Congressman John Shimkus shakes the hand of Robin Brown with The Equity in Effingham. Dawn Schabbing photo.
Posted: Thursday, September 3, 2015 8:41 pm
Dawn Schabbing Daily News
EFFINGHAM, ILLINOIS
Representatives of the chemical and fertilizer industry told Congressman John Shimkus that the federal government's mandates to meet massive requirements in less than six months time, simply isn't realistic.
“We are not here to complain about maintaining a safe workplace and a safe community,” said Jamie Southard with Effingham Equity. “We all live and work here. We want to comply.”
But, it comes down to regulations and facilities' inabilities to be in compliance in the time frame the federal government has requested. The requirement that would mandate all facilities are safe, was handed down about a month and a half ago, with the time frame of six months.
Following the meeting, Southard said, “We have the Department of Ag, OSHA and EPA, all three are federal agencies that govern us. We want to comply. But, they want us to do this entire Process Safety Management program that the other three organizations already cover.”
Shimkus heard that the program requirements are not simple. He suggested compiling a coalition letter and mailing it to those in Washington on the proper committees, asking for more time.
Southard led the meeting with Shimkus and provided some background to an executive order sent down by President Barack Obama following the West Fertilizer explosion in 2013, pertaining to Improving Chemical Facility Safety and Security.
According to Texas Tribune.com, the explosion killed 14 people and wounded more than 200, in a small town that originated from the Adair Grain and West Fertilizer Company, a locally owned business that blended and distributed fertilizers.
Process Safety Management is an OSHA standard that until recently did not apply to most retailers. Information at Thursday's meeting was that although anhydrous ammonia was not a contributing factor to the explosion, this executive order, required retailers to be subject to PSMs.
Initially, the requirements didn't include retail facilities, which are defined as places that derive more than 50 percent of their income from direct sales of highly hazardous chemicals. Later, OSHA changed the rules and rescinded the retail exemption in an announcement that surprised the agricultural industry, said Southard
Kevin Johnson, with the Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association, said the bottom line is that retail farm centers with one or more highly hazardous chemicals on site at the facilities, such as anhydrous ammonia, are now subject to the same regulatory requirements that apply to a gas refinery or chemical manufacturing facility.
OSHA estimated the cost to implement the safe guards at $2,000 per facility. The Ag Retailers Association estimates the costs to fully implement the program at $20,000 per facility. Credible engineering firms have estimated between $18,000 and 30,000.
“We're simply asking the congressman to hear us and take our concerns back to Washington and if at a minimum get us more time to comply,” said Johnson.
Southard said the EPA's Risk Management Plan provided the facilities three years to comply and they did so. This newly required “massive plan” simply cannot be done in six months.
The Equity
One of the largest independent agricultural cooperatives in Illinois, The Equity offers a broad range of products to fulfill our customers needs: Agronomy
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