Desalting plant will test alarm system this morning

Today the Bureau of Reclamation’s Yuma Desalting Plant, at 7301 Calle Agua Salada on the northwest edge of the city, will conduct a brief test of its emergency chemical alarm system.

BOR 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 and 11 a.m., the plant’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 desalting plant and the BOR’s Yuma Area Office to shelter-inplace and to notify the onsite Emergency Response Teams of the need to assemble and respond to the emergency conditions.

When activated, the chemical alarm siren is audible several miles away from the facility and is used by 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 Yuma Desalting Plant.

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 Yuma Area Office Environmental Planning and Compliance Manager Julian DeSantiago by phone at (928) 343-8259 or via email at jdesantiago@usbr.gov.