Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
contain a file of material data safety sheets (MSDSs) on site-specific chemicals.
Additionally, the plant response team personnel should be trained in cardiopul-
monary resuscitation and should be equipped with the most common types of
rescue equipment.
Meteorological Equipment
During toxic gaseous release emergencies, meteorological conditions greatly
affect migration speed and direction. The most important of these parameters
are wind direction and speed. A facility should have one or more meteorological
stations where this key information is constantly monitored. The station needs
not be complex. Care should be taken to avoid locations where the presence
of buildings and other structures may result in faulty readings. In addition to
mounting windsocks on the highest point for optimum visibility, windsocks
should also be located close to the ground so that people leaving a building in
an emergency know in which direction to run to avoid a toxic plume.
Security and Access Control Equipment
In an emergency, it is likely that traffic flow around the plant may have to be
redirected, especially if toxic material has contaminated nearby areas. Equipment
such as flares, emergency lighting, road barriers, reflective vests, reflective tape,
and traffic control cones should be available to security personnel.
Environmental Testing Systems
Although initially the emphasis of the emergency response will focus on con-
tainment and control of the situation, it will quickly shift to evaluation of the
potential impacts to the environment. Thus, planning should also include meth-
ods to quickly assess the degree of potential environmental impacts. While it
is not normal for a facility to own a drill rig or soil-testing apparatus, plan-
ning should include mechanisms to acquire these services rapidly, if needed.
By quickly assessing the magnitude of potential impacts, an effective remedial
response that will control potential threats can be developed. Hydraulic push
soil-sampling machines are very useful to collect near surface soil and ground-
water samples, and a variety of instruments are available to do field analysis of
the samples. Also, arrangements should be made with a nearby environmental
testing laboratory to provide rapid turnaround analysis of samples.
Mobile laboratories and field test kits for various types of chemicals are avail-
able. For example, portable GC/MS units are available that can provide high
quality chemical testing in the field on a fast turnaround basis. The ability to
have field-based testing is critical when trying to assess the magnitude of the
impact and the extent of threats to human health and the environment. GPS sys-
tems are available that allow real-time location and plotting of sample locations
so that the finding from rapid testing equipment can be interpreted in a dynamic
fashion. This allows managers to determine the next sampling locations as the
investigation unfolds.
