Environmental Stewardship – Armstrong Energy
Economical enhancements for spill preparedness
Armstrong Energy
International Power America625-MW, dual-fuel, simple-cycle peaking facility located in Shelocta, PA
Plant manager: Matthew Denver
Key project participants: Wes Crawford, Jim Mandella, Peter Margliotti, Bryan Miller, and Dexter Cox, plant combustion turbine specialists
Challenge.
Spill preparedness canmake the difference between a “closecall” and a “notification call” to theNational Response Center. Affordingyour staff with some simple but oftenoverlooked strategies and resourceswill give you a better chance to avoidviolations or enforcement actions.While vigilant inspections andinstalled containment structures arethe first lines of defense, releasesmay spray and fall outside containment,or mist and be carried by thewind over large areas. Then the raincomes and suddenly one gallon ofproduct can turn into storm watercontamination. Next, the agencynotifications begin.On the other hand, if rain is notallowed to hit the product, the wholeresponse would change; plant drainagesystems and the storm water remain uncontaminated, and theproduct is not carried deeper intothe soil or groundwater. With effective control and containment, remediation takes place without threat of water contamination.
Solution.
One way that control and containment capabilities can be inexpensively enhanced is to stock a supply of 6-mil plastic sheeting in 100-ft rolls. These come in a variety of widths, enabling two or three workers to secure very large areas quickly and effectively. In this case bigger might be better, but weight should also be considered in planning.While a 40-ft width of sheeting may cover 4000 ft2, it also tips the scale at 114 lb. Rolls of 6-mil, 20 × 100-ft sheeting are commonly stocked by home improvement, hardware, agricultural, or online retailers and are more easily managed by a single worker if need should arise.
If sheeting is on hand, your staff will find it has numerous invaluable uses, and all for about $29 per 1000 ft2. Emergency containments, securing of remediated material, and diversion of rain or product flows are only a few of the many uses a responder will find for this product. A second layer of protection which can quickly be deployed to stop migration and provide containment is the inflatable pipe plug. Each plug covers a range of pipe sizes, allowing just a few carefully selected plugs to cover virtually any contingency.
Since many plugs require only 10 to 36 psi of inflation, an inexpensive portable air tank, equipped with a simple gage manifold, works well for most deployments (Fig 12).For inflation of large or multiple plugs where compressed air is unavailable, a small nitrogen cylinder and regulator can achieve the task. We have found these plugs reliable even in challenging conditions such as storm-water drainage systems.
When plugged as a precaution, storm drains become emergency containments affording staff the opportunity to inspect for contamination before release (Fig 13). A contamination-free inspection will validate the effectiveness of your control and containment efforts and prevent release should those efforts fail.The safety and effectiveness of plug deployment can be improved by implementing a few simple strategies:
1. Tie-off the plug prior to insertion; this will prevent migration during a release. Failure to do so could allow the plug to travel downstream and possibly jam in an undesirable location.
2. We recommend leaving an air line attached to the plug and leading out of the space throughout the period of deployment. This prevents the need for personnel to enter a dangerous space (such as a drop inlet or manhole) when installing or removing a plug. Additionally, plug fill pressure may be remotely monitored and adjusted to prevent an unexpected release.
3. To prevent a surge of water when releasing plugs in large diameter pipes, it may be advisable to instead purchase a “bypass plug.” This type of plug is formed with an open pipe of smaller diameter (a bypass) in the center. The bypass pipe is then secured with a second inflatable plug and air line (for submerged applications) or may be fitted with a valve (in above-surface effluent end applications).
Results. The capability, versatility, and ease of deployment which these strategies provide will far out-weigh their low cost. When it comes to spill response and preparedness, options such as these may be the difference between managing a situation and falling victim to it.
