HAZARD IDENTIFICATION

Transcription

1 Hazardous Materials Incident (Transportation and Fixed Site) Hazard Identification Description of the Hazardous Materials Incident Hazard A hazardous material is a biological, chemical or physical agent with the potential to cause harm to the environment or people on its own or when combined with other factors or materials Hazardous materials incidents are technological (meaning non-natural hazards created or influenced by humans) events that involve large-scale accidental or intentional releases of chemical, biological, or radiological (nuclear) materials. Hazardous materials come in the form of explosives, flammable and combustible substances, toxic releases and waste materials. These substances are most often released as a result of transportation accidents or because of chemical accidents in plants. Hazardous materials in various forms can cause death, serious injury, longlasting health effects, and damage to buildings, homes, and other property. Many products containing hazardous chemicals are used and stored in homes routinely. These products are also shipped daily on the nation's highways, railroads, waterways, and pipelines. Hazardous materials are monitored and recorded by the US Environmental Protection Agency (ESP) through the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI), which is a publically accessible database that contains information on toxic chemical releases and other hazardous materials activities. Data is reported annually by certain industry groups and various federal agencies. This inventory was established under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986 (EPCRA) and later expanded by the Pollution Prevention Act of Each year, facilities that meet specified thresholds must report their releases and other waste management activities for listed toxic chemicals to the EPA and to their State or tribal entity. A facility must report incidents that meet the following criteria: 1. The facility falls within one of the following industrial categories: a. Manufacturing, b. Metal mining, c. Coal mining, d. Electric generating facilities that combust coal and/or oil, e. Chemical wholesale distributors, f. Petroleum terminals and bulk storage facilities, g. RCRA Subtitle C treatment, storage and disposal (TSD) facilities, and h. Solvent recovery services; 2. Has 10 or more full-time employees (or equivalent); and 3. Manufactures or processes more than 25,000 pounds or uses more than 10,000 pounds of any listed chemical during the calendar year. Persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) chemicals are subject to different thresholds of 10 pounds, 100 pounds, or 0.1 grams, depending on the chemical. Tier II data is a publicly available database from the Texas Department of State Health Services Tier 2 Chemical Reporting Program. Under the community right-to-know regulations imposed at the state and federal levels, all facilities that store significant quantities of hazardous chemicals must share this information with state and local emergency responders and planners. Facilities in Texas share this information by filing annual hazardous chemical inventories with the state, Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs), and local fire departments. The Texas A S A F E, S E C U R E, A N D S U S T A I N A B L E F U T U R E SECTION 6: PAGE 225

2 Tier 2 reports contain facility identification information and detailed chemical data about the hazardous materials stored at the facility. A facility must report chemicals to the Tier II database if it meets the following criteria: 1. Any company using chemicals that could present a physical or health hazard, or 2. If an industry has an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) deemed chemical that exceeds the appropriate threshold at any point in time. These chemicals may be on a list of 356 Extremely Hazardous Substances (EHS), or may be one of the 650,000 reportable hazardous substances that do not appear on the EHS list. Hazardous Materials pose a secondary event risk to communities when they are involved in transportation accidents. Transport by ground, rail and water is a common occurrence in the US. Severity of the Hazardous Materials Incident Hazard The severity of this hazard is a range. Minor incidents would likely cause no damage and little disruption. Major incidents could have fatal and disastrous consequences. The severity of a hazardous material release relates primarily to its impact on human safety and welfare and on the threat to the environment. Threat to Human Safety and Welfare Poisoning of water or food sources and/or supply Presence of toxic fumes or explosive conditions Damage to personal property Need for the evacuation of people Interference with public or commercial transportation Threat to the environment Injury or loss of animals or plants or habitats that are of economic or ecological importance such as; commercial, recreation, or subsistence fisheries (marine plants, crustaceans, shellfish, aquaculture facilities) or livestock; seal haul outs; and marine bird rookeries Impact to ecological reserves, forests, parks, archaeological, and cultural sites Impact to People and Property from the Hazardous Materials Incident Hazard Hazardous materials or toxic releases can have a substantial impact. Such events can cause multiple deaths, completely shut down facilities for thirty days or more, and cause more than 50 percent of affected properties to be destroyed or suffer major damage. In a hazardous materials incident, solid, liquid and/or gaseous contaminants may be released from fixed or mobile containers, although this profile focuses on fixed sites. Weather conditions will directly affect how the hazard develops. The micro-meteorological effects of the buildings and terrain can alter travel and duration of agents. Shielding in the form of sheltering-in-place can protect people and property from harmful effects. Non-compliance with fire and building codes, as well as failure to maintain existing fire and containment features can substantially increase the damage from a hazardous materials release. The duration of a hazardous materials incident can range from hours to days. Warning time for hazardous materials incidents is minimal to none. In addition to the primary release, explosions and/or fires can result from a release, and contaminants can be extended beyond the initial area by persons, vehicles, water, wind and wildlife. A S A F E, S E C U R E, A N D S U S T A I N A B L E F U T U R E SECTION 6: PAGE 226

