Beaufort-Jasper Water and Sewer Authority - Executive Summary |
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Beaufort-Jasper Water and Sewer Authority (BJWSA) owns and operates a water treatment plant located in Beaufort County, South Carolina. The facility provides potable drinking water to areas within Beaufort and Jasper counties. In order to provide water that is free of harmful bacteria and pathogens, chlorine, considered potentially toxic by the US EPA, is used to disinfect the water. It is the facility's policy to adhere to all applicable federal and state rules and regulations associated with the safe handling of this chemical. A maximum of 18,000 lb of chlorine could be stored at the facility at any given time. This is larger than the threshhold quantity for this chemical as listed in 40 CFR Part 68. Ammonia, also regulated by 40 CFR Part 68, is stored at this facility in an amount less than the threshhold quantity. As a result, only chlroine is discussed in the facility's Risk Management Program. The Beaufort-Jasper Water and Sewer Authority's Water Treatment Plant has ha d no major chlorine spills or accidents in the past five years. Small chlorine leaks are common at water treatment facilities and do occur at this facility. The leaks are typically caused by improper tank connections and are easily detected with a simple test performed by operators or by chlorine sensors located in and around the chlorine storage building. Once detected, operators are able to stop these leaks quickly. The chlorine cylinders, when in use, are stored inside a building. The building's walls help to contain any harmful chlorine gas that may leak from the cylinders. Additonally, BJWSA has established a program to prevent the accidental release of chlorine gas. The prevention program, presented in the Risk Management Plan, consists of procedures and training designed to prevent accidents including: 7 Standard Operating Procedures 7 Employee Training 7 Mechanical Integrity (Preventative Maintenance) Program 7 Investigating/ Documenting Accidents 7 Compliance Audits 7 Proces Safety Information 7 Process Hazard Analysis 7 Management of Change 7 Pre-Startup Safety Review 7 Employee and Employer Responsibilities When Hiring Contractors to Work On-Site 7 Employee Participation 7 Hot Work Permits BJWSA believes that the prevention program is effective, and no major release are expected at the water treatment plant. Because of the lack of chlorine accidents in the past, BJWSA sees no need and has no plans to improve safety at this time. However, BJWSA has developed an emergency response program to be used in case of an accidental release. The Emergency Response Program includes procedures for notification of the local fire department and any potentially affected neighbors as well as first aid for victims. The Beaufort-Jasper Water and Sewer Authority is affiliated with two Local Emergency Planning Councils (LEPCs). LEPCs are generally made up of representatives from local fire and rescue squads and other emergency preparedness officials. The LE PC members discuss potential emergency situations and plan how to react to specific situations. LEPCs may even perform drills to ensure that responders know how to respond when an emergency situation arises. LEPC contacts are as follows: Beaufort County Steve Fields Deputy Director, Emergency Management Post Office Box 1228 Beaufort, South Carolina 29901 (843) 525-7353 Jasper County Mike Hodges EMS Director Post Office Box 1149 Ridgeland, South Carolina 29936 (843) 726-7797 As a part of this Risk Management Plan, BJWSA has modeled a worst case and three alternative release scenarios in an attempt to predict the effect of certain potential accidents. Results show that the worst case scenario would result in potentially toxic concentrations of chlorine in a 7.4 mile radius from the water plant. Approximately 17,000 residents of Beaufort and Jasper counties live inside the radius. The worst case scenario would be the result of a tank failure where the entire contents of a 2,000 lb chlorine cylinder are released in 10 minutes. Mitigation is not considered in this case. The alternative scenarios are situations that are considered more likely to occur, including small leaks from flanges, joints, valves, and pipes. The most serious of the alternative scenarios has the potential to produce toxic levels of chlorine in a 1.9 mile radius. Approximately 929 citizens live in this area. The remaining two scenarios include areas in 0.74 mile and 1.4 mile radii. Approximately 131 and 489 residents, respectively, live in these areas. |