Paul B. Krebs Water Treatment Plant - Executive Summary |
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The regulated substance handled at the Paul B. Krebs Water Treatment Plant is liquid chlorine which is used for disinfection There have been no accidents in the last five years that resulted in personal injury or property damage off-site. One very minor accident occured on-site. Inventory is kept to the minimum amount needed to provide a dependable supply for necessary plant functions. Plant operators have been trained with regards to the nature of the chemical and in the proper handling of the chemical containers and use of connectors and feed equipment. Process equipment inspections are performed and operational procedures are reviewed for the purpose of prevention of accidental releases of chlorine. Leak repair kits and self-contained breathing apparatus are kept on-site for rapid response to leaks if they occur. Leak detection equipment is in use in appropriate areas. Operations personnel have been trained in the use of the repair kits and breathing apparatus. Operators are instructed to call 911 to report any significant incident. The EMA Local Emergency Response Planning Committee has been notified in writing concerning the chemicals used at the plant. Chemical storage containers are stored inside a building to assist in the protection of the containers and to limit the release rate of chemicals to the surroundings. In accordance with the Clean Air Act, a worse case release scenario and an alternative release scenario have been developed for the regulated processes. Off-site consequence analyses were performed using EPA guidance document EPA-550-B-98-010. The worse case scenario is by definition not a situation which is likely to occur but describes the total release of a full container of chlorine while the container is outside the building and on a very hot day under stabile atmospheric conditions which would discourage dispersal. The worse case scenario envisions a distance to toxic endpoint of 1.3 miles from the plant. An alternative-case rele ase scenario is by definition a situation that is more likely to occur than the worse case. The alternative-release scenario chosen for this plant is a leaking valve on a container inside a building that discharges approximately two-thirds of a container of chlorine on an average day with typical atmospheric conditions. The alternative release scenario includes detection of the chlorine gas and automatic operation of a scrubber which is in place and operational. This scrubber will effectively prevent the escape of toxic gas from the plant site. |