Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 06251996 - D5 Contra TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS WJIa <., FROM: Ad Hoc Committee on Industrial Safety County Supervisor Jeff Smith Supervisor Mark DeSaulnier DATE: June 25, 1996 SUBJECT: Report on Shell Oil Company's Compliance with Land Use Permit No. 2009-92 SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATIONS FIND that Shell Oil Company is in compliance with Land Use permit No. 2009-92 (Conditions 2C, 22, 23, 80 and 81) ; FISCAL IMPACT None. BACKGROUND/REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS On April 23, 1996, the Board referred to this committee consideration of Shell Oil Company's compliance with land use permit conditions 2C, 22, 23,- 80 and 81. The addition of a safety officer from the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers (OCAW) , an accident review and audit implementation plan, and an air monitoring procedure would be used to make the decision regarding Shell 's compliance with these conditions. A. Safety Officer: Shell presented their plans for appointing a Health and Safety Representative from OCAW (refer to Attachment 2) . Shell and OCAW have discussed this issue since 1993 when it was raised as a National Oil Policy item during the contract negotiations. The Company expects to have an agreement signed within two weeks. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE(S) : /4f Smith Mark DeSaulnier ACTION OF BOARD ON June 25, 1996 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X�y Oil-HER X IT IS BY THE BOARD ORDERED that the recommendation as set forth above, regarding Shell Oil Company's Land Use Permit 42009-92 is APPROVED; and Coprunity Development staff is DIRECTED to report back to the Board on July 9, 1996, on concerns raised today, including the status of implementing the presence of a safety inspector. VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A X UNANIMOUS (ABSENT --- TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF AN AYES: NOES: ACTION TAKEN AND ENTERED ON THE ABSENT: ABSTAIN: MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. Orig: Catherine Kutsuris, CDD (5-1235) ATTESTED June 25, 1996 cc: Community Development Department Shell Oil (via CDD) PHIL BATCHELOR, CLERK OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND CO NTY ADMINISTRATOR BY � , DEPUTY COK\aw J:\6-25SHEL.B0 Shell Oil Company June 25, 1996 Page Two B. Accident Review and Audit: Shell reviewed their accident review and audit practices. The Committee requested Shell to expand the use of the Community Advisory Panel and notification to the public following an accident (refer to Attachment 1) . C. Air Monitorina: Shell reported on their air monitoring program (refer to Attachment 3) . The one year pilot program will operate through the end of 1996. Since the program is still in the pilot stage, the Committee did not request any changes at this time. j:\6-25shel.bo Attachment 1 SHELL MARTINEZ REFINING COMPANY INCIDENT INVESTIGATION/AUDIT PRACTICES INCIDENT INVESTIGATION The Incident Investigation for the April 1 fire serves as an example of our current practice. This investigation included a broad range of very qualified people, including three persons selected by OCAW to serve on the team along with a number of Shell Martinez engineers and experts from Shell's Westhollow Technology Center in Houston. The investigation required over a week of intensive study to assure that the true cause of the incident was identified. After the initial investigation a Root Cause Analysis Team was formed to be certain we understand all of the 'why' behind this failure. CalOSHA and the County Health Services Department have been apprised of the progress of the investigation teams and have interviewed some of the team members. The results of the investigation were also presented to the Shell Community Advisory Panel (CAP). A critique of the emergency response was conducted with firefighters and with the responding agencies. In addition, a public workshop is scheduled on June 12 at the City Council Chambers in Martinez that will provide the public an opportunity to make known their concerns. INTERNAL AUDITS A number of internal audits are conducted at the Shell Martinez Refining Company in the area of Process Safety. An OSHA PSM (Process Safety Management) Self Audit is conducted every three years under the direction of the Refinery PSM Steering Committee. This committee includes one member from IBEW and one member from OCAW. The actual audit team includes one member of OCAW and one member of IBEW. In addition, quarterly audits are conducted that include compliance with PSM along with compliance with other safety related standards. The audits are rotated around the departments in the refinery and are chartered by the joint Union/Management Health and Safety Committees. Every three to four years, a Shell Oil Company Corporate audit team comes to the Refinery to assure our compliance with both regulatory standards and Shell policy. AGENCY AUDITS The County Health Services Department conducts an annual inspection of compliance with the requirements of AB2185. The County can currently conduct