3 HAZMAT incidents can also occur as a result of or in tandem with natural hazard events, such as floods, hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes, which in addition to causing incidents can also hinder response efforts. In the case of Hurricane Floyd in September 1999, communities along the Eastern United States were faced with flooded junkyards, disturbed cemeteries, deceased livestock, floating propane tanks, uncontrolled fertilizer spills and a variety of other environmental pollutants that caused widespread concern. Occurrences of the Hazardous Materials Incident Hazard Approximately 6,774 HAZMAT events occur each year, 5,517 of which are highway incidents, 991 are railroad incidents and 266 are due to other causes (FEMA, 1997). In 1984, a deadly cloud of methyl isocyanate killed thousands of people in Bhopal, India. Shortly thereafter, there was a serious chemical release at a sister plant in West Virginia. These incidents underscored demands by industrial workers and communities in several states for information on hazardous materials. Public interest and environmental organizations around the country accelerated demands for information on toxic chemicals being released "beyond the fence line" -- outside of the facility. Against this background, the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to- Know Act (EPCRA) was enacted in EPCRA's primary purpose is to inform communities and citizens of chemical hazards in their areas. EPCRA Section 313 requires EPA and the States to collect data annually on releases and transfers of certain toxic chemicals from industrial facilities and make the data available to the public in the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI). In 1990 Congress passed the Pollution Prevention Act which requires facilities to report additional data on waste management and source reduction activities to EPA under TRI. The goal of TRI is to provide communities with information about toxic chemical releases and waste management activities and to support informed decision making at all levels by industry, government, non-governmental organizations, and the public. EPA compiles the TRI data submitted by regulated facilities each year and makes the data available through several Web-based tools. Table lists the number of toxic release incidents in the AACOG area reported to the EPA in County Table TRI Report for AACOG Area (2008) Total On-Site Disposal or Other Releases (in pounds) Total Off-Site Disposal or Other Releases (in pounds) Total On- and Off-Site Disposal or Other Releases (in pounds) Atascosa County 2,971, ,971, Bandera County Bexar County 804, , ,028, Comal County 41, , Frio County Gillespie County Guadalupe County 168, ,472, ,641, Karnes County 126, , Kerr County Medina County Wilson County 10, ,997 A S A F E, S E C U R E, A N D S U S T A I N A B L E F U T U R E SECTION 6: PAGE 227

