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Railway fined for ammonia reporting delay

Ammonia, California, News Briefs

Los Angeles-The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has disclosed that GATX Corp. has agreed to pay a $5,000 penalty and donate a $20,700 mercury analyzer for failure to immediately notify authorities of the 2008 release of ammonia at the GATX Colton, Calif., railcar repair facility. According to EPA, GATX delayed reporting the Sept. 9, 2008, release of 250 pounds of ammonia from the facility that was caused when an employee failed to follow company procedures for flaring ammonia from a tank car. “Companies such as the GATX Corp. may understand the importance of providing accurate and timely information about chemical releases, but they must take steps to make sure that happens, so emergency planners and responders can adequately prepare to protect their communities,” said Daniel Meer, assistant director for the EPA Pacific Southwest Region’s Superfund program. The ammonia release was first reported to the Colton Fire Department by employees of a nearby railroad facility. In violation of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), GATX failed to report the release to the National Response Center until more than 30 hours later. GATX also violated the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act by failing to immediately report this release to the California Emergency Management Agency for the State Emergency Response Commission. GATX has since taken steps to ensure its procedures are followed and installed equipment to prevent any similar releases in the future, EPA said.

TFI criticizes chem security and climate change bills

News

Washington-The U.S. House of Representatives on Nov. 5 began consideration of HR 2868, the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Act of 2009. The bill, which would permanently authorize and expand the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) that took effect in 2007 and expired this fall, was approved by the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Oct. 21 (GM Oct. 26, p. 13) and the House Homeland Security Committee last June (GM June 29, p. 1). It contains certain regulations criticized by the chemical and fertilizer industries, including an Inherently Safer Technologies (IST) provision that was absent from the original CFATS. The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) on Nov. 5 submitted a letter to all House members expressing its opposition to the legislation, saying it believes the bill would impose an increased regulatory burden on U.S. agriculture. TFI emphasized that the fertilizer industry considers homeland security to be a top priority and has a long-standing record of promoting safety and security of its products through their production, storage, transport, and use. However, TFI said it specifically objects to an IST provision, which it said “could well jeopardize the availability of widely used, lower-cost sources of essential plant nutrient products or certain agricultural pesticides used by farmers and ranchers.” Anhydrous ammonia and ammonium nitrate are normally cited as the fertilizer products most vulnerable to an IST provision. TFI concluded that it supports efforts to permanently authorize the regulations, but urges Congress to consider all of the regulatory and economic impacts the legislation will have on American agriculture and consumers. TFI also took aim at the U.S. Senate last week for the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee’s passage of S. 1733, the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act. “We were hopeful that this legislation would be better balanced and protect the environment and U.S. jobs; however the bill falls short of accomplishing either goal,” TFI said on Nov 5. TFI argued that any action the U.S. takes on climate change must be tied to broader global initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. “The U.S. fertilizer industry is internationally competitive and we need a strong domestic industry to ensure this valuable resource is available for our nation’s food security,” TFI said. “Moreover, the domestic fertilizer industry has taken steps to reduce emissions at its production facilities and in the field; but the current bill does not recognize these efforts.” TFI said it remains optimistic that when other committees take up the bill, they will recognize the role that food production and fertilizer plays in the U.S. economy. “In any future action, the Senate must be deliberate and consider the long term implications climate change legislation will have for the U.S. economy,” TFI said.

Tanker rollover on Calif. highway spills CAN17

Calcium Ammonium Nitrate
Coalinga, Calif.-A fertilizer tanker truck carrying 4,000 gallons of calcium ammonium nitrate rolled over west of Coalinga on Oct. 30 and spilled approximately 1,000 gallons of the load, according to the California Highway Patrol (CHP). The driver was reported to have suffered minor injuries, but reports of his being airlifted from the scene were incorrect, stated CHP spokesman Chris Webber. Webber said first responders worked to contain the fertilizer, which is considered non-flammable but in some cases could be explosive if mixed with fuel. A cleanup crew was brought in afterwards to finish the work, Webber reported. He said the cause of the accident is still under investigation, but the damage wasn’t serious to the tanker, which was uprighted by heavy-duty tow trucks and removed from the scene. Highway 198 was closed in both directions for nearly five hours. According to the MSDS, CAN17 is non-hazardous in normal industrial use but can cause systemic ammonia poisoning and nitrate poisoning if ingested. While there are no problems caused by inhaling the compound, it can cause irritation if it comes in contact with the eyes and the skin.