DENVER—The
July 20 explosion that occurred at the Carter Lake water treatment
facility could have been prevented if safer technologies for treating
water were employed according to Colorado Public Interest Research
Group (CoPIRG) Staff Attorney, Kirpal Singh.
“We’ve
moved chlorine gas, a chemical weapon, off the battlefield and into our
communities,” said Mr. Singh. “Fortunately, there are safer
technologies available that water treatment facilities can use to
replace the extremely hazardous chemicals used to treat water.”
More
than 200 water treatment facilities (including Washington, D.C.)
converted to safer alternatives such as ultraviolet light, eliminating
the use of chlorine and sulfur dioxide gas. In Colorado, there are two
facilities that illustrate the danger of chlorine to the public. They
also are good examples of sound corporate and governmental responses to
the very real threat that chlorine gas presents to the public. These
two examples are:
1)
KIK Corporation- Manufactures bleach using chlorine gas. The facility
currently has a vulnerability zone of more than 1 million people, but
is in the process of adopting a just-in-time production process that
would eliminate the storage of chlorine gas. Instead the gas would be
produced when needed and not stored in 90 ton tanks. They have a
website that talks about the process at www.k2pure.com (see also
attached letter from KIK to Rep. Markey (D-Mass)).
2)
Metro Reclamation District- wastewater treatment plant uses chlorine
gas to purify wastewater. The storage and use of chlorine gas places
925,000 people at risk of exposure. The wastewater treatment plant also
has plans to adopt safer technologies and will be switching to liquid
bleach disinfection by the end of 2007. This switch would completely
eliminate the vulnerability zone for this facility.
Nationally,
pulp and paper mills that use chlorine or chlorine dioxide to whiten
paper needlessly endanger more than 5.7 million people, according to a
new report released today by CoPIRG.
The
report, Pulp Fiction, identified 74 pulp and paper mills that endanger
more than 5.7 million people by using chlorine or chlorine dioxide to
bleach paper. If released, these two hazardous substances have the
potential to kill or seriously injure even at relatively low
concentrations.
According
to CoPIRG’s research, bleaching technologies that do not use chlorine
or chlorine dioxide are widely available. For example, the totally
chlorine-free (TCF) technology whitens paper by using safer substances
such as hydrogen peroxide or ozone instead of chlorine. These safer
technologies can eliminate or significantly reduce the consequences of
a chemical release.
Accidents
at chemical facilities have long threatened communities and workers.
The realization that a terrorist could use an industrial facility as a
make-shift chemical weapon has amplified concerns about extremely
hazardous chemicals like chlorine and chlorine dioxide.
Based
on these concerns, the National Research Council recently identified
safer technologies as the most desirable solution to address chemical
plant security. The Council stated that the most effective way to
prevent chemical releases is to eliminate the hazard where possible.
“Today’s
report demonstrates that safer technologies are a reality,” said Mr.
Singh. “Some facilities have already reduced chemical hazards by
switching to safer technologies, but many others are continuing with
business as usual. To truly make our communities safe, chemical
facilities must adopt safer technologies.”
Last
summer, the House Homeland Security Committee passed a chemical
security bill that incorporated safer technologies, but this bill was
never brought to the House floor for a vote. Comparable legislation
will likely be introduced again this year.
“We
call on Representatives Perlmutter and DeGette to ensure that safer
technologies are a part of any serious chemical security proposal.”
