Ellington, Connecticut
Facility and Industry Description
Industrial operations utilizing anhydrous ammonia in Ellington, Connecticut function within the closed-loop mechanical refrigeration or agricultural storage sectors. Anhydrous ammonia serves as an efficient refrigerant due to its high latent heat of vaporization, yet operating pressures frequently range from 150 to 250 psig under ambient summer condenser conditions.
Incident Summary
Emergency response agencies in Ellington mobilized following a reported loss of primary containment that discharged an unspecified amount of anhydrous ammonia into the atmosphere. The release produced a localized vapor plume characterized by the dense aerosol formation typical of pressurized liquid flashes at standard atmospheric pressure. Emergency crews established an isolation perimeter downwind to mitigate community exposure
Potentially Applicable Standards
Compliance with ANSI/IIAR 2 Chapter 13 requires mechanical refrigeration machinery rooms to maintain continuous vapor detection set to trigger emergency mechanical exhaust ventilation at 1,000 ppm while initiating audible alarms at 25 ppm.
Implementation of ANSI/IIAR 6 establishes mandatory schedules for nondestructive testing, visual inspection of insulated pipe segments for corrosion under insulation (CUI), and regular relief valve recertification every five years.
Top Three Sources
Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Emergency Response Unit Public Records
Ellington Volunteer Fire Department Incident Response Reports
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Region 1 Establishment Enforcement Database