8/14/2019 Roane County Emergency Services Testimony

1/5

ROANE COUNTY

OFFICE OF

EMERGENCY

SERVICES

200EastRaceStSuite18

POBox1196

Kingston,TN37763

Office(865)7174115

Fax(865)7170615

ResponseSynopsis:At0040onDecember22

nd,2008theRoaneCountyEmergencyCommunicationCenterreceivedthefirst

911callreportingalargemudslidethathadcollapsedhousesandtrappedoccupants.Various

emergencyagenciesincludingtheRoaneCountyofficeofEmergencyServicesweredispatchedtothe

location.RoaneCountySheriffsOfficeunits,whileenrouteencounteredalargewallofearth

obstructingSwanPondRoadadjacenttothenorthentrancetotheKingstonFossilPlant.TheSheriffs

Officeunitsadvisedallrespondingunitsthattherehadappearedtohavebeenafailureoftheashpond

dikethatrunsparalleltoSwanPondRoadandthatallotherrespondingunitsshouldusethealternate

entranceofSwanPondCircle.Firstarrivingemergencyrespondersarrivedinthe100blockofSwan

PondCircleRoad;theretheroadbecameimpassableduetodebrisfromtheashslide.Emergency

respondersarrivednearthefirsteffectedresidentialstructureat0106.Anincidentcommandpostwas

establishednear175SwanPondCircleRoad.InitialrescuecrewsweresenttotheScheanresidence

whereoneadultmalewasfoundextricatinghimselffromapartiallycollapsedhome.Mr.Scheanwas

notinjuredanddidnotrequestEMStreatment.TheinitialsceneassessmentrevealedSwanPond,Swan

PondCircle,andtherailwayintoTVAKingstonFossilPlantwereimpassableduetodebris.Notification

toNorfolkSoutherndispatchadvisingthemofthesituationwasmadeat0217.Emergencyresponse

crewsbeganadoortodoorsearchofallresidentialstructuresinthearea.Homesalongthelakeshore

wereevacuatedduetofearsofsecondaryslideandthepotentialofrupturedgaslinesinthearea.One

additionalhomethathadsustaineddamagewasfoundtobeoccupied.Oneadultfemale;Mrs.James

wastakentoanearbyneighborshome.At0349theRoaneCountyEmergencyOperationsCenterwas

activatedaswellasashelteratRoaneStateCommunityCollegewasopenedforevacuees.Roane

Countyutilizeditsemergencynotificationsystemtocontactallresidentsintheaffectedareatoinform

themoftheeventat0352.TheRoaneCountyBasicEmergencyOperationsPlanwasactivatedbringon

lineallemergencyassetsofRoaneCounty.MyselfandCountyExecutiveMikeFarmerestablished

contactwithTVAattheKingstonFossilPlantatapproximately0445am.TVApersonneladvisedusthat

theywereintheprocessofassessingtheashpondandmobilizingtheemergencyresourcesatthattime.

Afinalsearchoftheareawascompletedat456amandallemergencypersonnelwereorderedoutof

theareaandtostageatSwanPondandSwanPondCircleat0625.At0636theRoaneCountyEmergency

CommunicationCenterreceiveda911callfromNorfolkSouthernRailroadstatingthattheirtrain

headingtotheKingstonFossilPlanthadderailed.UponourarrivalwithTVAPoliceatSwanPondRoad

andSwanPondCirclecommunicationswasestablishedwithaNorfolkSouthernrepresentativethat

advisedustherewerenoinjuriesandthatthetrainhadimpactedtheslidearearesultinginan

emergencystopfromthetraincrew.Thetrainhadnotderailedandwasstuckinthedebris.After

returningallemergencyunitstoservicefollowingtheresponsetothe911callconcerningthetrainall

8/14/2019 Roane County Emergency Services Testimony

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8/14/2019 Roane County Emergency Services Testimony