4 All areas in the planning area have the possibility to experience the hazardous materials incident hazard. The most recent, significant event reported by the participants in the plan update was the AGE Refinery Fire that occurred in the City of San Antonio (Bexar County) in May The fire began with a 7,500 gallon diesel tanker truck explosion, and lasted for more than 5 hours. Due to the event and the possible consequences, a large evacuation was undertaken, with a one-mile perimeter set around the incident (this was later reduced to one-half mile). The incident resulted in two injuries and no fatalities. No lasting environmental impacts were recorded or reported by any monitoring agency. Probability of Future Occurrences of the Hazardous Materials Incident Hazard Based on historic occurrences and local knowledge, the probability of a future occurrence of the hazardous materials incident hazard is moderate. It should be noted, however, that the consequences of even a small event could be catastrophic. Location and Extent of the Hazardous Materials Incident Hazard The following maps show the location of the hazardous materials incident hazard throughout the planning area. These maps include both fixed site and transportation hazards potential locations. The first map illustrates the regional hazard; the following maps illustrate the location of the hazard at the county-level, with transportation hazards presented first. Unless otherwise noted, all fixed site locations are Tier II facilities. A S A F E, S E C U R E, A N D S U S T A I N A B L E F U T U R E SECTION 6: PAGE 228

5 Map Potential Hazardous Materials Incident (Transportation) Hazard Locations Regional A S A F E, S E C U R E, A N D S U S T A I N A B L E F U T U R E SECTION 6: PAGE 229

6 Map Potential Hazardous Materials Incident (Transportation) Hazard Locations Atascosa County A S A F E, S E C U R E, A N D S U S T A I N A B L E F U T U R E SECTION 6: PAGE 230

7 Map Potential Hazardous Materials Incident (Fixed Site Tier II and TRI) Hazard Locations Atascosa County A S A F E, S E C U R E, A N D S U S T A I N A B L E F U T U R E SECTION 6: PAGE 231

8 Map Potential Hazardous Materials Incident (Fixed Site Tier II) Hazard Locations Bandera County A S A F E, S E C U R E, A N D S U S T A I N A B L E F U T U R E SECTION 6: PAGE 232

9 Map Potential Hazardous Materials Incident (Transportation) Hazard Locations Bexar County A S A F E, S E C U R E, A N D S U S T A I N A B L E F U T U R E SECTION 6: PAGE 233

10 Map Potential Hazardous Materials Incident (Fixed Site Tier II) Hazard Locations Bexar County A S A F E, S E C U R E, A N D S U S T A I N A B L E F U T U R E SECTION 6: PAGE 234

11 Map Potential Hazardous Materials Incident (Transportation) Hazard Locations Comal County A S A F E, S E C U R E, A N D S U S T A I N A B L E F U T U R E SECTION 6: PAGE 235

12 Map Potential Hazardous Materials Incident (Fixed Site Tier II) Hazard Locations Comal County A S A F E, S E C U R E, A N D S U S T A I N A B L E F U T U R E SECTION 6: PAGE 236

13 Map Potential Hazardous Materials Incident (Fixed Site - TRI) Hazard Locations Comal County A S A F E, S E C U R E, A N D S U S T A I N A B L E F U T U R E SECTION 6: PAGE 237

14 Map Potential Hazardous Materials Incident (Transportation) Hazard Locations Frio County A S A F E, S E C U R E, A N D S U S T A I N A B L E F U T U R E SECTION 6: PAGE 238

15 Map Potential Hazardous Materials Incident (Fixed Site Tier II) Hazard Locations Frio County A S A F E, S E C U R E, A N D S U S T A I N A B L E F U T U R E SECTION 6: PAGE 239

16 Map Potential Hazardous Materials Incident (Transportation) Hazard Locations Gillespie County A S A F E, S E C U R E, A N D S U S T A I N A B L E F U T U R E SECTION 6: PAGE 240

17 Map Potential Hazardous Materials Incident (Fixed Site Tier II) Hazard Locations Gillespie County A S A F E, S E C U R E, A N D S U S T A I N A B L E F U T U R E SECTION 6: PAGE 241

18 Map Potential Hazardous Materials Incident (Fixed Site TRI) Hazard Locations Gillespie County A S A F E, S E C U R E, A N D S U S T A I N A B L E F U T U R E SECTION 6: PAGE 242

19 Map Potential Hazardous Materials Incident (Transportation) Hazard Locations Guadalupe County A S A F E, S E C U R E, A N D S U S T A I N A B L E F U T U R E SECTION 6: PAGE 243

