Wildwood Lower WTF - Executive Summary |
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The Accidental Release Prevention and Emergency Response Policies The Cape May County Municipal Utilities Authority (CMCMUA) is committed to the safe use of Chlorine at the Wildwood/Lower Wastewater Treatment Facility (WW/L) Chlorine safety procedures at the WW/L facility have been developed in accordance with the New Jersey Toxic Catastrophe Prevention Act program (TCPA) This includes employee training, specific written procedures for all operational and maintenance tasks, emergency response planning and training, auditing, and risk assessment Facility TCPA procedures require certified Chlorine Operators for all operations and maintenance activities involving Chlorine The CMCMUA employs a full time Safety Officer who assists facility personnel to maintain a safe work place The Facility and The Regulated Substance Handled Located 1.5 miles west of the Wildwoods on route 47 in Middle Township NJ, the Wildwood/Lower Wastewater Treatment Facility (WW/L) treats and disinfects 3 to 10 million gallons of wastewater a day This secondary treatment facility utilizes "Rotating Biological Contacters" for treatment, and gaseous chlorine stored in ton containers for disinfection Since the startup of this facility in 1988, management and staff have been committed to maintaining the chlorine system as safely and efficiently as possible There has never been a chlorine accident at the WW/L Facility In 1989 the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) required the facility to develop a comprehensive "Risk Management Plan" (RMP) to Comply with the federal "Toxic Catastrophe Prevention Act" (TCPA) The Facility RMP requires strict adherence to specific requirements for chlorination equipment operation and maintenance, operator training, and emergency response procedures Compliance with (TCPA) regulations has been audited annually by an internal audit team and by Chemical Safety Engineers from the NJDEP The WW/L Facility has passed every NJDEP audit and has been comme nded for the excellence of it chlorine safety program In an ongoing effort to reduce the risk to health and the environment many changes have evolved over the years The most substantial modification was switching chlorine feed to the gas side of the ton containers and the removal of the liquid chlorine evaporators Originally the WW/L Facility was equipped with evaporators supplied from the liquid side of the ton containers A leak of liquid Chlorine is many times more dangerous than a gaseous chlorine leak Switching to gaseous chlorine has greatly reduced the risk from a chlorine accident The latest modification was the addition of a remote automatic valve closure system This system automatically closes the ton container feed valve if a chlorine leak is sensed by any of the (5) chlorine sensors located around the chlorine area The Worst-Case Release Scenario and The Alternative Release Scenario This facility used a one ton container rupture in the chlorine storage area for the worst case scenario This was used because the storage area is a covered raised concrete pad with three sides open. This allows direct access to the atmosphere. The scenario was run using RMP Comp. The model showed a 3-mile range. This would impact residents, businesses, schools, and nursing homes. Protection of this area is extremely difficult. The a |