Chuckawalla Valley State Prison - Executive Summary |
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ACCIDENTAL RELEASE PREVENTION AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE POLICIES Chuckawalla Valley State Prison has an emergency action plan in effect. The Emergency Action Plan (Plan) is detailed in the Emergency Planning and Response section of the PSM/RMP document, which is maintained at the facility and updated as necessary. This Plan was designed to meet the following objectives: 1.) To save lives. 2.) To minimize and avoid injuries. 3.) To protect the environment. 4.) To minimize property damage. The Plan provides the response organization and notification procedures, evacuation routes, chlorine health hazards, and mitigation procedures which will be implemented to respond effectively to emergency situations that may arise at the facility. This Plan is reviewed and updated at least once per year. This Plan was reviewed and updated to ensure compliance with the PSM and RMP regulations, as well as to incorporate facility changes. Chuckawalla Valley State Prison has coordinated em ergency response efforts with the local fire department, Chuckawalla Prison Fire Department. In the case of a chlorine-related emergency, it is the policy of Chuckawalla Valley State Prison to evacuate the employees and to allow the fire department to respond to the emergency (potentially with the assistance of trained facility personnel). STATIONARY SOURCE AND REGULATED SUBSTANCE Chuckawalla Valley State Prison is located at 19025 Wiley's Well Road, Blythe, California 92226. The facility is located approximately 18 miles west of Blythe, and about 3 miles south of Interstate 10. The area surrounding the facility is barren desert. The chlorine system was constructed in accordance with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations. The facility is surrounded by chain link fence with access through one gate only. Pre-cleared visitors are permitted to enter the facility by checking in with the guard. The wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) covers approximately 89 acres and c onsists of a control building, a chlorination building, four percolation ponds, three reclaimed water storage ponds, two trickling filters, four clarifiers, two aerobic digesters, four sludge beds, and miscellaneous pump stations. Chlorine at the WWTP is received and stored in one-ton containers. There are four on-line at any time with up to seven additional cylinders stored. The average design flow of the wastewater treatment plant is 1.8 million gallons per day. This flow is generated from two sources: domestic wastewater from the existing prison facilities and water treatment waste, which includes process water from the water treatment plant. After initial treatment processes clarify and remove suspended solids from the water, the wastewater is disinfected with chlorine treatment. Title 22 requires that reclaimed water used for agricultural irrigation be treated to safeguard against the transmission of disease and infection. The chlorine system is operated under vacuum condit ions. This implies that a breach in the integrity of the system would result in air being sucked into the system, not a release of chlorine. Chlorine is mixed into the wastewater via a chlorine gas mixer at the entrance of the Chlorine Contact Tank. The chlorine feed rate is controlled by the chlorinators, which receive signals based on the wastewater residual sample analyzer (in order to maintain the desired residual concentration). The treated wastewater is used to irrigate 217 acres of bermuda grass fields. HAZARD ASSESSMENT SUMMARY * Worst Case Release Result Summary Scenario Description: Release of the maximum quantity of chlorine that can be stored in a vessel (one-ton container) - 2,000 pounds in 10 minutes. The most pessimistic meteorological conditions were used: 1.5 meters per second wind speed, and F stability. A dispersion model for dense gas releases, Degadis, was used to determine the maximum distance to the toxic endpoint of 3 ppm in rural conditions. This release reaches off site, but is not likely to impact population receptors other than the prison population itself due to the remote location of the facility. No environmental receptors were affected by this potential release. * Alternative Release Result Summary Scenario Description: A release of chlorine resulting from a material failure of a fusible plug (normally designed to melt between 158-165 F). The release rate of chlorine based on chemical-specific considerations is 5 pounds per minute. The meteorological conditions used were 3.0 meters per second wind speed, and D stability. A dispersion model for dense gas releases, Degadis, was used to determine the maximum distance to the toxic endpoint of 3 ppm in rural conditions. This release reaches off site. No population or environmental receptors are likely to be affected by this potential release. ACCIDENTAL RELEASE PREVENTION PROGRAM AND CHEMICAL-SPECIFIC PREVENTION STEPS The Chuckawalla Valley State Prison chlorine system has many safety features. Much of the safety of the system is inherent in the policies and procedures that govern the operation of the system. For example, the Chuckawalla Valley State Prison WWTP operates in accordance with OSHA's Process Safety Management regulation and the California Accidental Release Prevention (CalARP) Program. Four chlorine gas detectors are strategically located in the WWTP chlorine building. In case of chlorine detection above 3 ppm, three red strobe lights outside the chlorine building are triggered. The ventilation louvers close and the chlorine scrubber is activated. Also, audible alarms are located near each chlorine sensor in the chlorine room. In the event of a power failure, vacuum regulators and check valves prevent chlorine from escaping the system. An emergency generator provides continuous electrical service for the WWTP to remain online. Emergency power is also interlocked to the chlorine scrubbers. This severely limits th e likelihood of an uncontrolled chlorine release to the atmosphere. In addition, common industry standards, policies, and procedures are utilized to ensure safe practices are being performed. This includes common practices recommended by the Chlorine Institute. FIVE YEAR ACCIDENT HISTORY There have been no chlorine accidents at the facility since June 1994. EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAM Chuckawalla Valley State Prison has an emergency action plan in effect. The Emergency Action Plan (Plan) is detailed in the Emergency Planning and Response section of the PSM/RMP document, which is maintained at the facility and updated as necessary. This Plan was designed to meet the following objectives: 1.) To save lives. 2.) To minimize and avoid injuries. 3.) To protect the environment. 4.) To minimize property damage. The Plan provides the response organization and notification procedures, evacuation routes, chlorine health hazards, and mitigation procedures which will be impl emented to respond effectively to emergency situations that may arise at the facility. This Plan is reviewed and updated at least once per year. This Plan was reviewed and updated to ensure compliance with the PSM and RMP regulations, as well as to incorporate facility changes due to the renovation of the facility. Chuckawalla Valley State Prison has coordinated emergency response efforts with the local fire department, the Chuckawalla Prison Fire Department. In the case of a chlorine-related emergency, it is the policy of Chuckawalla Valley State Prison to evacuate and to allow the fire department to respond to the emergency (potentially with the assistance of the Hazardous Materials Specialist) in a defensive manner only. All offensive mitigation efforts shall be completed by a qualified Hazardous Materials Response Team. PLANNED CHANGES TO IMPROVE SAFETY The Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) provided mitigation measures to improve safety at Chuckawalla Valley State Prison locate d at 19025 Wiley's Well Road, Blythe, California 92226. The recommendations are scheduled to be complete in June 1999. R01 Ensure that all first responders have practiced using the kits while wearing SCBA gear on an annual basis. Maintain documentation of this training. Note: Recommendations 02 and 03 addressed systems that are not subject to the RMP. R04 Consider insulating the eyewash stations to protect the water from excessive ambient temperatures. R05 Review the Cal-OSHA Process Safety Management regulation, mechanical integrity section (Title 8, Section 5189) to ensure compliance. R06 Consider moving the chlorinator vacuum regulator to the chlorine container so that the system is entirely under vacuum conditions. R07 Install wind socks or other wind direction indicators that can be seen from all areas of the facility. |