Risk Management Planning
You've probably heard or seen something recently about a new governmental regulation called Risk Management Planning; for short, we call it RMP.

There are more than 66,000 businesses covered under RMP. They include businesses like chemical and paper manufacturers, oil and gas refineries, public and gas utilities, agriculture retailers, propane facilities, and even businesses like dry cleaners, grocery stores and ice cream shops.

RMP's main goal is to keep communities knowledgeable of risk that may be associated with facilities that handle potentially hazardous materials. To achieve this, we're required to document our prevention and emergency response programs, as well as worst case scenarios and alternative release scenarios that involve the chemicals we have on-site. This information is filed with the Environmental Protection Agency.

A worst case scenario is really something that is very unlikely to happen. It's what we like to describe as "unrealistic." Almost every safety device or layer of protection we have in place would have to fail all at once to have a worst-case scenario. And this is very unlikely to happen. On the other hand, an alternative or alternate release scenario is a more "realistic" scenario given the chemicals we have on-site. Alternative release scenarios are what we use for planning effective emergency response programs.

The Louisiana Ammonia Producers manage risk on a daily basis. To make sure our plants are safe and risk is minimized, we have multiple layers of safety and environmental protection in place.

A SAFE WORKPLACE
Among the many things the Louisiana Ammonia Producers bring to your table is a commitment to operate safely. Since the unfortunate events of September 11, the Louisiana Ammonia Producers have taken appropriate measures to heighten security at their facilities. They have been in contact with state and federal agencies about site security and enhancements. LAP members are committed to operating in a manner that is safe for our employees, the community and the environment. Full Story

EMPLOYEES are our first and most important resource. All industry personnel and contract employees undergo extensive safety and process operations training on a routine basis.

MECHANICAL INTEGRITY of all operating equipment is inspected, tested and retested to make sure it meets certain specifications.

MONITORING & CONTROLS ranging from computer controls to automatic shut-down systems, to in-plant electronic leak detectors to automatic monitors for specific chemicals add another layer of protection.

EMERGENCY RESPONSE involves the entire community. This includes alarm systems and highly trained employee responders such as firefighters and emergency medical technicians, as well as off-site emergency responders such as the Local Emergency Planning Committees, HAZMAT responders and State Police. Together, these on- and off-site emergency responders develop emergency response plans that include evacuation routes, notification systems, and shelter-in-place information.

HAZARD REVIEWS are integral parts of our process safety and prevention programs and involve a wide range of checks performed by employee teams. Our employees investigate every possible "what if" scenario and resolve any questions as part of the design phase of a project.

The Louisiana Ammonia Producers recognize that people want us to operate safe, clean facilities while continuing to protect the environment and produce useful products that continue to improve the quality of our lives. We also recognize and respect the risk associated with operating our facilities.

As an industry, we will continue to work with our Local Emergency Planning Committees, our emergency responders and our communities to keep risk at a minimum and our employees and communities safe. This is our pledge and our responsibility to you.