Blue Plains Wastewater Treatment Plant
For years, the Blue Plains Wastewater Treatment Plant, just outside of Washington, DC, stored deadly chlorine gas in 90-ton rail cars. A rupture of just one of these rail cars would have put 1.7 million people at risk, covering the White House, Congress, and Bolling Air Force Base. These risks, known for almost two decades, went unaddressed even though a study recommended switching to a safer substitute for the more dangerous chlorine. On the heels of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the Washington Post used government data to report on Blue Plains' risks. In short order, the facility removed its 90-ton rail cars and replaced the chlorine with sodium hypochlorite bleach, which does not have the potential to drift off-site. Some have felt that RMPs provide a blueprint for terrorists. This case shows that public disclosure makes us safer by removing the danger so that terrorists have nothing to attack. Resources: