Chesapeake Energy Center - Executive Summary |
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The Chesapeake Energy Center is an electric utility generating plant which burns coal, oil, and natural gas to generate electricity. The only toxic substance it stores in reportable quantities is chlorine, which is used to treat the cooling water taken from the Elizabeth River. Chlorine is recieved by the facility in one-ton cylinders. The worst-case release scenario is defined by EPA to be a rupture of one full one-ton cylinder. Based on EPA's conservative method (RMP*Comp software) of calculating the consequences of such a release, chlorine could travel as much as 1.3 miles before being diluted to the toxic endpoint. Census data indicate that 6,000 people live within 1.3 miles of the site. A more likely release scenario would be a small hole or leak in the liquid or vapor space of a cylinder or its associated piping. A number of such scenarios were examined, and in each case the toxic endpoint is 0.1 mile or less. An estimated 58 people live within that distance of the site, according to census data. The company's prevention program is based on OSHA's Process Safety Management standard. The facility has never had a reportable release of chlorine. It does not (is not required to) have an emergency response plan meeting OSHA standards at 29 CFR 1910.120 (HAZWOPER); accidents that cannot be corrected immediately by employees who are within the immediate release area would be refered to the Chesapeake LEPC. |