Operation overview

Operation overview. 2026.

Welcome to our annual Spill Prevention Control & Countermeasure and Preparedness, Prevention, and Contingency briefing. This training keeps us in compliance with both federal E-P-A rules and state environmental regulations. More importantly, it ensures everyone knows exactly how to keep our workplace safe and prevent pollutants from leaving our site..

[Audio] Our goals today are simple but critical. We are meeting our regulatory mandates, but we want real awareness throughout our facility. Every person here must know their specific role. If a fluid container punctures or an operation leaks, you need to know who to call and how to deploy basic, safe, defensive containment immediately. We operate right next to critical local waterways and keeping them clean and safe starts with us..

[Audio] Let’s look at our site footprint. We manage a 7.9-acre property here in Latrobe, anchored by our 166000-square foot production building. Because our high temperature kilns run continuously, 24/7/365, we must maintain environmental awareness around the clock, not just during day shifts. Note that our bulk mechanical lubrication oils are strictly segregated and stored inside two specialized external storage sheds to keep them separated from other operations.

[Audio] Let's look specifically at the petroleum and oil inventory we manage on site. We do not store massive, uncontained bulk volumes of oil. Instead, our oil inventory relies on highly mobile and localized units: portable 55-gallon drums and I-B-C totes. For our used oil, we utilize a single 345-gallon shop built tank that is constructed to strict UL-142 double walled standards, providing built in secondary containment. Beyond storage, remember we have active oil reservoirs inside our day to day manufacturing machinery—specifically our hydraulic forming presses, the building freight elevators, and the gear boxes on our ball mills. These are areas where we must watch for operational leaks or weeping valves. Finally, a legal note: the large electrical transformers outside are owned and serviced solely by West Penn Power. We do not maintain or sample those internal fluids..

[Audio] Moving past oils, our padep P-P-C plan also heavily regulates the non petroleum chemicals and raw materials used in our core manufacturing. This includes our bulk alumina, specialized dry ceramic powders, and mineral binders. It also covers the process fluids we use to blend and mold these components, like soluble forming lubricants and organic binders. Even though these materials are not petroleum products, they pose a massive environmental threat if they escape. If dry alumina powder or liquid binders get outside and reach a storm drain, they cause severe cloudiness and sediment buildup in the water, choking out aquatic life in Loyalhanna Creek. Because of this risk, we have a strict zero washdown rule. You are never allowed to use a hose to spray raw material dust or process residue out of a bay door onto the pavement. If a raw material spills, it must be cleaned up immediately using dry sweeping or industrial vacuums..

[Audio] Now let's cover our waste streams, which are tightly regulated under our preparedness and prevention plan. Our process waste includes spent mechanical lubricants, used hydraulic fluids, and oil drained during machinery maintenance. Our solid waste includes ceramic scrap, failed binder mixes, and the heavy powder caught by our outdoor dust collector baghouses. We also generate small quantities of universal waste, like spent fluorescent bulbs and batteries, as well as minor solvent wastes from maintenance. All of these must be managed in designated storage areas under strict satellite accumulation rules. This means every single waste container must be DOT-approved, clearly labeled with its contents, and the lids must be kept tightly always sealed unless you are actively adding waste. Finally, looking outdoors, our 30-yard trash roll off is strictly for solid, dry industrial waste. No free flowing liquids, oils, or raw chemical residues are ever permitted to be thrown in the dumpster.

[Audio] Understanding where liquid flows is half the battle in a spill. Our property slopes toward the South and Southwest. The East Loading Dock area “Catchment Basin” collects rainwater and uses an automated pump to push it West. Ultimately, all surface runoff and clean roof water combine to exit at Outfall SW-001, flowing down the Route 982 roadside ditch. This drainage path leads directly to Loyalhanna Creek, just 0.6 miles south of us. A spill here can reach that creek rapidly if we don't act..

[Audio] We currently hold a No Exposure Certification from the state, which is active through September 16, 2027. This means we are legally exempt from complex and costly analytical stormwater sampling, but it comes with a strict condition: all industrial manufacturing, raw materials, and material handling must happen entirely under a roof. Because of this certification, washing down equipment or floors out into the open lot or storm drains is completely prohibited. Everything outside must stay clean and dry..