audits that are process safety related through the auspices of the RMPP Program. PENDING REGULATION The Federal EPA RMP regulation was signed on May 24, 1996. This regulation is essentially a mirror of the OSHA Process Safety Management (PSM) regulation. It does add additional requirements for Off-site Consequence Analyses and a Risk Management Plan. The Administering Agency for this regulation in Contra Costa County will be the Health Services Department. EXPANSION OF INVOLVEMENT Shell commits to the continued inlcusion of Union representatives in the investigation of major incidents. Members of the Shell CAP are routinely updated on all Health and Safety Activities in the Complex. These updates will include results of incident investigations and audits. Shell also commits to conducting or participating in a public meeting following all major incidents with significant off-site impact to discuss results of the incident investigation and other appropriate issues related to the incident. Attachment 2 Shell Martinez Refining Company OCAW Health & Safety Rep Overview Background • Initially raised as National Oil Policy item by OCAW for 1993 contract negotiations • Many competitors of Shell, all with poorer safety records, reached agreement during or subsequent to 1993 negotiations Agreement in 1993 was for companies "to attempt to develop a plan for utilizing the union represented employees from the local bargaining unit toward the objective of improving health and safety in the plant." • Most competitors have reached an agreement for a Health & Safety Rep and have followed basic model acceptable to OCAW Covered areas include- - Employee Selection - Length of Assignment - - Job Duties - Pay - Training • Shell/OCAW had many follow-up discussions, including making formal offers, regarding the topic subsequent to 1993 negotiations, however, the parties could not reach formal agreement 1996 Negotiations • Brought forward by OCAW as negotiation item • Significant discussions took place trying to reach resolution on a couple of issues • Could not reach resolution at negotiating table • Agreed to resolve all other matters in negotiations and continue discussions after contract settlement and after formation of new company and appointment of CEO Recent Developments • Formation of_Shell Martinez Refining Company-4/1/96 • Discussions delayed due to April 1 incident • Informal discussions with local Union officials last few weeks • Talks are progressing well, expect to make a formal proposal soon • Optimistic that formal agreement will be reached b This Page Left Intentionally Blank Attachment 3 HIGHLIGHTS OF SHELL MARTINEZ REFINING COMPANY PILOT REMOTE OPTICAL MONITORING PROGRAM • The most probable material to be involved in an accidental release from a refinery is a hydrocarbon mixture. • The Hawk infra-red monitoring system is capable of detecting low level (less than 1 ppm) concentrations of hydrocarbon mixtures along a 257 meter path. • The pilot monitoring system was installed adjacent to Shell's fenceline near the residential area north of Pacheco Boulevard, in the Ace Hardware area. • Typical "background" levels monitored at the fenceline are in the same range as those monitored in the grassy area at the Martinez Waterfront Park. This area is typically upwind of the refinery. • Details of this fenceline monitoring system were presented by Shell Research at the Air and Waste Management Association's conference on Optical Remote Sensing for Environmental Monitoring held in San Francisco in September, 1995. • BAAQMD reviewed Shell's monitor installation, and verified its operability by testing its response to a controlled propane release in the monitoring path. • Shell has agreed to pilot the monitor for 12 months. Since some difficulties were encountered in the initial quarter, Shell plans to extend the monitoring program through the 3rd quarter, 1996. A report of the results will be issued when the pilot period is concluded. • This monitoring system supplements an existing ground level monitoring network consisting of 4 HzS and 1 SO2. monitors. The existing ground level monitoring network has been in service for a number of years. Y �7 s 11Vw SSV13 ISHIA Contra Costa County Community Development 651 Pine Street North Wing, 4th Floor Martinez, CA 94553 THE MARTINEZ REFINERY FENCE LINE MONITOR Background In a 1994 agreement with Communities for a Better Environment and Communities for a Safe Environment, all parties agreed that Shell would install a Hawk infra-red pilot remote sensing monitoring system along the refinery fenceline. Its purpose was the rapid detection of an accidental release of hydrocarbons. Its installation would supplement the existing network of 5 ground level monitoring stations which currently measure sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide. The information gathered by the ground level monitoring network is summarized and provided to the BAAQMD on a monthly basis. Why We Chose the Siemens"Hawk" In choosing the Hawk system we were guided by the types of chemicals present at our facility and the ability of the various monitoring techniques to detect individual compounds. The refinery processes