Public Advisory Group
Meeting Minutes
June 28, 2012
The meeting started at 5:10 p.m. at the Miami Township Community Center.
Facilitator:
Deb Leonard, Environmental Quality Management, Inc. (EQ)
Participants Present (in alphabetical order): 17 participants
Paul Beck, Miami Township Trustee
Jeff Demaree, Miami Heights resident
Dennis Cloutier, At-large resident (formerly Sayler Park)
Greg Evans, INEOS ABS employee
Mike Fair, Hamilton County Department of Environmental Services
Rick Fulwiler, Miami Township resident
Joel Gayetsky, Miami Township resident
Tim Moller, Miami Township resident
Fred Myers, Miami Township resident
Marti Myers, Miami Township resident
Chief Steve Ober, Miami Township Fire Department
Dan Pillow, Mayor of Addyston
Don Ramsey, Deputy Site Manager, INEOS ABS
Douglas Sammons, Mayor of North Bend
Capt. Bob Sandhas, Miami Township Fire Department
Michele Smith, Lead Environmental Engineer, INEOS ABS
Joe Sykes, Miami Township Trustee
Guests:
None
Handouts:
The following handouts were distributed to PAG members:
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Agenda
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Meeting minutes from April 26, 2012 PAG meeting
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Handout on Site Safety Performance, Environmental Performance, Equipment Malfunctions,
Community Feedback, and Emergency Alarms
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Meeting:
Facilitator Deb Leonard welcomed the group and asked everyone to introduce themselves.
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2)
Plant Business News — Don Ramsey, INEOS Deputy Site Manager
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The plant’s volume and profits are ahead of forecast through June, but a slowdown is
expected over the next three months (to half of what they currently are). However, due to
the year’s strong start, 2012 should have a positive outcome. The strongest months of
each year are March-July.
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As of June, the plant has hired a total of 20 new employees, mostly hourly technicians.
Four salaried employees were hired in accounting, customer service, maintenance, and
process engineering.
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Monitoring is still being conducted in the area of the plant where the plant experienced a
release of butadiene in February. So far, no butadiene has been detected. The backup
service prevention plan is still being followed.
Citizen Complaints — Mike Fair, Hamilton County Department of Environmental Services
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The air quality division of the Hamilton County Department of Environmental Services
has changed its name to the Southwest Ohio Air Quality Agency. The name change was
made to dispel confusion because the agency monitors air quality and regulates industrial
air emissions for Butler, Clermont, Hamilton and Warren counties.
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Ohio EPA approved the Muddy Creek pump station site in Sayler Park as the new
location for the ambient air monitor formerly located on the roof of Hitchens Elementary
in Addyston. It will be called the Kibby Lane site and should be running by August
2012. The first set of results will be available three to four weeks after the start date.
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Since the last PAG meeting in April 2012, there have been two citizen complaints:
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One complainant smelled a strong burnt plastic odor and took a canister sample
that showed the presence of acrylonitrile at 13.7 parts per billion or ppb),
butadiene at 1.38 ppb, and styrene at14.7 ppb. The complainant typically notices
this particular smell on mornings from around 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. when there
is low wind at night, cool temperatures, some fogginess and a light breeze in the
morning blowing toward his property. The amounts detected from the sample are
below the odor threshold for these chemicals, so the complainant probably
smelled a compound that includes these chemicals.
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The other complainant smelled a styrene odor. Michele Smith investigated and
found that the odor was coming from a sewer that traced to the DN unit. The
plant added water to dilute the concentration in the sewer, and the unit was shut
down for maintenance.
This report sparked a discussion about what the sampling data means to the average
person in terms of risk. There was discussion of creating a reference sheet that compares
sampling data for acrylonitrile, styrene and butadiene to regulatory guidelines and
exposure levels. For example, grab samples taken by citizens in SUMMA canisters are
often compared to U.S. EPA Emergency Response Planning Guidelines (ERPG). The
ERPG 1 is the maximum airborne concentration below which it is believed that nearly all
individuals could be exposed for up to 1 hour without experiencing other than mild
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transient adverse health effects. These levels are 10 parts per million (ppm) for
acrylonitrile, 10 ppm for butadiene, and 50 ppm for styrene.