[Audio] To maintain our no exposure status, we have zero tolerance for sloppy outdoor logistics. Our 30-yard trash roll off dumpster must stay always covered when not in use, and its bottom drain plug must be kept closed tightly to prevent trash juice from leaking. Furthermore, all bulk raw clays and ceramic minerals must arrive via covered trailers and be moved directly indoors. Raw materials are never to be staged or left sitting out in the open weather..

[Audio] We use engineered structural barriers to stop spills before they spread. All 55-gallon drums and I-B-C totes must sit on plastic spill pallets or inside designated containment areas on our concrete floors. Our shop built waste oil tank is built to UL-142 double walled standards, providing built in secondary containment. Under no circumstances should any petroleum product or chemical container be stored directly on open dirt or uncontained asphalt.

[Audio] Human error during fluid transfers is a leading cause of industrial spills. You must actively check fluid level gauges before you begin a transfer, and you must stay with the operation the entire time. Leaving a fluid transfer unattended for even a minute is a direct policy violation. We inspect these gauges monthly, and if you ever spot a gauge that is foggy, cracked, or illegible, it must be reported and repaired within 24 hours.

[Audio] We don't just wait for things to break. We conduct formal monthly physical walkthroughs using the checklist found in Appendix H of our plan. We examine tanks, valves, and piping for any signs of structural weeping or weakness. We also focus heavily on our catchment basins: they are checked monthly for debris, quarterly for pump function, and cleaned out completely if accumulated sediment ever reaches half of the basin's depth..

[Audio] This is a critical operational slide. Runoff from our East Loading Dock drains into an on site containment catchment basin. This basin uses an automated sump pump designed to pump clean rainwater away. However, if an oil or chemical spill happens on that dock, that automated pump will turn on and push the contamination directly out to Outfall SW-001 and into the Route 982 drainage ditch! Therefore, if a spill occurs at the East Loading Dock, your absolute first priority is to isolate power to that pump. Go directly to the electrical panel, find the breaker labeled for the East Dock Sump, and flip it to 'O-F-F--'. This turns the basin into a secure, dead end vault that locks the spill in place until Clean Harbors arrives to pump it out safely.

[Audio] Our plan pre maps exactly what could happen. A worst case transfer leak at the North Loading Dock could release up to 275 gallons, flowing East. A leak at the East Loading Dock could involve up to 345 gallons, flowing North. The West Penn Power transformers contain up to 620 gallons of oil. If any of these leak, your job is defensive: grab the nearest dock spill kit, use the booms to block the drainage paths, and absorb the liquid using sorbent pads.

[Audio] If a spill occurs, do not guess what to do next. Notify the Emergency Response Coordinator immediately. I am the primary E-R-C--, and my cell phone is on 24/7. If I do not pick up, you must immediately call the first alternate, Mike O'Neill, our Operations Manager. If he cannot be reached, call our second alternate, Julie Malesky. Memorize this sequence—always call down the chain in this exact order until a live coordinator answers.

[Audio] The Spill Response Team’s duty is containment and control. If a spill happens, first make sure you are wearing proper P-P-E--. If safe, stop the leak at its source by closing a valve or uprighting a drum. Deploy spill kits to isolate floor drains and storm sewers, and drop manual isolation valves if needed. Once the spill is controlled, help package the spent absorbent pads and contaminated debris into DOT-approved metal salvage drums for proper disposal.

[Audio] Pennsylvania has incredibly strict environmental reporting rules. Unlike federal rules that look for massive quantities, PA has a 'zero minimum' volume threshold for the water pathway. If a single gallon of chemical or oil touches soil, groundwater, a floor drain, or a roadside ditch, it is legally reportable to the state. Additionally, if an oil sheen or discoloration appears on surface water, the federal National Response Center must be notified. The E-R-C has a tight window of just 2 to 4 hours from discovery to make these verbal call.

