Pittsburg, Kansas Water Treatment Plant - Executive Summary |
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The Pittsburg, Kansas Water Treatment Plant is located in Crawford County, Kansas and currently utilizes one ton cylinders to deliver chlorine for water treatment. The cylinders are stored in an isolated concrete block building. The building is capable of storing eight cylinders on site, though 4-6 is generally the maximum retianed at any time. The building is equiped with its own ventilation system, and the chlorine is transported by a vacuum system to prevent any leaks. The building is equiped with emergency power, a SCBA, automatic and manual shutoffs, and a light and horn alarm system. The worst-case and alternate-case scenerios where determined by utilizing the RMP*Comp program. Despite the proximity of the plant to the City, the modeling was done using rural surroundings. The resulting plume for the worst-case scenerio was 4.8 miles, which encompased the entire City. The maximum estimated population to be affected by this plume is 18,000 people. The alternate case scener io was determined by assuming that there might be a valve leak and that the release rate would be 10.5 lbs/min for 60 minutes. This scenerio resulted in a cloud with a radius of approximately 0.38 miles. In the alternate scenerio, the only inhabited areas affected would be a school located northwest of the facility. To date, the Pittsburg, Kansas Water Treatment Plant has maintained an exemplary accident history. There have been no reportable accidents at the facility for over five years. The facility is currently manned by 8 full time employees overseen by John Van Gordon (Director) and Larry Lepo (Chief Operator). The current prevention program consists of Safety Information, Hazard Reviews, Operation Procedures, Training of Employees, Maintenance Procedures, and Compliance Audits. To date, there have been no Incedent Investigations. Currentlly an emergency response program is being developed for the facility and surrounding community. The plan will be coordinated with t he Crawford County LEPC, the Pittsburg Fire Department, and local hospitals. The plan will contain procedures for notifying the public and emergency response agencies, documentation of proper first-aid and emergency medical treatment, procedures for emergency response after an accidental release, training for employees, and procedures for the use of emergency response equipment and for its inspection, testing, and maintenance. |