How Can Pollution Prevention (P2) Projects Within Your Facility Add Value to National and Local Security Efforts?

Individuals within organizations can enhance protection of the environment, staff and facilities, by employing pollution prevention. Parallels exist between P2 and security, and both disciplines stand to benefit by meshing some of the opportunities common to each.

The following examples illustrate potential benefits of practicing pollution prevention as an added security measure:

• Numerous water treatment facilities have replaced chlorine with sodium hypochlorite, greatly reducing risks associated with chlorine handling and storage. Why is chlorine such a risk? Per the National Transportation Safety Board and the Coast Guard, a large leak of chlorine gas can travel two miles in only 10 minutes and remain acutely toxic to a distance of about 20 miles. (Source: Greenpeace)
  
• After the Bhopal chemical accident in 1984, Dupont eliminated all storage of methyl isocyanate (the chemical released in Bhopal) by switching to a closed loop process that only manufactures as much of the chemical as is used immediately in the process. (Source: Environmental Media Services). Studies also show that process integration on the Bhopal facility could have reduced methyl isocyanate inventories from 41 tons to less than 10 kg.
  
• In Cheshire, Ohio, American Electric Power selected a urea-based pollution control system rather than one involving large-scale storage of ammonia that would have endangered the surrounding community. (Source: Environmental Media Services)
  
• In Cuyahoga County, Ohio, ALCOA reduced its potential off-site impact by working with local emergency planners and ending on-site storage of hydrofluoric acid and nitric acid. (Source: Environmental Media Services).