crude oil in order to manufacture gasoline and other fuels. As a result, complex hydrocarbon mixtures containing paraffins (straight chain and branched) and aromatics (benzene, toluene, and xylenes) are present throughout the refinery. Several chemical plants have perimeter monitoring systems which feature Fourier transform infrared instruments (FTIR). While FTIR is very good at detecting less than 20 ppb of chemicals containing oxygen, chlorine, or nitrogen atoms bonded to hydrocarbons ( such as in acetone, vinyl chloride , or ammonia) it is not particularly sensitive toward aromatics such as benzene. While lower detection levels for aromatics are possible with open path ultraviolet monitoring systems, these are just now (1996) becoming available and have not been fully evaluated. Consequently, we believed that the best way to demonstrate the integrity of our processing operations and detect accidental releases was to install an open path remote sensing system for hydrocarbons. Detecting trace levels of hydrocarbons as a chemical class serve as a surrogate for sensing releases of particular members of the class of concern, e.g. benzene and other aromatics, or odorous compounds, e.g. the organic mercaptans. These species are always accompanied by the presence of larger amounts of other hydrocarbons. The system that was selected was one developed in Great Britain by researchers at the National Physical Laboratory (similar to our National Institute of Standards and Technology) and manufactured by Siemens as the "Hawk". Numerous units are in place at European refineries and ours was the first in the US. It operates in the infrared region using a selective filter at a wavelength absorbed by all hydrocarbons and is a very sensitive monitor, capable of detecting 9 ppb of propane across a 350 meter path. 17 6 Installation The system was installed in April, 1995 several hundred meters, predominantly downwind, from the major Light Oil Processing Unit along the refinery fence line near Pacheco Blvd. Hydrocarbon concentrations are measured along a 257 meter path at an elevation of 13 feet above ground level (to avoid interference from parking lot activities). Both the optical module, containing the infrared source, filter element; and detector, and the retro- reflector unit are mounted on steel I-beams set in concrete to minimize vibration and ensure stability. A multi- point continuous strip chart recorder with a time/date stamped output is located in an adjacent instrument shelter (containing ground level ambient air monitors) is used to check diagnostic signals. Concentration values are digitally displayed and stored once a minute in the Light Oil Processing control room to provide a data history that will enable computation of daily average and maximum levels. An action level is triggered when the signal is above 1/2 full-scale, equivalent to an average fence line concentration of 2.9 ppm (propane equivalents) for fifteen minutes or more. In the event of such an excursion, data on wind speed and direction from a nearby meteorological station will be reviewed along with refinery operations to determine if the source could be located within the refinery. Concentration data are also reviewed periodically in order--to see if any increases above normal background have occurred. Normal Background Levels The purpose of the fenceline monitoring system was to provide real-time data to facilitate early detection and response by the refinery staff in the event of an accidental hydrocarbon release. It was not expected to function as an ambient air analysis system for background hydrocarbon concentrations. However, a brief comparison between the hydrocarbon levels found at the fence line and those present at a local "green field" site provided some perspective on the impact of the Martinez Refinery upon local hydrocarbon levels. In June 1995 a portable "Hawk" monitor was used by Shell research staff to measure "green field" background hydrocarbon levels at the Martinez Waterfront Park, adjacent to a local bird sanctuary. These values were then recorded and the portable system set up at the refinery fence line site and the measurements repeated along this path. The results from both sites were within the normal background or noise level of the instrument, indicating that under standard operating conditions hydrocarbon levels at the refinery fence line are at the baseline for the surrounding area. Operating History After a successful startup in April 1995, the operating problems in July and August (traced to defective filter motors) led to the replacement of the original optical module. in September. Since that time the instrument has operated satisfactorily. The baseline was consistent with levels detected at the Martinez Waterfront Park. The Action level was exceeded five .times between October, 1995 and April, 1996. In each of theses instances the wind direction indicated that the sources were offsite and that offsite hydrocarbons were being directed toward the refinery. The monitoring system was in operation during the fire on April 1, 1996. No significant changes to the baseline concentrations could be detected during the event.