3/5

ROANE COUNTY

OFFICE OF

EMERGENCY

SERVICES

200EastRaceStSuite18

POBox1196

Kingston,TN37763

Office(865)7174115

Fax(865)7170615

Environmental:RoaneCountyrecognizedthatthiseventpresentedseveralcomplexenvironmentalissuesforthe

residentsofRoaneCounty.Werecognizedtheneedforbothlongandshorttermenvironmental

monitoringisperformed.RoaneCountydoesnothaveanenvironmentalmonitoringcapabilityatthe

levelneededforthisrecoveryoperation,thereforeRoaneCountymadearequestoftheStateof

Tennesseeforair,surfacewater,groundwater,andsoilsamplingtodetermineifanyenvironmental

effectsfromtheashspillexistnoworinthefuture.Manyunansweredquestionsaboutthe

environmentalimpactofthiseventstillexist.Itwilltakemanymonthsbeforeweareabletofully

characterize

this

event

as

it

pertains

to

its

impact

on

the

environment

and

health

of

the

area,

therefore

RoaneCountyhasrequestedfromtheStateofTennesseethataninteragencyoversightgroupconsisting

ofstateandlocalorganizationsbecreatedformonitoringtherecoveryefforts.

AfterActionReview:OnJanuary5th,2009anafteractionreviewofeventsfollowingtheresponsetothedikefailureatthe

TVAKingstonFossilPlantwasheldwithlocalemergencyresponseorganizations.Severalissueswere

identifiedthatneedaddressedascorrectiveactionsforfutureemergencypreparednessactivities.

ChallengeImmediatelyfollowingtheeventitwasdifficulttoformacohesiveUnifiedCommandwithTVAduetothefactTVAwasnotusingtheIncidentCommandSystemasdefinedbythe

NationalIncidentManagementSystem.

CorrectiveAction TVA,likeallfederal,state,andlocalagenciesshouldadopt,train,exercise,andconductemergencyresponseoperationsutilizingtheIncidentCommandSystemasdefined

bytheNationalIncidentManagementSystem

Challenge TheredoesnotexistfortheTVAFossilPowerDivisionthesamestringentemergencypreparednessandplanningprogramasdoesforTVAsnuclearandhydroelectricfacilities.

CorrectiveAction TVAshouldimplementsystemwidearigorousandcomprehensiveemergencypreparednessprogramthatincorporatesallaspectsofemergencymanagement:

preparedness, response,recovery,andhazardmitigation

Challenge AcomprehensivehazardanalysisandriskassessmenthadnotbeperformedattheTVAKingstonFossilPlant

8/14/2019 Roane County Emergency Services Testimony

4/5

ROANE COUNTY

OFFICE OF

EMERGENCY

SERVICES

200EastRaceStSuite18

POBox1196

Kingston,TN37763

Office(865)7174115

Fax(865)7170615

CorrectiveAction TVAshouldconductandmakeavailabletothelocalcommunityacomprehensivehazardanalysisandriskassessmentforallTVAownedandoperatedfacilities.

ClosingComments:TheeventofDecember22ndhaschangedthefaceofRoaneCounty.Icountitablessingthatliveswere

notlostandthatphysicalinjuriesweresustained.OnbehalfofRoaneCountyIwanttothankallthe

local,state,andfederalorganizationsthathavehelpedandwillcontinuetohelpusdealwiththisevent.

Iwant

to

thank

TVA

for

their

response

in

repairing

critical

county

infrastructure.

Iam

pleased

to

say

that

asoftodayIfeelthatTVAhasbroughtitsentirecadreofresourcestobearonthisevent.Many

challengesbothenvironmentalandeconomicexistnowandmanymorewillariseinthecomingdays

andmonths.Inclosing,IwanttosayasalifelongresidentofRoaneCountythatIhavefaithinthe

peopleofRoaneCountyandIknowthemtoberelentlesswhenfacedwithachallenge.Iknowthat

giventheopportunitytheywillrisetotheoccasionandcreatemanysolutionstothechallengesthatlie

ahead.

Respectfully,

WilliamHowardRoseJr.

Director

RoaneCountyOfficeofEmergencyServices

8/14/2019 Roane County Emergency Services Testimony

5/5

ROANE COUNTY

OFFICE OF

EMERGENCY

SERVICES

200EastRaceStSuite18

POBox1196

Kingston,TN37763

Office(865)7174115

Fax(865)7170615