Waycross Water Pollution Control Plant #2 - Executive Summary |
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The City of Waycross Management Plan for safe handling of chlorine and sulfur dioxide involves a unified approach that integrates technologies, procedures, and management practices to monitor potential chlorine and sulfur diosice hazards and minimize the risk of accidental chlorine and sulfur dioxide releases. Procedures in the plan seek to provide employee safety, public health and response agency interactions. The City of Waycross owns and operates the water treatment plant known as Waycross Water Pollution Control Plant. This plant utilizes chlorine to disinfect treatment plant discharge and utilizes Sulfur Dioxide to neutralize residual chlorine prior to discharge. Chlorination process include chlorine and sulfur dioxide cylinders, chlorination equipment, an instrument room, electrical equipment, and process safety equipment. The worst-case release scenario, as defined by EPA, states that "the owner or operator shall assume that the maximun quantity in the largest vessel is re leased as a gas over 10 minutes." The "alternative scenario" is defined as "more likely to occur than the worst-case scenario". In each case, the modeling program "RMP Comp" was used to determine the distance traveled by the chlorine and sulfur dioxide released before its concentration decreases to theoretical "toxic endpoint". The worst-case release scenario for the Waycross Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP) involves a failure of a one-ton cylinder yielding a cumulative release of 2,000 lbs. of chlorine or sulfur dioxide. When using the RMP Comp modeling program, the distance to toxic endpoint is 0.9 miles. The alternative scenario for the Waycross Water Pollution Control Plant involves a failure at flanges joints, welds, valves and valve seals, and drains and bleeds in the chlorine or sulfur dioxide piping system. Using a hole diameter of 1/4 inch and release rate of 8.23 lbs/min the distance to toxic endpoint is less than 0.1 miles. This is based on RMP Comp modeling. The City of Waycross's Risk Management Program includes the following key elements to mitigate the effects of potential chlorine and sulfur dioxide release hazards: * Operator Training * Preventative Maintenance Program * Process Safety Equipment * Safe and effective standard operating procedures, written with operator participation * Hazard review of equipment and procedures * Respiratory protection (SCBA) program |