Document KGpJE3oYEEo2QRp1Gpeg9Zm2w

ABD0026427-3 4 Interoffice Communication To R. E. Lehmkuh From V. E. Messick Date August 21, 1980 Subject AFE REQUEST - FIXED POINT MONITOR DATA COMPUTER AND WARNING LIGHTS The attached AFE request for $113,000 will provide funds for the installation of an automatic data acquisition system to gather and record VCM fixed point monitoring data. This project is included in the 1980 Capital Budget as Item A-19. The system will consist of a processor, separate CRT terminal and printer, floppy disc storage, and appropriate fixed point monitor interface equipment. Warning lights will also be installed and actuated by the computer to warn employees when VCM is detected in an area of the plant. The plant currently has four fixed point monitoring systems each of which monitor air quality in 10 locations. Each of the 40 locations is analyzed for VCM content every 10 minutes. As a result 5,760 data points per day are recorded on continuous strip charts. The time and cost to manually gather and reduce the strip chart records limits the quantity of information that can be obtained from the fixed point monitoring system. As a result, the full benefit of the monitoring system is not realized. Installation of the computer system will provide such information as averages over a time period and the number of high readings at a location. With this type of information, efforts to reduce exposure through mechanical or operational changes can be evaluated. This project will also install a system of 20 flashing lights to warn employees of a VCM concentration of greater than 1.0 ppm in an area so that the employee may either leave the area or put on protective equipment. This system will reduce the total number of employee overexposures in which protective equipment is not used. The EPA Leak Detection and Elimination Plan requires a system to detect leaks and specifies certain action when a leak is detected. For this plan, the plant's definition of a leak is for a location to have a VCM concentration greater than 5.0 ppm for three consecutive readings. Presently, this situation is detected by the panel operator observing from the strip charts that a point has had three consecutive high readings. Installation of the computer with the alarm and printout will provide immediate notification of a leak and appropriate corrective action will be taken. ^vf Tel don E. Messick Senior Process Engineer c: CLM, SJV, JAD, JCC,WRAl