[Audio] When a reportable spill occurs, the E-R-C must hit specific verbal notification windows. If floor drains are threatened, we call the Latrobe Municipal Authority within 2 hours. If there's an immediate threat to public safety or toxic vapors, Westmoreland County 911/LEPC is contacted simultaneously. The padep Southwest Region must be called within 2 to 4 hours for any soil or water discharge, and the National Response Center is notified immediately if a federal water sheen is confirmed.

[Audio] After the phone calls are made, the clock starts ticking on formal written reports. We have 5 days to submit a written report to the Latrobe Municipal Authority for drain non compliance, and 5 days to padep if an N-P-D-E-S stormwater zone was impacted. If soil or groundwater contamination requires Act 2 cleanup, we have 15 days to submit that plan. On the federal side, if an oil spill exceeds 1000 gallons, we must file a comprehensive report with E-P-A Region 3 within 60 days.

[Audio] Communication during an emergency is vital. We have plant alarm pull boxes located throughout the facility that route directly to a 24/7 central monitoring agency. For internal coordination, use our distributed two way radio network or any plant landline phone station to access the master overhead intercom system. For security, remember that electronic badge restrictions guard our main personnel doors, and off hour perimeter doors remain securely locked..

[Audio] If a spill creates dangerous vapors, a fire hazard, or if you hear the audible building fire alarm, you must evacuate immediately. Do not stop to gather personal belongings or tools. Leave through the nearest emergency exit posted in your work area. Once outside, walk directly to our mandatory assembly point: the Main Office north parking lot, right across from the flagpole. Stand with your supervisor so we can complete an accurate headcount..

[Audio] We maintain a robust inventory of emergency tools. Spill kits packed with absorbent pads, granular sorb dry clay, and containment booms are staged near all loading docks and oil storage zones. Hand tools like non sparking shovels, rakes, and brooms are kept right at the dock stations. If a heavy bulk drum is leaking, forklifts and cranes are available to move it into a containment area. First aid kits and fire extinguishers are mounted throughout the plant corridors.

[Audio] If an incident escalates beyond what our internal spill kits can handle, we rely on our external network. Emergency dispatch is handled through Westmoreland County 911, bringing in Derry Township V-F-D--, Latrobe Police, or Mutual Aid Ambulance. Printed Safety Data Sheet binders are maintained in the E-H-S office to hand directly to arriving first responders. For large scale remediation and vacuum truck extraction, our designated 24-hour cleanup contractor is Clean Harbors..

[Audio] Good environmental habits start with clean workspaces. Housekeeping directly mitigates fire risks and chemical tracking. Our facility utilizes industrial dust collection baghouses that vent outdoors. We monitor and check these exhaust points routinely to ensure ceramic process dust isn't building up on the roof or tracking onto the ground. If you clean up outdoor debris near loading docks or raw material pads, you must use dry sweeping or vacuum methods only—never hose it down into the storm system..

[Audio] To keep sediment out of local waterways, our main industrial operating footprint is heavily stabilized with concrete or asphalt paving. On the southeastern perimeter, we utilize vegetated grassy swales. These swales act as natural engineering filters, slowing down stormwater and trapping suspended solids before they can reach the Route 982 roadside inlets. If you ever notice bare soil patches, ruts, or active erosion gullies on the property, report it so we can re seed and stabilize the earth..

[Audio] We also plan for external disruptions. In a total power failure, our production and processing equipment is engineered to shut down instantly and fail safe, posing zero immediate environmental risk. We are located safely above the 100-year floodplain, but we monitor local creek alerts during severe weather. In winter, our building relies on a wet pipe sprinkler system. If freezing weather ever damages or impairs our fire protection systems, all hot work across the plant must stop immediately until repairs are certified..

[Audio] To wrap things up: prevention through our monthly inspections is our absolute best line of defense. If something does spill, protect our storm sewers, cut the power to the dock pump if you are on the East dock, and call the E-R-C immediately. If you have any suggestions to improve our spill kits or layout, please bring them to me. Before you head back to the floor, please complete the 10-question multiple choice quiz and make sure you sign the training roster so we can officially credit you with your mandatory annual certification. Thank you for your time and stay safe out there..