US Army XVIII Airborn & Fort Bragg, PWBC - Executive Summary |
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Executive Summary This document summarizes the Risk Management Program at Fort Bragg that complys with the amended Clean Air Act Section 112(r). The regulations to enforce Section 112(r) are laid out by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the Risk Management Program Rule (40 CFR, Part 68). The regulations were established to reduce industrial and toxic materials accidents, enhance public and worker safety, and provide additional protection to the environment. Military installations, as well as municipalities and private companies, must comply with these regulations and submit a plan summarizing their risk management programs to EPA by June 21, 1999. The Risk Management Program Rule applies to stationary sources that use or store large quantities of regulated substances, such as chlorine, propane, ammonia. On Fort Bragg, the drinking water and wastewater treatment plants are subject to the Risk Management Program Rule because of the amount of chlorine they store and u se to disinfect the drinking water supply and treat the wastewater. Fort Bragg, home of the VXIII Airborne, is a U.S. Army installation that covers an area of 180,000 acres and employs approximately 50,000 soldiers and civilians. Fort Bragg is located 10 miles northwest of downtown Fayetteville, North Carolina. It interacts regularly with its neighboring jurisdictions: Cumberland County, the town of Spring Lake, the city of Fayetteville, Harnett County, Hoke County, Scottland County, Lee County, Richmond County, Moore County, Pope Air Force Base and Eureka Springs. About 11,000 residents live on the base in family housing. The Fort Bragg drinking water plant has been in operation since 1918 and provides water to military personnel, civilian employees, residents, and facilities on Ft. Bragg, Pope Air Force Base, and Simmons Army Air Field. The wastewater treatment plant has been in operation since 1940 and treats the wastewater from Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force Base. Fort Bra gg's drinking water and wastewater treatment facilities have a good safety record: there have been no reportable releases of chlorine within the last five years from either of the water treatment plants. The operators at both facilities maintain state certification, and are well trained in the proper handling procedures for chlorine use. To comply with the Risk Management Program Rule, environmental and safety personnel at Fort Bragg reviewed, documented, and in some cases enhanced the installation's integrated accident prevention program, its emergency response program, and its overall management system. The Fort Bragg Fire Department has established a Chlorine Incident Response Procedure that will be activated in the event of a release of chlorine. A training exercise will be performed to determine the effectiveness of the Incident Response Procedure and future training events will be scheduled. The installation also re-analyzed the hazards associated with the storage and use of chlorine at the drinking water and wastewater treatment plants and reviewed the training of contractors and personnel who handle the chlorine, operate the water treatment facilities, and respond to emergencies, spills, or releases. This analysis built upon an extensive safety review of the equipment and procedures associated with the storage and use of chlorine at the drinking water and wastewater treatment plants that had been conducted in 1997. To help the installation, emergency response organizations, and the public understand the potential health and environmental consequences of an accidental release of chlorine from the water treatment plants, two different accident scenarios were analyzed. The accident that could affect the most people and impact those farthest from the plants is known as the worst case scenario. At Fort Bragg, the worst case scenario is defined as an accident in which all the chlorine from a full, one-ton cylinder is released within 10 minutes, creating a cloud of chlorine near the ground that is carried away from the plant by a light wind. In the worst case scenario, people within 1.3 miles of the release could experience serious problems. Prolonged exposure to this cloud could cause lung damage or death if fresh air cannot be reached. A more realistic accident scenario would involve the release of chlorine from a ruptured cylinder line or valve. The amount of chlorine released from this scenario would be released at a slower rate and could drift up to 0.1 miles. Alarms in the chlorine building would sound and emergency response procedures would be activated. Exposure to this type of release would cause the same medical consequences if a person had prolonged exposure. The release rate for this scenario is substantially slower than for the worst case, and should provide necessary time for notification and evacuation of any affected people. Fort Bragg's Fire Department participated in the review of the installation's emergency r esponse program and preparation of the Risk Management Plan. In the case of an accidental chlorine release, well-trained emergency response teams will immediately be notified. Installation fire department personnel will secure the area and provide assistance while personnel trained in the handling of hazardous materials and operation of the plants contain and clean-up the spill. Procedures are in place for Fort Bragg's emergency response staff to notify, and work with, local officials, area medical centers, and community emergency response units in the surrounding areas to notify the public, provide instructions about what to do, and to provide assistance. As part of its ongoing assessment of facility operations, Fort Bragg is in the process of evaluating the feasibility of replacing the chlorine in the drinking water plant with an alternative disinfectant, such as chlorine bleach or an oxidant generated on-site. An ultra violet disinfection system is already in place at the was tewater treatment plant and is expected to be in operation by the end of 1999. This will replace chlorine as the primary disinfectant. In addition, preventive maintenance of chlorine handling equipment and calibration of alarms in the storage buildings are performed routinely. As any changes to the plant operation are made, the Risk Management Plan and accompanying documentation will be updated. This document will soon be available for viewing from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, or at the installation at the public affairs office. It can also be viewed at the Fort Bragg Fire Department by contacting Chief Roger Miller at 1-910-396-8121. If you have questions, comments, or would simply like more information about Fort Bragg's Risk Management Plan, please contact Mr. Danny Terry, Air Program Manager at 1-910-396-3372. |