Cyanide Mitigation and Worker Protection May 7, 2014

Cyanide mitigationand worker protection

May 7, 2014

Presented to: Kentucky Chemical

Demilitarization Citizens’ Advisory

Commission and Chemical Destruction

Community Advisory Board

Secondary Waste Working Group

Presented by:

Dr. John BartonSystems Contractor Chief Scientist

A Partnership for Safe Chemical Weapons Destruction

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Agenda

Potential agent and industrial chemical hazards

Health Hazard Assessment methodology and approach

Worker Safety and Occupational Medicine Program

– Personal Reliability Program

– Medical baseline screening

Cyanide challenge for energetics neutralization process

Cyanide treatment during energetics neutralization process

Cyanide exposure limits vs. BGCAPP levels

Hydrolysate Storage Area design, construction, operations

Supercritical Water Oxidation (SCWO) Process Building


GB

VX

H

aluminum hydroxide

ammonia

carbon monoxide

carbon dioxide

Dicyclohexyl carbodiimide

diisopropylcarbodiimide

diisopropyl methlyphosphonate

diisopropanolamine

diisopropyl urea

EA2192

ethanol

sulfuric acid

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Potential agent and industrial chemical hazards

tributylamine

tetrytol

tetryl

Composition B

trinitrotoluene

RDX; hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5 triazine (cyclonite)

M28

HCN

hexane

methylene chloride

compressed air

helium

hydrogen

phosphoric acid

hydrochloric acid

hydrogen fluoride

isopropanol

nitrogen

methyl phosphonate

methyl phosphonic acid

sodium hypochlorite

sodium hydroxide

oxygen

phosphorus pentoxide

dithiane

sulfur

chloroform

Chemical Agents

Hydrogen Cyanide


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Health Hazard Assessments

Preliminary Hazard Assessment completed during design phase

Health Hazard Assessments and Job Hazard Analyses identify potential exposure hazards

– Completed to Project System Safety Program Plan standards

– Completed after procedure development initiated

– Completed to appropriate phases of the project (Design, Construction, Systemization, Operations, Closure)

A Construction worker (above) wears personal protective equipment.Systemization workers (below), inspect energized lock-out/tag-out systems.


Hazard tracking and communication

Health Hazard Inventory updated after Health Hazard Assessment

Documents shared with Medical Director and emergency preparedness

Hazards identified during analyses are tracked in Hazard Tracking Log

BGCAPP has formal Hazard Communication Program and Hazardous Waste and Emergency Response Program

Employees are educated and trained for potential exposure to hazards

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Worker Safety and Occupational Medicine Program

Personal Reliability Program

Workers’ activities involving the potential exposure to nerve agents receive a medical examination to document

1. Exhibit no physical, mental, or emotional impairment that may result in a higher vulnerability to nerve agent exposure

2. Are physically/mentally able to wear and use the required protective clothing and equipment

Individual baseline nerve-agent testing and ongoing surveillance dependent on type of work categories

Medical Screening Program

Medical and Industrial Hygiene programs are in place for industrial work activities depending on potential exposures

As part of ongoing Health Hazard Assessment, the extent of potential exposures identified determine which programs are required for each worker


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The Technical Challenge

Neutralizing rocket warhead explosives poses unique technical challenge at Blue Grass

Cyanide formation expected during energetics neutralization process, trapped in caustic liquid energetics hydrolysate

Cyanide produced during energetics neutralization process isn’t a public risk, but if not treated, could require additional protective measures during future plant operations in some work locations(Supercritical Water Oxidation Process feed preparation)

BGCAPP has focused on engineering controls and treatment of hazards, to provide better protection for workers during operations

Small piece of Composition B in an aluminum pan


Technical Background:Energetics Neutralization Process

HSS

Off-gas to MDB

filter banks

Hydrolysate Storage Area

(HSA)

EBH – Energetics Batch Hydrolyzer ENR – Energetics Neutralization Reactor SCWO – Supercritical Water Oxidation OTE – Off-gas treatment for