3)
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Question: What is the risk of the plant blowing up? Answer: The plant regularly
conducts Process Hazard Analyses to help ensure safety. The more hazardous chemicals
have more layers of protection in place such as employee checks, instrumentation and
emergency containment. The plant’s last major incident was in 1976 when lightning
struck a methanol tank.
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Question: What does INEOS do to monitor its supplies, ensuring that dangerous
materials are accounted for to protect against theft and terrorist activity? Answer: The
materials at the site aren’t typically used for making explosives. The site is secured with
surveillance and fencing, and certain areas have limited access. In restricted areas,
employees must be accompanied by those who have a Transportation Worker
Identification Credential (TWIC). TWIC is a program of the US Coast Guard, and to be a
part of this program, workers must pass a federal background check. Audits are
conducted periodically, and yields and inventory are also looked at regularly.
Plant Safety Performance Update — Michele Smith, Lead Environmental Engineer, INEOS
ABS
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4)
OSHA recordable injuries
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Since the last meeting, there have been 2 recordable injuries and 5 year to date.
One employee lacerated his pinky finger while pulling on a wire that was stuck in
a street cleaner. The other employee had a blister that became infected.
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There have been no contractor injuries in 273 days.
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The year-to-date TRIR (Total Recordable Incident Rate) is approximately 3.8.
First aid incidents
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The plant has experienced four first aid injuries since the last meeting. First aid
incidents are those that can be treated with a first aid kit and do not require a
doctor’s care.
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An electrician was exposed to acrylonitrile while changing a valve.
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A tank farm operator got an insect bite or sting.
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A technician had a chemical exposure caused by a loose flange.
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A technician got coal dust in his eye.
INEOS encourages employees to report first aid incidents, as they are sometimes the
precursors of more serious injuries.
Plant Environmental Performance Update — Michele Smith, Lead Environmental
Engineer, INEOS ABS
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Consent Decree Actions
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INEOS met with U.S. EPA, Department of Justice, and other regulators to work
on establishing limits for the plant’s flare by using data from passive infrared
testing. In 2009, INEOS was one of the first sites to use this type of test, and
since then, other sites have followed.
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Every quarter, INEOS is required to test the biofilter’s efficiency in destroying
hydrogen sulfide (H2S). The test has continually shown a greater than 99%
destruction rate. As the mulch ages, the efficiency rate is expected to slowly
decrease. The suggested life-span of the mulch is five years.
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The purchase of a new gas-fired boiler—intended to replace the coal-fired
boiler— was approved and is expected to be installed by the end of the year. A
preliminary draft permit is under review by the Southwest Ohio Air Quality
Agency. The new boiler will reduce emissions and decrease the amount of
equipment malfunctions in the plant.
Equipment Malfunctions
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To date in 2012, the plant has experienced 12 equipment malfunctions that have
released 385 pounds of chemicals into the atmosphere.
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Since the last PAG meeting in April, the plant has had six equipment
malfunctions:
May 1: Main Duct trip when the blower shut down during storms.
o
June 7: Main Duct trip due to loss of power from Duke Energy.
o
June 14: Main Duct trip due to loss of power from Duke Energy.
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June 17: Main Duct trip due to induced draft fan problems.
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June 18: Main Duct trip due to induced draft fan problems.
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June 25: Thermal Oxidizer trip when taking a hydraulic oil sample.
Community Feedback
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To date in 2012, there have been 15 complaints, eight since the last PAG meeting
in April (including the two that Mike mentioned).
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A complainant from Addyston called in a noise complaint, which was
traced to a conveyer system that had been running.
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One complainant called in five odor complaints. All were between 7:30 –
9:00 a.m. when the wind was blowing in the direction of the
complainant’s home.
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Two complaints noted in Mike Fair’s report (see above).
Plant Alarms
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Since the last meeting, the plant has sounded its alarm four times: two real
alarms (no Fire Brigade action), one false alarm (no Fire Brigade action), and one
drill (Fire Brigade responded):
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May 1: The alarm sounded when the Main Duct tripped.
