Westvaco Corporation - Kraft Division - Executive Summary |
About Westvaco Westvaco is a major manufacturer of paper, envelopes, packaging and specialty chemicals. The company employs nearly 13,400 people and manufactures its products in the United States, Brazil and the Czech Republic. Other holdings include nearly 1.5 million acres of forest and a real estate development business. Today, three of Westvaco's corporate divisions -- Forest Resources, Kraft and Chemical -- are headquartered in Summerville and North Charleston. Westvaco products manufactured in South Carolina are known as market leaders in domestic and export markets. Our paper mill in North Charleston manufactures unbleached paper used to make decorative laminates for surfaces like kitchen countertops and office furniture. Our high-strength paperboard is also used in the manufacture of a variety of familiar food containers and drink cartons. In addition, Westvaco's lumber mill produces framing lumber and construction timbers. Efficient use of all resources is a trademark of Westvaco operations. Natural by-products of the papermaking process are the raw materials for specialty chemical products manufactured by Westvaco at its North Charleston Chemical Division facilities. These specialty chemical products set market standards around the globe. They are used in the manufacture of a variety of goods like rubber and plastics, soaps, asphalt, textile dyes and printing inks. Westvaco emphasizes product and service differentiation. As part of the company=s strategy, we are also unequivocally committed to total compliance with environmental, safety and health regulations. Westvaco and Chlorine Westvaco uses chlorine in 90-ton rail cars to treat water before it is used in the papermaking process, and to control filamentous bacteria growth in an industrial waste treatment plant. Prior to use, the chlorine rail cars are staged on a separate track referred to as the Haz-Mat track. At low concentrations chlorine is commonly used to make solvents, disinfectant s and chlorine bleach cleaners. Exposure to chlorine can cause irritation of the eyes, nose and throat. Exposure to extremely high levels can damage the lungs and cause a buildup of fluid which can be life-threatening. Protection of the health and safety of our employees and residents of our communities is our highest priority when dealing with chlorine safety. When we handle chlorine, we make every effort to safeguard people and the environment. Multiple safeguards are in place to ensure that we handle chlorine safely. We also work closely with other members of our industry, local officials and the public to maintain stringent safety and environmental programs and to minimize risks. Five-Year Accident History Westvaco=s commitment to the safe transportation, storage and handling of chlorine has prevented any accidents in the past five years of chlorine handling operations. Emergency Response Westvaco has plans in place for handling emergencies -- fires and natural disasters as well as chemical incidents. First and foremost, our goal in any chemical incident is to contain any release as quickly as possible and to minimize the impact on the facility and its neighbors. If an incident occurs: < Automatic safety valves close quickly to seal off chlorine supply; < Plant alarms will sound, the emergency communicated to all site personnel over the mill-wide alert system and emergency response teams will be activated; < Westvaco Environmental Services personnel will be alerted, and if necessary, perform computer modeling to estimate area affected by release; and < North Charleston Fire Department will activate local and county response teams if needed. Training and Preparation We train employees on safe handling of chlorine and prepare to respond appropriately to incidents should they occur. This training and preparation includes: < Trained and qualified emergency response teams composed of Westvaco employees are on-site around the clock take prompt action using the facility's fire truck, ambulance, and hazardous materials unit; < Emergency response systems in place, including plant wide alarms, radios linked to North Charleston Fire Department, and an accessible water supply; < Routine emergency drills conducted in conjunction with the county emergency preparedness office and the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC); and < Action plans and community alert procedures in the event outside assistance is needed or potential for off-site impact exists. Accidental Release Prevention Designing for Safety Westvaco maintains wide-ranging systems to reduce the likelihood of incidents, including: < Safe chlorine containment in a rail car with steel inner core, an insulation layer to maintain temperature and a protective steel outer cover; < Solid steel barriers that prevent other transportation equipment from damaging rail cars; < Special hose connections to prevent an improper link to rail car during chlorine transfer; < Transfer of chlorine under vacuum to assure safe and complete clearance of lines; < Elevated transfer lines to protect them from ground traffic; < Valves that close if chlorine is released suddenly; < Monitoring equipment linked to alarm systems with automatic chlorine shutoff valves; < A Haz-Mat track for temporary storage remotely located inside the mill, and < Twenty-four hour monitored surveillance systems for rail cars and track. Assuring Safe Operations We audit our safe handling procedures and maintain our equipment to assure consistent safe operation of the chlorine handling system. These activities include: < Adherence to written operating procedures with checklists which must be followed for all operations; < Complete and detailed safety reviews prior to any changes to the operation or equipment; < Routine in spection of all instruments and control devices to assure optimal efficiency and effectiveness; < Preventative maintenance to assure equipment is safe, reliable and efficient; < Safety and Environmental audits to assure compliance with all regulations and Westvaco=s stringent corporate standards for safe handling. Planned Safety Improvements Westvaco maintains a proactive approach to safety, and continuously monitors developments in chlorine handling safety. New mitigation and control technologies are thoroughly reviewed for effectiveness and applicability to our process. Managing Risks As part of our commitment to comply with the laws and regulations of local, state and federal agencies, Westvaco has developed a risk management plan under the guidelines established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Under these guidelines, facilities that handle specific quantities of regulated chemicals must submit plans that show the consequences of certain ch emical releases and outline the measures taken to reduce the risk and minimize the effects of these releases. Worst-Case Scenario Even though the possibility of this kind of hypothetical scenario occurring is extremely remote, the EPA defines a worst-case scenario as what might happen if all of the chlorine in Westvaco's largest holding container was released and every safety system failed. Chlorine used in the papermaking process and the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at Westvaco is handled similar to the way WWTP=s handle their chlorine. Therefore, the EPA RMP guidance for WWTP=s was used to estimate a potential plume length of 14 miles for this scenario. The worst case scenarios for all three (3) covered processes is identical. Because of the length of the chlorine plume this scenario has the potential for an off-site impact. The worst case scenario assumes: < Complete failure of a full 90-ton (180,000 pounds) rail car containing chlorine liquid and gas, with full co ntents released to the atmosphere in 10 minutes; < Complete failure of all safety systems; < No action taken to stop release or minimize effects; and < Failure occurs during meteorological conditions of 3.4 mph wind speed and stable atmospheric conditions (770F and 50% relative humidity). Alternate Scenario The plan also includes a more-likely scenario in which we approximate the effects of a hypothetical release of chlorine in which the safety systems work. Again, the EPA RMP guidance for WWTP=s was used to estimate a potential plume length of 0.2 miles for this scenario. The alternate scenarios for the papermaking process and the WWTP are identical. Because of the length of the chlorine plume this scenario has the potential for an off-site impact. The more-likely scenario assumes: < Failure of a one-inch steel braided transfer hose, resulting in the immediate release of 137 pounds of chlorine gas; < Automatic safety valve closes, preventing fu rther discharge; and < Release takes place during a 6.7 mph wind speed and stable atmospheric conditions (770F and 50% relative humidity). The chlorine rail cars on the Haz-Mat track are not in use, therefore the potential for a release is very low. After a thorough review, a realistic alternate scenario for the Haz-Mat track that exceeded the effects of the previous scenario could not be developed. |