City of Grand Rapids, Wastewater Treatment Plant - Executive Summary |
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The accidental release prevention and emergency response policies at the facility:The Grand Rapids WWTP is committed to a safe working place for our employees and for the community we serve. Numerous safety programs are in place at the facility, which include process safety management, preventive maintenance of all equipment, and citywide safety training on a regular basis. The facility and the regulated substances handled: The Grand Rapids WWTP processes approximately 58 million gallons per day of wastewater. This wastewater is treated to secondary standards and consistently meets all regulatory requirements. The wastewater is disinfected using chlorine and sulfur dioxide, which are the basis for the need to submit a risk management plan. The worst-case release scenarios and the alternative release scenarios: The worst case scenarios assume the release of 2,000 lbs of chlorine or 2,000 lbs of sulfur dioxide within a 10 minute period in an urban setting with a wind condition of 1.5m/ sec. The endpoint distance is 0.9miles with an estimated residential population within this radius of 5,000. The alternative release scenario is based on a broken pipe which allows the release of chlorine or sulfur dioxide at the rate of 5lbs/min for a 30 minute duration. The endpoint distance is 0.1 miles with an estimated residential population within this radius of 0. The general accidental release prevention program and chemical-specific prevention steps: This facility is required to comply with OSHA PSM requirements. We work with the City of Grand Rapids Fire Department, which provides emergency response in the event of an accidental release. The Grand Rapids Fire Department conducts annual training at the facility to assure preparedness. The five-year accident history: There have been no chlorine or sulfur dioxide accidents at the facility during the past 15 years. The emergency response program: The Wastewater Plant has a response plan for both chlorine and sulfur dioxide, wh ich is incorporated into our process safety management program. At our facility we will rely on the Grand Rapids Fire Department hazardous materials team for emergency response. Plant personnel have procedures for notifying plant personnel and for notifying the Grand Rapids Fire Department in the event of an emergency. Planned changes to improve safety: The Grand Rapids Wastewater Treatment plant is actively moving towards utilization of UV disinfection. This will eliminate the need for both chlorine and sulfur dioxide at the facility. The timetable for this plan is 12-18 months. |