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June 14: There was a process upset that caused the alarm to sound.
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June 14: There was a false alarm from a DI water leak at 7 Building.
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June 7: There was a simulation drill of a butadiene vapor release; the
Fire Brigade responded.
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5)
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Drills are plant-wide, elaborate, and realistic.
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The alarm is tested on the first Wednesday of each month at 11:00 a.m.
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It was suggested that a representative from the Fire Brigade attend a future PAG
meeting.
Community News
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Addyston
Through the We Thrive! Program, exercise equipment has been installed in the
community, and twelve miles of walking paths are being marked throughout
Addyston. As part of the program, the Addyston Baptist Church is loaning one
of their vehicles to provide weekly transportation for people to get to stores that
carry fresh produce and healthy foods. Jeff’s Drive Thru is also making fresh
produce available to the community in the summer months.
INEOS provided Addyston with a grant so that the village can continue its
longstanding summer work program, which lost funding this year. The program
teaches work responsibilities to youth who live in Addyston. Participants work
with maintenance crews to paint curbs, clean litter, pull weeds, etc. throughout
Addyston. This year, the program has about 20 participants.
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Hitchens Elementary School is to be torn down in mid-July. The property is
going to be restored to a vacant lot by September.
Miami Township
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The 9/11 memorial is now up in the lobby of the Miami Township Community
Center. INEOS donated funds for the granite stand. On 9/11, a dedication
ceremony will be held.
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On August 3 and August 10, the township will be holding outdoor summer
concerts. Donors, businesses, and community groups help sponsor these events.
At the concerts, the Three Rivers Historical Society will have split-the-pot
fundraisers.
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On July 22, the Three Rivers Historical Society is holding a silent auction and is
in need of items.
North Bend
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The Council Chambers are being renovated but will be ready in time for the next
PAG meeting.
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During the holidays, all the telephone poles through the village will be wired
with Christmas lights and wreaths. The village wants to have a “Light up North
Bend Day.” The village also has a new sign that will be located off of Rte 50 at
Miami Avenue.
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Taylor High School is going to be moved to the new school in Cleves after this
school year. If anyone knows of someone who would like to repurpose the
property, please contact Mayor Doug Sammons.
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5)
Sayler Park
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A lot of road construction is taking place throughout Sayler Park; many of the
streets are being rebuilt.
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Sayler Park Elementary School is being renovated and expanded and should be
ready for this coming school year.
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A Farmers Market is held every Tuesday afternoon on Parkland Ave. from 4:00–
7:00 p.m.
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A concert is held every third Saturday of the month in Sayler Park Town Square
in the early evening.
Other Business
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The group discussed the next INEOS community newsletter:
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The timing of the newsletter should correspond with the new ambient air
monitoring station’s installation.
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Newsletters are mailed to residents who live within a one-mile radius of the
plant.
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PAG members have agreed to assist with writing articles.
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Potential articles include:
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Ohio EPA approving Muddy Creek pump station as a site for the new
ambient air monitor
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INEOS working to replace the coal-fired boiler with a natural gas boiler
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The plant’s efforts in mitigating the risk of a site explosion
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General site security measures taken by the plant
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INEOS community outreach efforts
North Bend is in the process of updating their website and would like to include a link
that describes INEOS and makes available the most recent PAG newsletters. This led to a
discussion about the PAG have its own website (independent of INEOS). The content of
the website could include information about the plant, information about the PAG and its
meetings, copies of the newsletters, etc. This suggestion, however, brings up a lot of
questions, such as who would fund the website, who would maintain this site, where
would it be housed, who would serve as webmaster, what would the domain name be,
what would the approval process be with INEOS and site content, etc.
Planning for Next Meeting
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The next PAG meeting is scheduled for 5-7 p.m., Thursday, August 23, 2012 at the North Bend
Administration Building. Note: The meeting has been rescheduled for Thursday, August 30,
2012.
The meeting adjourned at 7:40 p.m.
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