Chemical Industry Ready As Hurricanes Inaugurate A New Storm Season
Arlington, VA - With another hurricane season upon us, the chemical industry is prepared to build on the successful actions taken to weather devastating hurricanes like Katrina and Rita.
During Katrina and Rita, American Chemistry Council (ACC) members'emergency preparations worked as planned. Not one employee at a chemical facility was injured, and neither the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) nor any state agency reported a significant chemical release from ACC member facilities in the Gulf.
In fact, most chemical facilities returned to full operational status in a matter of days, a tribute to planning, preparation and the fundamental design of ACC members' facilities.
Preparation equals safety Chemical companies know well to avoid the dangers of being unprepared for any threat, be it a hurricane, an accident, or something more sinister.
This is why our member companies place great importance on implementing emergency plans focused on protecting the safety of employees and surrounding communities. Under Responsible Care , our trademark health, safety, environment and security program, all ACC members have long-established emergency plans, which are activated in close coordination with local, state and national authorities, other businesses and transportation systems, along the path of the storms.
The well-rehearsed emergency plans for hurricanes involve many actions taken in advance of the storm. Depending on the severity of the storm they include:
- Complete shut down of facility following strict safety and operating Procedures
- Evacuation of personnel
- Preparing the facility by activating generators, filling tanks and physically securing equipment
- Removal of unnecessary vehicles and other equipment
ACC members don't just plan for severe contingencies like hurricanes, they consider them when designing and building chemical facilities to be safe. Specific construction elements can include hardened equipment, dikes and levees.
Cascading impacts on chemicals and customers As Katrina and Rita demonstrated, the impact of hurricanes can go well beyond the potential threat to employees and physical damage to facilities and their communities. Last year's storms reminded us of the interdependent nature of the nation's critical infrastructure.
While most facilities did not suffer major structural damage and were operational within days, many were unable to resume normal production because of other external consequences of the storms. Extensive damage to the local infrastructure blocked the flow of key supplies, like electricity and natural gas, necessary to manufacture chemicals, while damaged roads and rail lines prevented the delivery of products to consumers.
Ultimately, this led to higher natural gas costs for everyone and curtailed the delivery of chemicals essential to producing important everyday items like clean drinking water and life-saving medicines.
SOURCE: American Chemistry Council