Richmond Sanitary District - Executive Summary |
|
The Richmond Sanitary District has a municipally owned wastewater treatment facility that services the City of Richmond, Indiana. The treatment process utilizes one chemical covered under this standard. Liquid chlorine is used as a disinfectant to treat the wastewater prior to discharge into the Whitewater River. Chlorine is purchased in one ton cylinders. Shipments are scheduled so that the maximum amount on site is 8,000 pounds. The normal amount on site at any given time is less than 5,000 pounds. The cylinders are stored inside a building that has a controlled ventilation system. In the event of a release, the air exhaust system shuts down, confining the chlorine to the building. The worse case scenario does not take into account the limiting effect the building will have on the releases. The scenario shows an affected area radius of 1.3 miles. This has the potential to affect a population of 2000. The storage building containment will substantially reduce the size of the radius a nd the population affected. The alternate scenario presented is the most likely incident to occur. The failure of the lead gasket will cause a release of chlorine that will create a radius of 0.26 miles. This scenario also did not take into account the mitigation effect of the building. Due to the topography and the prevailing winds, the release is not expected to leave the facility property. There have not been any reportable accidental releases within the past five years. This is in part attributable to the training received by the employees responsible for the changing of the chlorine cylinders. The operational staff is aware of the dangers associated with the chemical and take appropriate measures to handle it accordingly. Currently, the local fire department regularly conducts inspections of the facility, either as a member of the City of Richmond safety committee or through the office of Fire Prevention. Indiana Water Pollution Control Association's Safety Committee is invite d annually to conduct a facility inspection. In the future, these inspections will be enhanced by an automated alarm system. Slated for installation by the end of 1999, this alarm system will dial up selected off site offices and individuals to alert them to operating problems with the chlorine system. The Fire Dept. will be notified by the auto alarm system. |