Preparedness / Response Tools for Local Officials Page 1

The National Response

System

Presented by EPA Region 6

Response & Prevention Branch

Preparedness / Response Tools for Local Officials Page 2

Why do we need a the NRS?

• Chief Supply, Haskell, OK– 1 employee died, 2 others

injured, community evacuation, large community concerns

– local volunteer fire dept. not sure of hazards or proper response to fire

Preparedness / Response Tools for Local Officials Page 3

Why do we need a the NRS?

• Panhandle Agri-Co, Stratford, TX– Release of

60,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia from bulk tank

– 12 local responders & owner of facility injured, 1,000 community residents evacuated

Preparedness / Response Tools for Local Officials Page 4

Where we’re at ??

EPA Notifications per Region (1991 - 2002)

7,881 10,318

20,875

31,716 31,272

67,452

10,940 7,395

23,106

8,687

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

80,000

R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8 R9 R10

Preparedness / Response Tools for Local Officials Page 5

Releases in Region 6 (1987 - 2002)

Where we’re at ??

4,774

2,335

2,245

3,000 3,562

3,789

4,184

4,183 4,935

5,151

4,326

4,203

4,380

4,465

6,035

5,917

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

4,000

4,500

5,000

5,500

6,000

6,500

7,000

7,500

87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 0 1 2

Preparedness / Response Tools for Local Officials Page 6

604

5372

1018

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

Deaths Injuries Evac / SIP

Consequences of Releases -- reported at time of release (1987 - 2002)

Where we’re at ??

Preparedness / Response Tools for Local Officials Page 7

The National Contingency Plan

• Found at 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 300

• The NCP is the blueprint which:– outlines the structure of

the National Response System (NRS)

– defines the responsibilities for each component of the NRS

– provides the mechanism for successful responses to oil and hazardous substance releases

Preparedness / Response Tools for Local Officials Page 8

National Response Team

• Consists of 16 Federal agencies: EPA, USCG, FEMA, HHS, GSA, DOD, DOE, DOI, DOT, USDA, DOJ, DOS, NRC, DOT, DOA, NOAA

• EPA chaired, USCG vice-chaired

• Primary responsibilities are planning and preparedness

• May participate in large, multi-region responses

Preparedness / Response Tools for Local Officials Page 9

Regional Response Teams

• Consist of State and 15 Federal agencies of the National Response Team

• Co-Chaired by United States Coast Guard (USCG) and EPA

• Primary responsibilities are planning and preparedness

• During responses provide assistance and support as requested by OSC

Preparedness / Response Tools for Local Officials Page 10

• Planning responsibilities include participation in development of:– Regional Contingency Plan (RCP)– Area Contingency Plan (ACP) for assigned area

• Preparedness responsibilities include participation in drills and exercises conducted by industry, LEPCs, Area Committees, RRT, and NRT.

• At an incident directs federal containment, removal, and disposal efforts and coordinates other efforts at scene.

Federal On-Scene Coordinator

Preparedness / Response Tools for Local Officials Page 11

National Response System Concept of Operations

Preparedness / Response Tools for Local Officials Page 12

Superfund Technical Assessment and Response Team (START)

• Emergency Response

• Planning/Prevention

• Site Characterization

• Removal Action Support

Start / ERRS Contractor

Emergency Response and Removal Services

Rapid Deployment

Complete Removal and Remediation Capabilities

Preparedness / Response Tools for Local Officials Page 13

NCP

RCPs

ACPs

LEPC Plans

State Plans

LEVEL

NRTNATIONAL

REGIONAL RRTs

AREA COMMITTEES

PLANS

AREA

STATE

LOCAL

SERCs

LEPCs

MANAGING AGENCY

EMERGENCY RESPONSE FIRST RESPONDERS

INDUSTRY

Plans Supporting the NRS

Preparedness / Response Tools for Local Officials Page 14

• Activate the federal portion of the National Response System by calling:– National Response Center

(NRC) 24 hr: • 1-800-424-8802

– EPA Regional 24-hr hotline• 1-866-372-7745

– Nearest USCG unit

How to access the NRS

Preparedness / Response Tools for Local Officials Page 15

4th Annual HOTZONE

Conference

October 16 - 19, 2003Adams Mark Hotel

Houston, TX

9th Annual Region 6 LEPC Conference

November 7 – 13, 2003Adams Mark Hotel, Houston, TX

17th International Hazardous

Materials Spills Conference

May 1 - 6, 2004San Antonio Convention Center

San Antonio, TX

For logistical and registration information on all of these

conferences, go to: www.hotzone.org

Preparedness / Response Tools for Local Officials Page 16

Available Software

Preparedness / Response Tools for Local Officials Page 17

• National Response Center

• Right-to-Know Net

• EPA’s Chemical Emergency Prevention and Preparedness Office

• Chemical Safety Board

• National Response Team

• Federal Response Plan

• EPA Office of Emergency Response

• www.nrc.uscg.mil

• www.rtk.net

• www.epa.gov/ceppo

• www.chemsafety.gov

• www.nrt.org

• www.fema.gov

• www.epa.gov/

superfund/programs/er

For More Information

Preparedness / Response Tools for Local Officials Page 18

ColumbiaShuttle

RecoveryOperations

EPA Region 6

Preparedness / Response Tools for Local Officials Page 19

Nitrogen Tetroxide

NitrogenTetroxide

Hydrazine

Monomethyl-Hydrazine

Nitrogen

LiquidOxygen

GaseousOxygen

Liquid Hydrogen

Helium

LiquidOxygen

Monomethyl-Hydrazine

Ammonia Hydrazine

HydraulicFluid Helium

Hazardous Fluids and

Gases on Shuttle(Major Tanks &

Cylinders) H2 = Hydrogen O2 = OxygenGHE = Helium N204 = Nitrogen TetroxideGN2 = Nitrogen MMH = Mono-methyl hydrazineN2H4 = Hydrazine

127 of 167 hazardous materials containers collected76 % of hazardous materials, 20 % of pyrotechnics accounted for as of 04/30/03

Tank Type Contents Size Total Tank Type Contents Size Total

PRSD Aluminum H2 41.5” 9 RCS Titanium N2O4 39” 3

PRSD Inconel O2 33.5” 9 RCS Titanium MMH 39” 3

RCS TI / Kevlar GHE 18” 6OMS & ENG

& GN2Titanium GN2

5.5” & 3.5”

4

MPS & ECL TI / Kevlar GHE 26” 12 ECL EMUTI or Cress

Air 6” 4

OMS Titanium N2O4 49 x 94” 2 MPS & ECL TI / Kevlar GHE 12” 2

OMS Titanium MMH 49 x 94” 2 MPS & OMS TI / Kevlar GHE 40” 5

APU Titanium N2H4 28” 3

Ammonia Teardrop NH3 17.5” 2 Total 64

Preparedness / Response Tools for Local Officials Page 20

Preparedness / Response Tools for Local Officials Page 21

Shuttle Material Recovery Ground Search Status81,965 pieces of shuttle material collected at Kennedy Space Center48,501 points recovered / catalogued as of April 30, 2003 by EPA

1. 1.5 million man hours for the ground search

2. 2.5 million acres searched - 1.25 mile swath from Boston, MA to Seattle, WA

3. 680,748 acres ground searched – total feet walked equivalent to Earth to Moon

40 % by weight collected – 20 % originally predicted

Roughly the size ofDelaware and Rhode

Island combined

400+ federal, state and local agencies, volunteer

groups and private organizations responded to the

incident

25,000 +/- personnel were involved in the recovery

project