Up to 12 million people are at risk if an extremely toxic chemical is released by a chemical plant, petroleum refinery, food plant, water or wastewater treatment plant or other facility in New Jersey, according to a state report.
The state Toxic Catastrophe Prevention Act of 1985 is aimed at protecting the public from “catastrophic accidental releases of extraordinarily hazardous substances,” according to the state Department of Environmental Protection report.
The DEP’s Radiation Protection and Release Prevention Element wrote the January monthly report and it will be posted on the Web soon .
The state law followed the notorious accidental release of methyl isocyanate at a plant in Bhopal, India, in December 1984 and significant releases in New Jersey in 1985, according to the DEP report.
Methyl isocyanate, a highly toxic gas, is used to produce pesticides. Its release from a Union Carbide plant in Bhopal killed an estimated 2,000 to 4,000 people and affected more than 170,000 others, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Toxic Catastrophe Prevention Act rules require owners or operators of facilities with certain amounts of toxic, flammable and reactive extraordinarily hazardous substances to have risk management programs that prevent releases, the DEP report says.
According to the report:
– 83 facilities are registered in the Toxic Catastrophe Prevention Act program.
– 63 extraordinarily hazardous substances (EHSs) are handled at the facilities.
– 180 million pounds of EHSs are at registered facilities, with amounts ranging from 100 pounds to 16 million pounds per facility.
– Eight “toxic worst-case scenarios” would affect 250,000 to 12 million people.
– Five toxic worst-case scenarios would affect 50,001 to 250,000 people.
– Toxic worst-case scenarios would affect commercial facilities, hospitals, prisons, recreation areas, residences and schools.