Beaver Water District - Executive Summary |
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1.0 Accidental Release Prevention and Emergency Response Policies Beaver Water District is committed to the safety of our workers, the public, and the environment. This commitment is demonstrated by the resources invested in the prevention of accidental releases of hazardous substances. Beaver Water District implements reasonable controls, such as training of personnel and the safe design, installation, operation and maintenance of our processes. Our policy is to make every effort to prevent the release of hazardous substance but in the event of a release, our trained personnel will respond to control and contain the release in a manner that will be safe for workers and will help prevent injuries to the public or the environment. 2.0 Description of Beaver Water District and Regulated Substances Beaver Water District is one of the three largest water treatment facilities in the state and is located approximately 1.5 miles east of Lowell, Arkansas. The facility handles one sub stance regulated by the RMP rule in quantities above the Threshold Quantity. This substance is: * Chlorine - stored in 1 ton cylinders and used for the disinfection of the water treated and distributed to our customers. 3.0 Hazard Assessment The Risk Management Program Rule (RMP Rule) requires Beaver Water District to perform a Hazard Assessment of the chlorine stored and used in each of the four chlorination processes at the facility. This Hazard Assessment includes an offsite consequence analysis for the following scenarios: * One worst-case and one alternative release scenario for the toxic substance chlorine for each of the four chlorination process units at the facility. The chlorination units present at the facility include the Intake Chlorination Process, the Prechlorination Process, the North Plant Chlorination Process, and the South Plant Chlorination Process. The following information summarizes these offsite consequence analyses. 3.1 Intake Chlorination Pro cess The worst-case scenario for toxic substances is the failure of a 1 ton cylinder of liquid chlorine. The toxic cloud formed by the evaporating chlorine would reach off-site endpoints and public receptors. The alternative release scenario for chlorine is a cylinder valve sticking in the open position allowing a sixty minute release of chlorine gas. The toxic cloud formed by the escaping gas would reach offsite endpoints and public receptors. 3.2 Prechlorination Process The offsite consequence analysis results are the same as for the Intake Chlorination Process. 3.3 North Plant Chlorination Process The offsite consequence analysis results are the same as for the Intake Chlorination Process. 3.4 South Plant Chlorination Process The offsite consequence analysis results are the same as for the Intake Chlorination Process. 4.0 Accidental Release Prevention Program and Chemical-Specific Prevention Steps The Risk Management program rule requires that a prevention program b e established for the Beaver Water District chlorination processes. The following details the prevention program elements at Beaver Water District that apply to these processes. 4.1 Safety Information Beaver Water District maintains a variety of technical documents that are used to help ensure safe operation of Beaver Water District processes. Material safety data sheets (MSDSs) document the physical and chemical properties of hazardous substances handled at Beaver Water District, including the chlorine in the covered processes. The engineering design documents include the operating parameters, the design basis and configuration of the equipment in each covered process, and references to applicable codes and standards. 4.2 Hazard Review Beaver Water District performs and periodically updates hazard reviews of the covered processes to help identify and control process hazards. Checklists are used to guide the hazard review. These checklists include items to help ensure Beaver W ater District operates and maintains the equipment in a manner consistent with the applicable design specifications, codes, standards, and regulations. 4.3 Operating Procedures Beaver Water District develops and maintains operating procedures to define how tasks related to process operations should be performed. The operating procedures are used to: 1. train employees and contractors, and 2. serve as reference guides for appropriate actions to take during both normal and abnormal process conditions. 4.4 Training Beaver Water District trains personnel in the operating procedures to help ensure safe and effective performance of their assigned tasks. A record of all training is maintained to help ensure new and refresher training is provided on a timely basis. 4.5 Maintenance Beaver Water District properly maintains the equipment in our processes. The Beaver Water District maintenance program includes: 1. procedures to safely guide workers in their maintenance tasks, 2. worker t raining in the maintenance procedures, and 3. an inspection and testing program to help identify equipment deterioration and damage before equipment fails. 4.6 Compliance Audits Beaver Water District performs periodic (at least every three years) audits of covered processes to verify the processes are operating in compliance with the requirements of the RMP Rule. A compliance audit report is prepared after each audit, and any deficiencies noted by the audit are corrected in a timely manner. 4.7 Incident Investigations Beaver Water District investigates all incidents that could reasonably have resulted in a serious injury to personnel, the public, or the environment. Beaver Water District trains employees to identify and report any and all incidents requiring investigation. An investigation team is assembled and the investigation is initiated within 48 hours of the incident. The results of the investigation are documented, recommendations are resolved, and appropriate process en hancements are implemented. 4.8 Chemical-specific Prevention Steps - Chlorine Industry standards are followed at Beaver Water District to help ensure safe handling of chlorine. The vendor supplies chlorine via a Department of Transportation (DOT) approved truck and in DOT approved 1 ton cylinders. The chlorination process equipment is designed and constructed with state-of-the-art materials and technology utilizing the standards and guidelines of the Chlorine Institute, American Water Works Association, ASME, ANSI, and other applicable codes. Workers who perform operations involving chlorine receive training emphasizing safe handling procedures according to the guidelines required by Beaver Water District. 5.0 Five Year Accident History Beaver Water District compiled a five-year accident history that fulfills the requirements of the RMP Rule. This history indicates a good record of accidental release prevention over the past five years. No releases of regulated substances ha ve occurred from Beaver Water District that have resulted in offsite consequences - injuries to the public or impacts on the environment. Minor releases have occurred during maintenance activities with no injuries occurring to Beaver Water District employees. 6.0 Emergency Response Programs Beaver Water District has prepared a written emergency response plan that complies with the RMP rule, other federal standards and industry guidelines. This plan has been communicated to the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) and local fire department. Beaver Water District periodically conducts emergency drills to test our emergency plan and coordinate these drills with the local fire department. 7.0 Planned Changes to Improve Safety Beaver Water District continuously attempts to improve the safety of our processes to protect our employee, the public and the environment. The Beaver Water District incident investigations, employee suggestions and improvements in technology are util ized to update the safety aspects of the processes. The following changes to improve process safety are planned or have recently been completed. 1. Implement a chlorine shipment Quality Assurance Program to aid in the inspection of chlorine cylinders when received. 2. Implement a preventive maintenance program for the hoists used to move chlorine cylinders. |