Water Treatment Plant - Executive Summary

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a.  Accidental Release Prevention:  All the operators are trained in safe handling of all chemicals.  They receive ongoing training through the certification process. 
b.  Regulated Substances Handled:  The city operates a Lime Softening Water Treatment Plant.  We treat two million gallons of water per day or about 800 million gallons of water per year.   
c.  Regulated Substances Used:  We use chlorine for disinfection.  Storage varies from two to six, two ton cylinders of chlorine on site at any give  time. 
d.  Worst Case and Alternative Release Scenarios:  Both scenarios impact receptors in the area around the water plant.  In both scenarios we used the building in which the chlorine gas cylinders are stored as a mitigation device -- we assume that the building will catch 45 percent of the gas -- or at least slow the release.  We used RMP Comp to conduct the consequence analysis.  The worst case scenario impacts all of downtown Huron and about half of the population of the city.  Scho 
ols, the local hospital, park and recreation facilities (the swimming pool and municipal golf course) are impacted.  All of this, of course, depends on wind direction and speed.  The alternative scenario impacts a much smaller part of town, but does just catch the corner of the hospital property.  The alternative scenario (and the worst case scenario) include a day care center located next door to the water plant.   
e.  General Accident Prevention Program:  We train our operators to be able to prevent and control accidents.  Ongoing education including the water treatment operator certification program is part of our accident prevention program.   
f.  Five Year Accident History:  We have not had a reportable accident in YEARS.   
g.  Emergency Response Program:  We do not have a formal program.  We train our operators and we show fire department members the hazards that they would have to face if they had to respond to an incident in our faciltiy. 
h.  Planned Changes to Improve Safety:  
We are currently studying the possibility of making improvements to the water treatment plant.  When the plant is updated or rebuilt, we will include current safety technology in the update.
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