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----------------------------------------------------------{ November 11, 2008 }Spills - Preparation, Prevention and Proper Reaction
Accidents Happen. Too often, we act as though they will not, and we are not prepared for what we need to do when they do occur. Good businesses that survive over the long haul do not pretend that accidents will never happen to them; they instead take the proper precautions to do what they can to prevent things from going wrong, and they are prepared with the things that they will need in times of trouble – close by and accessible quickly when needed.
In this spirit of foresight and prevention, Amerimulch strongly recommends that you think about colorant spills ahead of time, in order to prevent them when possible and to make sure that you are prepared for them when they do occur. Once the spill occurs, it may be too late to avoid expensive hassles and problems.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Storm sewers and runoff are under the jurisdiction of the EPA and state EPA bodies. Any industrial chemical contamination into the watershed may be in violation of federal and state laws – even if the material being put into the watershed is harmless. Regulatory bodies like the EPA and state environmental bodies are geared up to consider spills hazardous until they are proven not to be. If it becomes necessary for them to come out to your site, you can expect a lot of questions and attention to your process, your safety procedures, and your materials.
Sanitary sewer systems are carefully monitored for the materials coming into them. If a mulch producer in a sewer district has a spill that washes a large volume of mulch colorant into a sanitary sewer, he or she can soon expect to see someone from the sewer district out to investigate why all the water is red or brown or black, and asking a lot of questions about what is in that stuff. While they are usually comforted by the responses with our component materials, everyone involved would prefer if they never had to become involved in the first place.
PREVENTION STEPS:
So how do we prevent spills? That will take a site-by-site analysis of how you handle the colorants and where spills are most likely to occur. We can tell you from our experience that the most likely sources of spills come from forklifts puncturing totes and drums full of material, and that the next most likely place for a spill is the loading dock when the material is coming off the truck. Ensure that forklift drivers are careful and well trained, and that your unloading process is safe and routine.
Next, let’s think about where the material would go if there is a spill. Locate all the drains on your property, and determine where they go. While mulch colorants are very “safe” as far as industrial chemicals go, they are still chemicals, and they still need to be treated as such. They are not to be poured into ponds, streams, and storm sewers, or to be washed into sanitary sewers. If producing material outside, trenches should be dug along property borders to make sure that runoff spill material does not go to the storm sewers, streams or ponds. If inside, holding tanks or filters should prevent contaminated water from reaching the outside.
ONCE A SPILL OCCURS:
Once a spill does occur, what are the best steps to take to minimize its impact? First, let us tell you what NOT to do – don’t add any water! It’s much easier to deal with red, brown, or black colorant in its concentrated state than to try to deal with ten, fifty, or one hundred times as much watered down red, brown, or black material. If the spill is greater than you can control, you will need to notify your local fire department. Other companies that may be able to help in the aftermath of a spill are listed at the end of this notice.
As for what to do, keep material on hand that is absorbent and that can soak up the spilled colorant. Mulch will work for smaller amounts of material, as will sawdust and shavings. Cat litter or vermiculite are good absorbent materials for larger spills. Spread the absorbent material on the spill, and soak up as much as you can. That material can be put into the trash to go in a landfill. Repeat as necessary to get all the moisture up and allow the rest to evaporate. Before the next rain, try to get the small amount of colorant remaining up from the ground with soap and water if the remaining color is a problem - but again, don’t let the runoff go into the watershed.
CLOSING:
Accidents happen. Take the time to think about them, to take steps to prevent them, and to take proper precautions to make sure you are prepared for them if and when they do occur.
EMERGENCY SPILL RESPONSE COMPANIES:
John Beckman 734-646-8287
http://www.eqonline.com/services/Emergency-Response.asp
Peter Stokes 440-552-7089
http://www.chemtron-corp.com/pages/emerg_respon.htm
http://veoliaes-is.com/Services/Special%20Services/Emergency%20Response
Posted at 03:12 PM | Link to this Article