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 Accident Prevention Provisions require an owner or operator to comply with process safety information requirements at 40 C.F.R. § 68.65(d)(l)(vi) and (d)(2), i.e., to compile process safety information pertaining to design codes and standards relevant to the equipment and to document that the equipment in the process complies with recognized and generally accepted good engineering practices. Recognized and generally accepted good engineering practices for mechanical refrigeration systems using anhydrous ammonia include those of the American National Standards Institute (“ANSI”), the American Society of Heating, refrigerating, and AirConditioning Engineers (“ASHRAE”), and the International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration (“IIAR”), EPA CEPP Alert #550-F-01-009 (Hazards of Ammonia Releases at Ammonia Refrigeration Facilities) and manufacturers’ recommendations, including the following: