Following the West Fertilizer catastrophic explosion in West, Texas a need arises in untangling the confusion between fertilizer plants and businesses primarily engaged in the merchant wholesale distribution of farm supplies, such as: animal feeds, fertilizers, agricultural chemicals, pesticides, plant seeds and plant bulbs. Thank you. Support your Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC).

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Fertilizer Plants
101
So What Does a Fertilizer
Plant Look Like?

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Examples
Fertilizer Plants
• NAICS 325311 Nitrogenous Fertilizer Mfg.
• NAICS 325312 Phosphatic Fertilizer Mfg.
• NAICS 325314 Fertilizer (Mixing Only) Mfg.
North American Industry Classification System (NAICS)

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Fertilizer Plant

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Fertilizer Plant

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Fertilizer Plant

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OSHA
Process Safety Management (PSM)
Violations-07/28/2011
(Fertilizer Plant)
• 1910.119(d) Process safety information.
• 1910.119(e) Process hazard analysis.
• 1910.119(f) Operating procedures
• 1910.119(j) Mechanical integrity
• 1910.119(k) Hot work permit.
• 1910.119(l) Management of change.
• 1910.119(o) Compliance Audits

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Grain and Field Bean
Merchant Wholesalers
Adair Grain Inc.
AKA, West Fertilizer
West, Texas
EPA
Risk Management Plan (RMP)

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Anhydrous Ammonia
DOT-Nonflammable
EPA Toxic Inhalation Hazard
Anhydrous Ammonia On-Site Process Safety
Controls:
•Pressure Relief Valves
•Excess Flow Valves
•Check Valves
•Manual Shutoff Source:
West Fertilizer
EPA Risk Management Plan

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DOT Nonflammable
Anhydrous Ammonia
• Sprinklers -No
• Water Deluge Systems-No
• Blast Walls-No
• Fire Walls-No
These engineering control measures
not required for nonflammables
Source:
West Fertilizer
EPA Risk Management Plan

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Ammonium Nitrate
• Hazard Class Division 5.1: Oxidizers
• Not an EPA-RMP Highly Hazardous Chemical
• Not an OSHA-PSM Highly Hazardous Chemical
• As a result not listed in EPA Risk Management Plan

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Merchant Wholesalers
Process Safety Management (PSM)
Exempt
PSM does not apply to a retail facility when more
than half (>50%) of the income is from sales of a
PSM-covered chemical to end users (farmers)
such as anhydrous ammonia.

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PSM Exemption
Example
Businesses primarily engaged in the merchant
wholesale distribution of farm supplies, such as:
• Animal feeds,
• Fertilizers
• Agricultural chemicals
• Pesticides
• Plant seeds and plant bulbs

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The Problem
Referring to agricultural wholesale/retail
establishments as fertilizer plants

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Result
Stakeholders not believing they have anything in
the magnitude of the West, Texas facility, since
they’re not a fertilizer manufacturer, yet have
businesses supplying fertilizer in bulk for
agricultural entities.

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Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
EPA Risk Management Plan
• 3,645 facilities
• 138 five-year accidents
• 3 deaths from 5-year accidents
• 191 injuries from 5-year accidents
• $209, 774 property damage from 5-year
accidents
Source: EPA Risk Management Plans

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Alternative Solution

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Offsite Consequence Analysis
&
Worst-Case Release Scenario Analysis
Flammables. Endpoints for flammables (Scenarios)
(i) Explosion. Overpressure of 1 psi.
(ii) Radiant heat/exposure time.
(iii) Lower flammability limit.
Source:
CFR Title 40: Protection of Environment
PART 68—CHEMICAL ACCIDENT PREVENTION PROVISIONS
Subpart B—Hazard Assessment

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So What Do You Think?
Thank You
Support your Local Emergency Planning
Committee (LEPC)