City of La Porte - Wastewater Treatment Plant - Executive Summary |
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The City of La Porte Wastewater Treatment Plant is committed to promoting a safe operating environment for the facility, its employees, and the surrounding community. As of June 1999, the facility is completing its compliance program to meet the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.119, "Process Safety Management of Highly Hazardous Chemicals" for the chlorination and dechlorination processes. All remaining requirements will be completed by mid-August. Compliance with this regulation, and EPA's "Risk Management Program Rule" helps to prevent the release of chlorine and sulfur dioxide from these processes. Additionally, these regulations required development of procedures to minimize releases of chlorine and sulfur dioxide in the event that they do occur, and to outline appropriate emergency response steps to take in the event of a release. The City of La Porte Wastewater Treatment Plant is located at 2101 Boyd Boulevard, La Porte, Indiana, 46350-6745 . The facility has several distinct process es that treat wastewater prior to discharge. Two of those processes, the chlorination process and the dechlorination process, utilize chemicals regulated by EPA's Risk Management Program Rule: chlorine and sulfur dioxide. The chlorinination process adds chlorine gas to wastewater to reduce bacteria. The dechlorination process adds sulfur dioxide to the wastewater to remove excess chlorine prior to discharge. The City of La Porte Wastewater Treatment Plant is required by its NPDES permit to chlorinate and dechlorinate during the period April 1 through October 31 annually. Administrative procedures have been established to ensure that neither chlorine nor sulfur dioxide is on site when chlorination and dechlorination is not required. The chlorination and dechlorination processes were designed in accordance with all local, state, and federal codes at the time of construction. Each process has a gas detection / warning system, providing an alarm should concentration of chlorine or sulfur d ioxide exceed 1 part per million. The chlorination and dechlorination processes are maintained and operated by personnel certified by the State of Indiana. The City of La Porte Wastewater Treatment Plant has developed its worst-case release scenario utilizing EPA's "Risk Management Program Guidance for Wastewater Facilities." The scenario assumes that a one-ton container has ruptured, and released its contents within a 10-minute period. The release is assumed to take place outdoors. The release of either 2,000 pounds of chlorine or 2,000 pounds of sulfur dioxide has a toxic endpoint of 1.3 miles. This distance is based on a concentration to which a person could be exposed for up to an hour without suffering irreversible health effects or other symptoms that would make it difficult for that person to escape. It should be noted that such an incident is highly improbable. Chlorine and sulfur dioxide ton containers are inspected by the chemical distributor each time they are filled. These containers are also hydrostatically tested every five years. Loading and unloading activities are attended by trained operators. Ton containers are immediately transferred from the delivery truck into indoor storage areas. All container handling equipment is inspected regularly, and certified for use annually. The City of La Porte Wastewater Treatment Plant has developed its alternative release scenario also utilizing EPA's guidelines. This scenario presumes that a 1/4-inch liquid leak has developed in either the chlorination system or the dechlorination system. Either release has a toxic endpoint of 0.2 miles. Again, such an incident is highly improbable, as both the chlorination and dechlorination systems have been designed, installed, and maintained to maximize the mechanical integrity of the piping systems. The City of La Porte Wastewater Treatment Plant emergency response program is based upon the OSHA requirements for Emergency Action Plans. The plan is coordinated with the Ci ty of La Porte Fire Department. Emergency response drills simulating chemical release and subsequent injuries have been conducted at the facility as recently as May 27, 1999. These drills involved the La Porte Local Emergency Planning Committee, the City of La Porte Fire and Polica Departments, the La Porte County HAZMAT Team, the La Porte Hospital, and local Red Cross representatives. |