Upper Mississippi River Basin Association: Spills Coordination, Mapping & Planning

Upper Mississippi River Basin Association: Upper Mississippi River Basin Association: Spills Coordination, Mapping & PlanningSpills Coordination, Mapping & Planning

Joint ORSANCO-UMRBA Technical MeetingJoint ORSANCO-UMRBA Technical MeetingJune 5, 2013June 5, 2013

UMRBA Focus Areas

Overview

• UMR Response Considerations• UMR Hazardous Spills Coordination Group• UMR Spill Plan and Response Manual• Regional Mapping and Planning Activities (US

EPA cooperative agreement)• Questions and Discussion

UMR Spill Response - Considerations

• Unique Characteristics & Challenges

• Complex Physical System• Locks and dams, main channel, side channel,

backwaters• Flows/spill trajectories variable and hard to predict

• High Value Natural Resources • Seasonal concentrations of migratory waterfowl• Threatened and endangered species• Diverse habitats, National Wildlife Refuges

UMR Spill Response - Considerations

• Water Supply Used For• Drinking Water• Industrial Processes• Cooling

• Presence of Commercial and Recreational Vessels• Safety considerations• Interference with response efforts

• Diverse Potential Pollution Sources• Vessels, pipelines, railroads, highway

crossings, industrial discharge

Need for Cooperation and Coordination in Response on the UMR

• Multiple Jurisdictions and Agencies

• Potential for Downstream Impacts

• Government-Private Sector Coordination Important

• Need to Target Limited Resources (equipment, personnel, planning, etc.)

UMR Hazardous Spills Coordination Group

• Formed 1989• Membership

• Illinois • Iowa• Minnesota• Missouri • Wisconsin

• USACE• USCG• USEPA• USFWS• NOAA

UMR Hazardous Spills Coordination Group

• Functions• Forum for regional coordination and communication • Maintain UMR Spill Plan (Group members are

signatories)• Sponsor training events• Advocate for shared positions

• Meet twice per year, plus occasional training• UMRBA provides staff support

UMR Spill Response Planand Resource Manual

• A contingency plan to supplement other area and agency plans (R5, R7 area) maintained by UMR Spills Group

• Addresses how state and federal agencies respond to UMR spills

• Includes resource manual appendices with reference information

• Restricted access and public distribution versions (due to contents of appendices in resource manual) – see www.umrba.org for public plan

• Currently undergoing comprehensive update.

Response Plan & Resource Manual Contents

Response Plan • Public and Private Organization Roles in Response• Interstate Notification Protocol and Notification Roster• Response Protocol for UMR Spills• Incident Command System Implementation Protocol• Policy on In Situ Burning and COSTAs• Policy on Bioremediation• Policy on Vessel Detainment• State Hazardous Waste Disposal Requirements• Policy on Coordination with USACE

Response Plan & Resource Manual Contents

Resource Appendices • Basic river information

• county lines, locks & dams, USCG & USACE boundaries• Sensitive human and natural resources

• water intakes, National Wildlife refuges, sensitive habitats• Potential sources of spills

• highway and rail crossings, pipelines, dischargers, commodities transported, tributaries, oil-handling terminals

• Response assets • hazmat teams, response equipment, river access points

• Countermeasures • in situ burning information and considerations, chemical oil spill treating agents

information and considerations

UMR Emergency Action Field Guide

Regional Planning & Mapping Activities

• Supported under cooperative agreement with USEPA Region 5• 21 years of work, implemented under OPA 90

• Funding varies by year ($75,000 to $175,000)

• 2-3 project staff, plus part of WQPD

• Work focused in Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin

• Great Lakes Commission does similar work in Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio

Regional Planning & Mapping Activities

Inland Sensitivity Atlas• State-wide atlases, completing

update

• Potential spill sources (pipelines, oil storage, hazardous materials, etc.)

• Sensitive resources (water intakes, sensitive species, managed lands, tribal lands, marinas)

• Response resources (boat accesses, response strategies)

• GIS-based, GeoPDF-formatted

• DVD distribution

Regional Planning & Mapping Activities

• Geographic Response Planning Tools• Response Strategies for UMR Metro Areas (Sub-areas): Minneapolis-St.

Paul, Quad Cities, and St. Louis

• Wildlife Refuges and Other Sensitive Areas: UMR Pools 7, 10 and 13; these include initial incident action plan

• Integrated into Inland Sensitivity Atlas

• Habitat-Specific Response Fact Sheets

• Sub-area Contingency Plan Support• Minneapolis-St. Paul, Chicago

• Assist in Quad Cities, St. Louis

• DEMONSTRATION

Questions and Discussion

For More Information, Contact: Dave Hokanson

dhokanson@umrba.org 651-224-2880

See also:UMRBA Web Sitewww.umrba.org