Meeting OSHA`s lead, cadmium, and arsenic regulations
- Southeastern Public Service Authority, Chesapeake, VA (United States)
The most current regulations promulgated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration concerning employee exposure to lead, cadmium, and arsenic very directly affect the operation and maintenance of the Navy owned, Southeastern Public Service Authority (SPSA) operated Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) fired power plant. The Plant`s primary fuel is RDF. Approximately 1,100 tons of RDF are consumed each day. Testing of the flyash (independent of the bottom ash) from this facility finds lead and cadmium levels sufficiently high to exceed Permissible Exposure Limits (PEL`s) if the ash becomes airborne in a closed area. Monitoring confirms the problem in suspect areas. Coal testing finds arsenic, but so little coal is currently fired (less than 50 tons per day) that the fly ash from coal has not presently proved to be a concern. All Power Plant employees who enter the industrial areas of the Plant have completed the initial medical testing required to enter a monitoring program. No adverse effects were found from past potential exposure. Although very costly, meeting the requirements of the latest OSHA regulations concerning lead, cadmium, and arsenic has not prevented the staff from meeting their operational goals. The difficulty of performing maintenance and some operational functions remains very high. A major goal for the immediate future is to develop and implement engineering controls to reduce, if not eliminate, personnel exposure above the action levels for these heavy metals.
- OSTI ID:
- 495334
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9504119-; TRN: IM9731%%27
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Air & Waste Management Association international speciality conference on thermal treatment and waste-to-energy technologies for solid waste management, Washington, DC (United States), 18-21 Apr 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1996; Related Information: Is Part Of Solid waste management: Thermal treatment and waste-to-energy technologies. VIP-53; Kilgroe, J.D. [comp.] [National Risk Management Research Lab., Research Triangle Park, NC (United States)]; PB: 981 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Ultra High Efficiency ESP for Fine Particulate and Air Toxics Control
Enabling Staged Pressurized Oxy-Combustion: Improving Flexibility and Performance at Reduced Cost