Welcome to the Albuquerque - Bernalillo County LEPC Website

What is a LEPC?
An LEPC (local emergency planning committee) is a gathering of representatives in your community that have an interest in hazardous materials safety. Members should include; fire department, law enforcement, health care, media, schools, industry, transportation, public health, VOAD and others. As a group they will identify potential risks that your community faces from hazardous chemicals stored in and/or transported around your community. The LEPC should seek ways to help minimize the risks, prevent accidents, and assist in the development of plans to deal with a chemical emergency. Another core component of an LEPC is education. Through the LEPC the public will be able to seek out information about chemicals in their community and identify safety plans within their own families..




SAFETY ALERT


Anhydrous ammonia and propane cylinders

National Propane Gas Association
http://www.npga.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=529

INTRODUCTION:
Readers of this bulletin should consult the law of their individual jurisdictions for codes, standards and legal requirements applicable to them.  This bulletin merely suggests methods which the reader may find useful in implementing applicable codes, standards and legal requirements.  This material is not intended nor should it be construed (1) to set forth procedures which are the general custom or practice in the propane industry; (2) to establish the legal standards of care owed by propane distributors to their customers; or (3) to prevent the reader from using different methods to implement applicable codes, standards or legal requirements.  The National Propane Gas Association assumes no liability for reliance on the contents of this bulletin.  It is offered as a guide only to assist expert and experienced teachers and managers in training in service personnel in their organizations.  

Caution!


The brass valve in a propane cylinder will be damaged if it comes in contact with anhydrous ammonia. This deterioration will lead to cracking of the valve body or its components and can ultimately result in a violent, unexpected expulsion of the valve from the cylinder, causing personal injury or death.
Background and Recommended Action
It has come to the attention of the National Propane Gas Association that propane cylinders are being used in the manufacturing of Methamphetamines. This drug is commonly referred to as 'crank'. Manufacturers of this illegal substance are using propane cylinders for the storage and the use of anhydrous ammonia. These cylinders have been found in many states at cylinder exchange and refilling locations as well as in hotel rooms and mobile laboratories, where the manufacturing of this illegal substance takes place.
As observed in the illustrations, a blue-green stain on any brass portion of a service valve is evidence that it may have been in contact with anhydrous ammonia*. The pungent odor of ammonia on or near the cylinder is also an indication. If you suspect that a propane cylinder contains or has contained anhydrous ammonia, exercise extreme caution and restrict access to the area. 

It can be dangerous to move the cylinder due to the unknown integrity of the cylinder's service valve. If you determine that it must be moved, keep in mind that hazards due to valve expulsion can be reduced by pointing the end of the container in which the valve is placed away from yourself and others and towards the safest direction.

Immediately contact your Fire Department, Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Unit or the nearest office of the United States Department of Justice's Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for information on properly disposing of the cylinder. If these respondents are not sure what to do, for assistance call 1-800-728-2482, which is the contact number for PERS, an independent hazardous materials information resource. 

*Note: Sherwood valves contain a green coated valve stem. Additionally, a green thread sealing compound is used on some valves. These valves should not be confused with those that have been exposed to anhydrous ammonia.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM OUR OWN LEPC MEMBER RESOURCE
The alert in the reference material was generated by the National Propane Gas Association in 2002.  In follow up to this alert, here are my opinions with regard to the twenty pound cylinders.  Due to the vapor pressure characteristics of propane and ammonia, the "tanks" for each are interchangeable upon initial use.  That said, once a cylinder has been in corrosive ammonia service, it should not be used for propane service.  The bigger issue is the brass valve used for the propane; it is not suitable for use with ammonia.  Ammonia cylinders are supplied with either alumina-silicon-bronze valves or stainless steel.  Corrosion on a brass valve exposed to ammonia is readily evident.  This is an important note as all cylinders in either the Blue Rhino or Amerigas exchange programs are highly unlikely to get back into public hands with a questionable valve.  Both of these national exchange programs have rigorous repack/inspection programs for every cylinder returned.  No cylinder is exempt from their program so those cylinders are, presumably, as safe as new.  I would be more concerned with small vendors that are doing "local" refill/exchange programs without a documented cylinder inspection.  By law, all refillers are required to do a visual inspection before filling any propane cylinder.  The concern is that not all personnel adhere to the requirements of the law at all times.

Here is the crux of the risk.  On a hot day in New Mexico with an ambient temperature around 100F, the vapor pressure in your twenty pound propane cylinder is about 200psig.  If at this point you are attempting to connect the cylinder to your grill and the valve breaks off in your hand, you have a 200psi projectile. This could result in serious injury.

To qualify my statements, you should know that I own and operate two businesses.  One is High Purity Resources where we design, specify, supply, install and service pressurized compressed gas and cryogenic systems.  Our other business is Western LP Tank.  At western we are a wholesale propane tank and parts supplier and we handle repack twenty pound cylinders.  We are also a member of the New Mexico Propane Gas Association and a LP-7 licensed vendor.  I have also provided pressure safety presentations to the University of New Mexico Center for High Tech Materials and the Albuquerque LEPC.

Please let me know if we may be of further assistance.

Sincerely,
Robert Scheehl
High Purity Resources, Inc.
PH: 505-866-8816
Fax: 505-565-5641
E-Mail: RMS@highpurityresources.com


Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards


http://www.dhs.gov/xprevprot/laws/gc_1166796969417.shtm

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has released an interim final rule that imposes comprehensive federal security regulations for high-risk chemical facilities.
This rule establishes risk-based performance standards for the security of our nation’s chemical facilities. It requires covered chemical facilities to

It also allows certain covered chemical facilities, in specified circumstances, to submit Alternate Security Programs in lieu of a Security Vulnerability Assessment, Site Security Plan, or both.

This regulation became effective June 8, 2007, except for Appendix A (PDF, 41 pages - 2.12 MB) which became effective upon its publication in the Federal Register on November 20, 2007.

Development of the Interim Final Rule

Although Section 550 of the DHS Appropriations Act of 2007 gives the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security the authority to issue interim final regulations without prior notice and comment, the Department of Homeland Security chose to release an Advance Notice of Rulemaking (ANRM) on December 21, 2006; this notice sought comments on the proposed text for the interim final rule as well as on various implementation and policy issues related to the chemical security program. The Department received numerous and helpful comments from a variety of stakeholders, analyzed these recommendations, and incorporated many of them in the Interim Final Rule. 
Read how the Appendix A: Chemicals of Interest list was developed.

Household Hazardous Waste


http://www.cabq.gov/envhealth/householdwaste.html

Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center
Residents of the City of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County may bring residential hazardous wastes to the Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center (HHWCC). 
The HHWCC is operated under contract by:          
Rinchem Company, Inc.      
6133 Edith Blvd NE (on west side of Edith between Montano and Osuna)
Household Hazardous Waste Hotline:  345-1650
Open to the Public on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM and Saturday 8 AM – 3 PM

What are Household Hazardous Wastes?
Household wastes which can burn easily (flammable), corrode or irritate skin (corrosive), generate heat or explode (reactive), or poison humans and animals (toxic) are examples of household hazardous wastes. 
Items such as paints, fertilizers, cleaners, insecticides, pool chemicals, used motor oil, and automobile batteries may be brought into the HHWCC.

The Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center cannot accept:
explosives (ammunition)
compressed gases
radioactive waste
biomedical waste
business generated waste
non-hazardous waste

The Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center also offers a material reuse area where usable materials brought to the Center for disposal are offered to the public free of charge.

For more information contact the Household Hazardous Waste line at (505) 345-1650 or the Albuquerque Environmental Health Department at (505) 768-2738.