Kerala - Kochi   

CPCB probe finds poor safety measures

By G. Krishnakumar

KOCHI, APRIL 5. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has found the central public sector unit, Hindustan Insecticides Limited (HIL), Eloor, wanting in preparedness for total environment management.

"All the unit operations are operating without any distributed control system (DCS) .

This is a serious lacuna with respect to safety," said the Board's observations sent to the company recently.

It went on to say that the company had no built up systematic monitoring and assessment programme.

The Central Board conducted an investigation into the safety and environment management measures in the company in the wake of a fire at the endosulfan plant of the company in July last year.

Incinerator inadequate

The incinerator provided by HIL is inadequate, since the waste residue is chlorinated-compounds.

The handling and storage of Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) sludge is non-satisfactory. There is no disposal of such sludge as there is no secured landfill, says the report.

The scrubber provided for arresting chlorine and acid mist is also inadequate.

All the unit operations are functioning without any DCS. The company has also not built up a systematic monitoring and assessment programme.

Recommendations

The HIL should construct a secured landfill in their premises within six months. It should update and modify the incinerator as per CPCB guidelines. The HIL should inventory and identify the hazardous waste streams as per the Hazardous Waste Management Rules with the help of a professional reputed organisation or consultant.

It should update the scrubber of endosulfan, DDT plant in three stages scrubbing in the counter current system.

The board has given time beginning from January this year to complete the procedures.

The CPCB has recommended that the HIL should identify unit operations through HAZOP study for introduction of DCS system.

In six months

The installation of DCS system to the identified unit should be completed within six months. The company should follow the guidelines of the International Chlorine Institute on Storage and Handling of Chlorine.

This should commence from May 1. It should update the building of DDT, Endosulfan along with emergency stairs, lighting arrangement, and plant passages for the movement of workers.

This needs planning with professional help and should be completed within six months. The entire programme should be ready within December 2005.

Monitoring programme

The CPCB has recommended that the company should develop a suitable monitoring programme to assess the generation of pollution load, performance evaluation of pollution control devices and safety system and health of workers. The data generated through this programme should be used for short and long-term action. The company should also conduct safety and environmental audit on a regular basis through in-house mechanism and a third party auditor.

It should also update the on-site emergency plan.

The CPCB has found that the most probable cause of the July 6 fire was due to an ignition of toluene vapour in the leak that occurred at the expansion bellow connected to reactor R 308.

Work initiated

The HIL had already initiated work for the construction of the secured landfill within its premises.

The company has identified the site for the landfill. K.K.Joseph, general manager of the company said that the work would be completed before June.

The modification of the incinerator as per CPCB guidelines will also be completed before the allotted time. Mr. Joseph said that the HIL had also invested in setting up of the Treatment-Storage-Disposal Facility (TSDF) coming up on the campus of Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore (FACT), Ambalamedu.

The HIL will implement the DCS system during the revamp of its Endosulfan unit.

The company has initiated all necessary steps as per the recommendations made by the CPCB, he added.

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