Peekskill Wastewater Treatment Plant - Executive Summary |
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Peekskill Wastewater Treatment Plant serves the residents and businesses surrounding the plant. Hence, accidental release prevention and emergency response policies at this plant are of great safety and environmental concern to the County. The process of chlorination is very basic. The gas from one ton chlorine container is dissolved in water and the solution is fed to the wastewater to kill desease causing bacteria and keep the receving waters clean. The worst case release scenario is developed using EPA model, which has a toxic chlorine end point of 0.0087 mg/liter at 1.3 miles radius (1.5 meters/second wind speed and F stability) which covers an area of 5.3 square miles. There are residents, commercial buildings, hospitals and schools in this circle. This covers a total population of 14,300 residents. The alternative scenario (more likely possibility) is a 0.6 mile distance (wind speed 3 meters per second and D stability). The number of residents in this area of 1.3 square miles is 3,100. The administration is very much concerned about the process of chlorination at ths facility and hence has instituted administrative controls to eliminate chlorine release. When the container in use is empty, it switches over to the next container. The feed tube is removed from the empty container and screwed on to the new filled container. At this point it is again checked to see if there is any gas leak. Handling of chlorine gas containers is done by 2 certified operators with utmost of caution. There has been no chlorine release incidence at this facility in the last twenty five years. The main mitigation measures are containment, alarms and trained personnel on site. The emergency response plan is kept at the plant and updated annually. All employeres are trained for HAZWOPER and each year are given training for handling hazardous chemicals. All personnel handling chlorine containers are trained in the use of Scott air packs. The Department has its own trained Emerg ency Response Team to respond to emergencies. The Department is a member of LEPC which is aware of the emergency response at this facility. The County understands the seriousness of the chlorine gas leak and its effects on the residents and the business. Even though the chlorine gas is three times more economical to use than 15% liquid sodium hypo chlorite solution, the County has started the switch over. The contract has already been awarded and the use of chlorine gas at this facility is planned to be eliminated by December 1999. |