SECTION A NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY

Transcription

1 SECTION A NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY Irish Industrial Explosives Ltd. is situated in a rural area in Co. Kildare, two miles south of Enfield, Co. Meath, (grid ref ). The company is involved in the manufacturer of explosive and the facility itself covers a site of approximately 40.5 hectares. The site consists of a number of segregated storage and production units, connected by a tar macadam road network. The majority of the production areas are surrounded by constructed embankments. Additional activities on the site include administration, vehicle maintenance and wash-down, and burning of explosives packaging wastes. At present there are 48 persons employed by IIE at the Clonagh facility. The normal working hours at the facility are between 8am and 4pm Monday to Friday. Outside these hours there is a 24 hour Garda/Army presence on the site for security reasons. Main Production Units There are three explosive products manufactured at the IIE facility currently and these are: Emugel: (Starting June/July 2007): Emugel is a cartridged gassed emulsion. The process initially involves producing an Emulsion that consists of a fuel phase made up from mineral oil, wax, paraffin and emulsifier blended with an oxidizer phase that consists of ammonium nitrate, sodium nitrate, water and citric acid in a high shear mixer. The emulsion is then blended with aluminium granules which are then pumped to a cartridging machine. Prior to cartridging, a sodium nitrite solution gassing agent is added to the emulsion flow and blended using an industry standard blender. The emulsion is then cartridged. The Emugel production process is a mixing process with no chemical reactions taking place. The boxes are palletised and the pallets transferred directly to the magazines for storage. Ammogex (ANFO): The manufacture of Anfo involves the spraying of ammonium nitrate (35% N) with fuel oil to produce an ammonium nitrate fuel oil mixture. This process is purely a mixing process and does not entail any chemical reaction. On completion of this Page 4 of 37

2 production process the ANFO product is stored at magazines at various locations around the site. Emulsion Matrix Production: This process is also a mixing process and entails the mixing of a concentrated Ammonium Nitrate Solution, to which a catalyst has previously been added, with a Mineral oil, to which has been added emulsifying agents, to make an emulsion matrix. The production of both Kemegel and Nitroglycerine have ceased onsite since the issue of the previous IPC license. Kemegel production ceased in April 2007 whilst the production of Nitroglycerine ceased in Raw Materials & Energy Usage Raw Materials Approx tonnes of Ammonium Nitrate packed in 1 tonne polythene lined woven polypropylene bags. These bags are stored on a purpose built pad with roof, which means that that this material is kept in a dry environment where rainwater does not come in contact with the material. Any spillages of Ammonium Nitrate are immediately cleaned up in order to deter any losses of material via runoff. Approx 20m 3 of 80% Acetic Acid in polythene drums Approx 120 tonnes Aluminium powder packed in polythene lined woven polypropylene bags. These bags are stored on a purpose built pad with roof, which means that that this material is kept in a dry environment where rainwater does not come in contact with the material. Any spillages are immediately cleaned up in order to deter any losses of material via runoff. Approx 120 tonnes of sodium nitrate packed in 50kg polythene sacks and shrink wrapped on pallets. These are stored on the Ammonium Nitrate Pad. Gas Oil: 440m 3 of gas oil was used in This is an indicative figure for the quantity of gas oil used at IIE. All gas oil is stored in bunded tanks. Bunds are tested on a 3 yearly basis as required by previous IPC license. Sorbitan mono isostearate approx 30 tonnes Stored in 1 Tonne IBC Page 5 of 37

3 Poly IsoButylene Succinic Acid: Approx 60tonnes stored in Double lined 25000Litre Tank. Waxes Approx 75 tonnes in25kg polypropylene bags. Thiourea Approx 25 tonnes in25kg polypropylene bags. Sodium Formate Approx 10 tonnes in 25kg polypropylene bags. Citric acid Approx 75 tonnes in 25kg polypropylene bags. Proprietary gassing agent Approx 10 tonnes in 1 tonne IBC s Mineral Oil Approx 500 tonnes stored in 2 25 tonne double lined tanks. All liquid chemicals are stored in bunded chemstores at different locations at IIE. Energy Usage Electricity usage at the site has shown a significant reduction in recent years (Fig A.1) Fig A.1: Electricity Usage at IIE for the Period 2003 to Energy Usage ((kwh) Energy Usage at IIE Year Year KWh 331m 3 of motor diesel was used in This is an indicative figure for the quantity of Motor Diesel used by IIE vehicles. Motor Diesel is held in a bunded tank at the IIE facility. Page 6 of 37

