Yuma, AZ - On Thursday, December 7, 2017, the Bureau of Reclamation's Yuma Desalting Plant (YDP), located at 7301 Calle Agua Salada, will conduct a brief test of its emergency chemical alarm system. Reclamation is conducting the test to verify that the plant’s emergency alert system is fully operational and could be used to alert and/or evacuate workers at the plant in the event of an incidental chemical release.
Testing of the emergency chemical alarm system involves activating the siren alarm multiple times to ensure the system is operating effectively.
Between 8:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., Mountain Standard Time, the YDP’s Chemical Alarm Siren System will be activated for a period of no more than 10 minutes on several occasions to determine if the system is operating correctly. The alarm system is used to inform employees at both the YDP and the Yuma Area Office to shelter-in-place and to notify the on-site Emergency Response Teams of the need to assemble and respond to the emergency conditions.
When activated, the CASS siren is audible several miles away from the facility and is used by the YDP personnel to alert both on-site employees and nearby residents about impending emergency conditions at the plant. During the brief emergency test of the system, no action or response is necessary from residents or businesses located off-site of the YDP.
YAO regularly conducts these tests to verify the system is working correctly in the event of an actual emergency.
For further information about this upcoming emergency chemical alarm system test, please contact YAO Environmental Planning and Compliance Manager Julian DeSantiago at (928) 343-8259 or via email at jdesantiago@usbr.gov.
Source: Bureau of Reclamation