EBH (acid scrubber) OTM – Off-gas Treatment System APR – Aluminum Precipitation Reactor AFS – Aluminum Filtration System

ENR

Munitions Demilitarization

Building (MDB)

OTE

effluent

Off-gas

to OTE

Off-gas

to OTM

EBH

216°F, 1 atm

240°F, 1.7 atm

AFS

Air

Acid

Off-gas to

carbon

canister

Off-gas to

atmosphere

Filter cake

APR

Waste

Packaging

SCWO

Feed

System

Supercritical Water Oxidation (SCWO) Processing Building

(SPB)

Off-gas to

SCWO

building

140°F, 1 atm

Scrubber condensate

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Treatment Approach

Year long collaborative effort among BGCAPP scientists, engineers and corporate subject matter experts

Mission focused on safely and efficiently treating cyanide hazard during energetics neutralization processing

Focus on energetics neutralization process

– Portion of process where cyanide first occurs

– Un-manned, automated process (i.e. no workers)

– Upstream before Supercritical Water Oxidation Process (where cyanide might have posed worker hazard)

Mettler RC1® Calorimeter Reactor at Battelle’s HERLA Used to Simulate BGCAPPEBH and ENR Operations


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A Safe Solution

Enhance auxiliary systems to Energetics Neutralization Reactors (ENRs) to increase operating temperature

– Safely and efficiently destroys cyanide

– Does not change neutralization process

– Does not alter Supercritical Water Oxidation process

– Does not impact weapons destruction baseline schedule

Auxiliary systems enhancements

– Insulating jacket placed around reactors

– Heat exchanger to increase temperatures

– Heat exchanger to cool sampling line

Munitions Demilitarization Building,ENRs (above). A representative heat exchanger (below).


Without Treatment With Higher Temperature Treatment

Liquid(mg/L)

Air/Headspace (mg/m3)

Liquid(mg/L)

Air/Headspace (mg/m3)

Energetics Batch Hydrolyzers

600 non-detect 600 non-detect

Energetics Neutralization Reactors

350 non-detect 15 non-detect

Aluminum Precipitation Reactors

40 > 25 5 < 5

Aluminum Filtration System

20 > 25 < 1 non-detect

Anticipated Cyanide Concentrations

cyanide treatment occurs during this step

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Pilot Plant cyanide levels are below worker safety regulatory standards

National Institute of Occupational Safety & Health assigns short-term maximum limit 15-minute time-weighted average, of 5 mg/m3 for hydrogen cyanide in air

Centers for Disease Control assign an Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health limit of 25 mg/m3 for hydrogen cyanide in air


Hydrolysate Storage Area tanks

Both energetics hydrolysate tanks may be in service simultaneously

Tanks are designed with both spill and overfill prevention controls

Spill containment = content of a tank + regulatory defined rainfall (25-year, 24-hour maximum rainfall) and freeboard

Spill response procedures define actions for rapid response to contain leaks

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Hydrolysate Storage Area (above) construction is nearing completion.The Storage Area is designed and built (below) to environmental regulations.

Hydrolysate Storage Area design, construction and operations regulated by Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection, Environmental Protection Agency and in accordance with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).


Supercritical Water Oxidation (SCWO)Process Building

Separate HVAC systems service control area, reverse osmosis room, processing area and relief tank room, Aluminum Precipitation/Aluminum Filtration room

HVAC in AP/AF room designed to pull air from worker breathing zone and out facility roof at height greater than 30 feet

Further dilution achieved in HVAC air stream and outside building

SCWO Process Building largely unoccupied by workers except to perform maintenance activities and remove filtercake bins

Based on the automation used in the process, exposure durations expected to be much less than 8 hours/day

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The SCWO Process Building (above). Workers will access filtercake bins using large rollup doors (below).


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Questions/Discussion

Cyanide Mitigation and Worker Protection May 7, 2014

Government & Nonprofit

Transcript of Cyanide Mitigation and Worker Protection May 7, 2014