The primary goals of Risk Management Planning (RMP) are the prevention and response to chemical accidents that involve releases to the air of certain toxic and flammable substances.

WHAT KINDS OF CHEMICALS ARE /includeD?

• Acutely toxic substances
• Flammable gases
• Volatile liquids
• High explosives

WHY IS RMP IMPORTANT?

WE ARE ALL AFFECTED! Accidental releases can affect residents, governments, and industries.

EVERYONE MUST RESPOND! Government, the public, and many other groups have a stake in chemical safety and must be partners for accident prevention to be successful.

WHAT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF FACILITIES WITH THESE CHEMICALS?

Facilities using or storing chemicals over an established threshold limit must:

• Identify and assess chemical hazards
• Develop and submit a RMP by June 21, 1999

WHO MUST COMPLY WITH THIS LAW?

The RMP program requires facilities that use chemicals over a threshold amount to prepare hazard assessments, prevention programs, and emergency response programs.

Chemical manufacturers, other manufacturers, certain wholesalers and retailers, water treatment & wastewater treatment facilities, ammonia refrigeration systems, utilities, and federal facilities are all /included.

WHAT IS IN PLACE TO PROTECT ME NOW?

Established agencies respond to emergency incidents within local communities in compliance with the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act. In our area the Montgomery and Greene Local Emergency Response Commission (MGLERC), Regional HazMat Team, Dayton Fire Department (DFD), and other agencies to address emergency incidents.

WHY MUST THE CITY BE INVOLVED?

The City of Dayton operates three facilities that are required to comply. The City's Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) and two Water Supply & Treatment (WS&T) facilities have processes that utilize chemicals, chlorine gas and methane gas, which must be reported under the new requirements.

These facilities are located at:

• WWTP: 2800 Guthrie Road, Dayton, OH 45418
• WS&T:
  • Miami Plant - 3210 Chuck Wagner Lane, Dayton, OH 45414
  • Ottawa Plant - 1044 Ottawa Street, Dayton, OH 45402

IS IT NECESSARY FOR OUR FACILITIES TO USE THESE CHEMICALS?

YES! The use of Chlorine in our drinking water processes are needed for health and safety reasons. Chlorine is the safest, most effective chemical to use for disinfecting of water and it also controls diseases such as: Cholera, Dysentery, Typhoid Fever, Legionnaire's Disease, and Giardiasis.

The accumulation of Methane is an inevitable by product of wastewater treatment processes and treatment of sludge. It is captured and beneficially used to produce heat and electricity at our Wastewater Treatment Plant.

WHAT SHOULD I KNOW ABOUT THE CITY'S USE OF THESE CHEMICALS?

Chlorine Gas at the Water Treatment Plants

• Accident History
  • 70 years of use with only minor incidents, no reportable accidents, no off-site consequences.
• Realistic vs. Worst Case Scenario
  • Worst Case - Release into community within 0.9 miles of the facility.
  • Realistic Case - Small, slow leak contained within the building.

Methane Gas at the Wastewater Treatment Plant

• Accident History
  • 60 years of use with no reportable accidents, no off-site consequences.
• Realistic vs. Worst Case Scenario
  • Worst Case - Release into nonresidential areas of our community within 0.2 miles of the facility.
  • Realistic - No off-site areas within our community will be affected.

HOW WILL POTENTIAL RELEASES BE PREVENTED?

The City currently has Safety Systems in place for the prevention of a release, which /include:

Chlorine Gas

• Low Level Chlorine Gas Detection Monitors
• Chlorine Detection Alarms
• Employee Training
• Standard Operating Procedures
• Process Safety Management
• Gas Scrubbers (2nd half of 1999)
• Automatic, vacuum-loss, shut-off system in 1999

Methane Gas

• Portable Low Level Gas Detection Monitors
• Automated shut down system
• Automated Management System
• Employee training
• Standard Operating Procedures
• Process Safety Management ? Pressure / Vacuum Release Valves
• Pressure Regulator / Thermal Shut-off Valves

HOW WILL A RELEASE BE HANDLED?

The City will put its Emergency Response Program into action if a release occurs as follows:

• Wind monitor to determine down wind area
• Dayton Fire Department computer generated program to determine potentially impacted area down wind of the facility
• Chlorine and methane gas alarms
• Activation of pre-emergency planning with the Regional HazMat Team, Dayton Fire Department, Montgomery Greene Local Emergency Response Commission, and the surrounding community
• Gas scrubbers construction in 1999 for neutralizing 100% of the released chlorine gas
• Monitored 24hrs/day, 7 days/week  

WHAT CAN I DO?

BECOME MORE AWARE! Know the areas within your community that may be vulnerable to chemical releases.

HELP ACHIEVE THE GOAL! The goal of a RMP is to achieve readiness on every level by making sure everyone is aware of the risk and how to act in the event of a release.

USE CONTACT NUMBERS TO LEARN MORE OR TO REPORT SPILLS!

• Water Supply and Treatment Plants - 333-6030
• Wastewater Treatment Plant - 333-1501
• City of Dayton, Environmental Management - 333-3725
• OEPA Spill Response Hotline - 1-800-282-9378
• Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-know Hotline (800) 424-9346 or (703)412-9810