Forest Park Water - Executive Summary |
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Forest Park Water (FPW) is jointly owned and operated by the North Penn and North Wales Water Authorities. The plant is located in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, within the borough of Chalfont. The area surrounding the facility consists of residential housing and small businesses. The facility is a conventional water treatment plant. The regulated substance used at FPW is chlorine. This is used as our primary disinfection agent. FPW stores eight one ton cylinders onsite. Only one chlorine cylinder is in operation at a time as per written procedure. The Risk Management Program (RMP) 68.25 regulation requires us to model a worst-case release scenario and one alternative release scenario. The models were prepared by the Bucks County Local Emergency Planning Commission (LEPC) using the ALOHA system. The worst-case release scenario demonstrates that a 2,000-pound release can radiate out 3.1 miles in any direction causing an offsite impact on the environment. The a lternative release scenario allows FPW to consider active mitigation systems. These include automatic shut off valves and a chlorine scrubbing system capable of neutralizing 2,500-pounds of chlorine. The alternative release scenario indicates that active mitigation systems would likely prevent or neutralize a 2,000-pound release of chlorine. Dual ambient chlorine detectors, with battery back up, monitor the chlorine feed room. Should a leak develop the monitors would automatically shut the main valve at the chlorine tank. The chlorine-scrubbing unit would also activate to remove and neutralize any gas from the room. Alarms and lights would sound at the chlorine room and over the paging system alerting all personnel at the facility so that appropriate emergency response measures could be taken. Forest Park Water's approach to chlorine safety is a top priority and taken very seriously. Management believes that frequent training, well written procedures, state of the art equipment , and good relations with public and local emergency responders will help prepare us for an accidental release, should one occur, and minimize the chances of one occurring. FPW has never had an accidental release of chlorine since its existence in 1994. We attribute this success to a well-planned and executed prevention program and to the conscientious employees of FPW. The prevention program elements include: well documented process safety information, process operating procedures, maintenance procedures, training, a system of identifying hazards, correcting those hazards and investigating incidences. This program as stipulated by the RMP 68.48 will be updated periodically as necessary. Since the plant startup, FPW has worked closely with the local emergency responders (Bucks County LEPC) by participating in their emergency response program. It was developed in accordance with guidance and mandates established by the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency; Title III of the Su perfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA); The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA); and the Hazardous Material Emergency Planning and Response Act (1990-165) of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The key elements covered by the emergency response program are: a clear understanding of the situation and purpose for having an emergency response program; a hazardous material vulnerability analysis; emergency notification procedures; organization and responsibilities descriptions, training and exercise procedures, plan development and maintenance of the program procedures and references of authority. In the event of an accidental release Forest Park Water would set this plan into action. Forest Park Water is committed to providing a safe environment for its employees and the surrounding community. We will continue to improve the safety of our chlorine process through frequent re-evaluation. |