Fort Benning - Executive Summary |
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Executive Summary Fort Benning is a federal installation owned by the Department of the Army. The facility is home to the U.S. Army Infantry School. Fort Benning is located in western Georgia, along the Chattahoochee River, near Columbus, GA. The installation extends westward, into Alabama, south of Phenix City, Alabama. The installation is situated on approximately 180,000+ acres, which includes parts of Muscogee and Chattahoogee counties in Georgia and Russell County in Alabama. There are four main cantonment areas at the installation: Main Post, Harmony Church, Kelley Hill, and Sand Hill. The facility uses chlorine gas as a disinfectant at its wastewater treatment plants and drinking water treatment plant. The chlorine gas cylinders capacities are either 2,000 lbs. or 150 lbs. containers. The specific amount stored at each is process is found with the program elements. Several of the swimming pools on post also use chlorine gas as a disinfectant. However, the amount of chlorine stored at each pool is well below the RMP 2,500 lb. threshold. 150 lb. Cylinders are delivered from the drinking water treatment plants to the swimming pools on an as needed basis. Fort Benning has not had any accidents involving chlorine gas that resulted in any offsite or on site impacts in the past five years. The worst cast distance to endpoint does not go beyond the boundaries of Fort Benning. More information relating to worse case distances is included in the program. Also included in the program is information regarding the models used to obtain the worse case distances. In the event of a chlorine release, Fort Benning's wastewater treatment plants and water treatment plant employees do not act as first responders. There is a written policy (with training) to inform Fort Benning Fire Department through the use of 911. Fort Benning has arranged for the fire department to respond to emergencies involving chlo rine. Fort Benning's fire department is equipped to handle a release or other chlorine emergency to the magnitude in which chlorine is stored. Fort Benning complies with all fire codes and all applicable state and federal laws. Fort Benning has reduced the amount of chlorine gas stored at Wastewater Treatment Plant #1 from 34,000 lbs. to 12,000 lbs. Wastewater Treatment Plant #2 keeps 12,000 lbs. of chlorine on hand at all times. The drinking water treatment plant has reduced the amount of chlorine gas stored from 74,700 lbs. to 50,000 lbs. This amount fluctuates due to the storage of 150 lbs. cylinders for post swimming pools. Fort Benning anticipates a reduction in the amount of chlorine stored at the drinking water plant after the close of swimming pool season. New chlorine regulator systems have been installed in all three plants. The new chlorine regulators operate off of a vacuum system. If a line breaks or becomes dislodged from a chlorine cy linder then the system shuts down. The vacuum system prevents chlorine gas from escaping. All chlorine cylinders are inspected when they are delivered, placed on line, and through out each shift. New chlorine gas detection alarms with dial up capabilities to emergency responders will be installed in the plants during the summer of 1999. Wind direction indicators have been installed at all three plants. In the event of a release the wind direction indicators will provide valuable information for emergency responders. |