at the Facility discovered a leak in the E1 Process that resulted in the release of approximately 770 pounds of anhydrous ammonia (the “February 2014 Release”). The leak was reported to the Easton Fire Department, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (“ME DEP”), the LEPC, the SERC, and the National Response Center.
NOTE: The inspection had to be suspended for a day while the EPA inspectors investigated an active leak caused by a failed gasket. You just know things are not going well when you gas the EPA inspectors!