4 Emissions from the Facility Emissions arising from the facility to the receiving environment are limited and have decreased significantly since the issue of the previous IPC license. The variations emissions are detailed below: A new boiler has been installed at the facility which will result in increased efficiencies in comparison to the existing boiler. Efficiency levels for the Cochran Wee Chieften 6 Package Steam Boiler are reported as 90% oil firing, compared to efficiency levels recorded for the previous boiler from 82.8% to 86.6% (2005). The new boiler is the primary boiler onsite with the existing boiler remaining in place as a stand-by. Landspreading of process effluent arising from onsite process was terminated in 2005, thus there is no longer a risk of nitrate losses occurring to groundwater/surface water from this activity. 100% of process water used in the emugel plant (Previously Kemegel) is now recycled. The process water goes to a settlement tank, from where it is recycled back to the plant for use in the process. There are no direct emissions from the facility to water or groundwater. The only direct emissions from the facility arise from the operation of the boiler as detailed above and from the open burning of explosive wastes (arising from the emulsion matrix and kemegel/emugel plants) at the facility. Open burning is considered the only safe manner of disposing of this hazardous waste, as per previous correspondence with the EPA. A burning register has been in operation since 2004 in order to allow for proper quantification of burning events. These burning events occur on a weekly basis with an average of 60kg per week disposed of in this manner. Direct monitoring of this process has proven to be impossible due to health and safety concerns as detailed previously to EPA. However, IIE has contracted Bord Na Mona Environmental to undertake an ambient air quality assessment in the near future. Ash generated from the combustion of these waste materials is removed from the site by an approved waste contractor. Procedures to Minimise Risks to the Receiving Environment from the Facility. A truckwash facility was installed at IIE which is a totally enclosed unit with regard to wastes/wastewaters generated. Page 7 of 37

5 All chemicals and oils are stored in bunded areas only. All bunds are integrity tested on an ongoing basis. The last integrity testing (B.S. 8007:1987 sections 9 (24 Hr Stabilisation period)) was undertaken in November 2006 and all bunds were found to be in compliance with the test. As per the previous IPC license effluent from the Kemegel plant (now used for Emugel production) was land spread, resulting in a risk to water resources in the surrounding area, however this landspreading has ceased and all water is recycled. The storage area for Ammonium Nitrate is covered, which negates the risk (as previously was the case) of rainfall induced runoff occurring from this area. Effective training and quality environmental, health and safety procedures, ensure that any risk to the environment is minimal. The replacement of kemegel production at the site with Emugel production. The Emugel production process is a safer process than that utilised for the production of Kemegel. The risk of environmental contamination due to accidental spillage or leak is considerably reduced. This assertion is based on the fact that the no 70% Nitric Acid nor Methyl Amine gas will be used in the process. It will be replaced by Hydrocarbon oil and 86% Ammonium nitrate, which are much easier to handle and manage. Secondary to this, the final Emugel product solidifies quickly, unlike the Kemegel product, and thus reducing the risk of accidental spillage. Large quantities of Aluminium Sludge which resulted from Kemgel production will be greatly reduced. Waste Emissions With the exception of onsite burning of explosive waste onsite as mentioned above, all waste produced at the IIE facility is removed from the site. Where possible wastes from the site are recycled rather than disposed of to landfill. The discontinuation of the Kemegel production at IIE (April 2007) will result in a possible 95% reduction of the Aluminium Sludge waste stream arising. Best Available Technologies (BAT) There are no specific BAT guidance notes for the production of explosives however it is considered that general BAT techniques from the BAT for the general inorganic chemical sector. Some such techniques are being implemented at the IIE site. Page 8 of 37