NS 2023 Annual Report For EPA - Laserfiche WebLink

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Natural Soda LLC 2023 Project Status Report & Annual Plan of Development 14 January 2024 4.0 2023 Project Activities 4.1. On-Site Facilities and Process Description 4.1.1. General Arrangement (Figure 5 provides an overview of the NS process flow.) 4.1.2. Lab Operation / Sanitation / ISO In 2023, activities continued in the NS laboratory to provide analysis for process control, quality assurance, and regulatory requirements. • Plant operators performed process control analyses. • Chloride levels were monitored by both operations and laboratory personnel on USP grades to ensure USP standards were met. • The USP test for insoluble materials was conducted on a per lot basis by laboratory personnel and a filter test for insoluble materials was conducted on the dry product once per shift by NS operators. • Pests were controlled with the use of two UV bug lights and rodent traps around the interior and exterior walls of the plant. Bait stations replaced external traps at the Rifle warehouse. • GMP/ISO/Sanitation training was provided for employees as required. • A food safety audit for FSSC 22000 was conducted for which NS maintained GFSI certification. • CDPHE, NSF, OMRI, Kosher, Halal, Non-GMO, CleanGredients and ISO 9001 certifications were properly maintained. 4.1.3. Process, Utilities, Facilities • The NS Train 2 Dryer system did not have a Cyclone; a capital project was undertaken in 2023 to add a Cyclone to the system. Work on the Cyclone installation project began during January 2023; on April 10th dryer cyclone #3 installation final processes commenced and were completed and operational on April 14, 2023. • June 18 – 23, the NS plant underwent the yearly common outage, where all production wells were shutdown. NS boiled out both production trains and completed annual maintenance and inspections on Common systems (electrical switchgear, cooling tower, wellfield pipelines, etc.). • The NS Packaging Department shutdown on July 13th while the upgraded personnel protection tripping circuit, trip switches, trip wires, roller guides and guide loops on double/triple baggers, incline conveyor, and palletizer were installed and made operational.