20 Map Potential Hazardous Materials Incident (Fixed Site Tier II) Hazard Locations Guadalupe County A S A F E, S E C U R E, A N D S U S T A I N A B L E F U T U R E SECTION 6: PAGE 244

21 Map Potential Hazardous Materials Incident (Fixed Site TRI) Hazard Locations Guadalupe County A S A F E, S E C U R E, A N D S U S T A I N A B L E F U T U R E SECTION 6: PAGE 245

22 Map Potential Hazardous Materials Incident (Transportation) Hazard Locations Karnes County A S A F E, S E C U R E, A N D S U S T A I N A B L E F U T U R E SECTION 6: PAGE 246

23 Map Potential Hazardous Materials Incident (Fixed Site Tier II) Hazard Locations Karnes County A S A F E, S E C U R E, A N D S U S T A I N A B L E F U T U R E SECTION 6: PAGE 247

24 Map Potential Hazardous Materials Incident (Fixed Site TRI) Hazard Locations Karnes County A S A F E, S E C U R E, A N D S U S T A I N A B L E F U T U R E SECTION 6: PAGE 248

25 Map Potential Hazardous Materials Incident (Transportation) Hazard Locations Kerr County A S A F E, S E C U R E, A N D S U S T A I N A B L E F U T U R E SECTION 6: PAGE 249

26 Map Potential Hazardous Materials Incident (Fixed Site - Tier II) Hazard Locations Kerr County A S A F E, S E C U R E, A N D S U S T A I N A B L E F U T U R E SECTION 6: PAGE 250

27 Map Potential Hazardous Materials Incident (Transportation) Hazard Locations Medina County A S A F E, S E C U R E, A N D S U S T A I N A B L E F U T U R E SECTION 6: PAGE 251

28 Map Potential Hazardous Materials Incident (Fixed Site Tier II and TRI) Hazard Locations Medina County A S A F E, S E C U R E, A N D S U S T A I N A B L E F U T U R E SECTION 6: PAGE 252

29 Map Potential Hazardous Materials Incident (Transportation) Hazard Locations Wilson County A S A F E, S E C U R E, A N D S U S T A I N A B L E F U T U R E SECTION 6: PAGE 253

30 Map Potential Hazardous Materials Incident (Fixed Site Tier II) Hazard Locations Wilson County A S A F E, S E C U R E, A N D S U S T A I N A B L E F U T U R E SECTION 6: PAGE 254

31 Map Potential Hazardous Materials Incident (Fixed Site TRI) Hazard Locations Wilson County A S A F E, S E C U R E, A N D S U S T A I N A B L E F U T U R E SECTION 6: PAGE 255

32 Risk Assessment This subsection of the Plan Updates provides estimates of future hazardous materials incident (transportation and fixed site) losses, i.e. risk. Each of the loss calculations is based on best available data, but they must be considered estimates because highly detailed engineering was not performed as part of this planning process. Methodology and Limitations After discussion and review of the best available data regarding this hazard, and in consideration of the potential impacts of this hazard to the planning area, the EMC determined that the risk assessment should be limited to a qualitative analysis. At the time of this update, insufficient data exists to quantify the planning area s risks from and exposure to this hazard. Qualitative Each participating jurisdiction was asked to provide a qualitative risk assessment ranking regarding the hazardous materials incident (transportation and fixed site) hazard. (For definitions of these rankings, please see Table 6.4-1, earlier in this section.) The results of this assessment are presented in the table below Qualitative Risk Assessment Results Hazardous Materials Incident (Transportation & Fixed Site) Jurisdictions Ranking Jurisdictions Ranking Jurisdictions Ranking Hazard as High Hazard as Low Hazard as Moderate City of Alamo Heights City of Balcones Heights City of St. Hedwig City of Terrell Hills Comal County City of Garden Ridge City of Bulverde City of New Braunfels City of La Vernia Bexar County City of Helotes City of Leon Valley City of Somerset City of Windcrest Frio County City of Dilley Gillespie County City of Fredericksburg Kerr County City of Ingram City of Kerrville Wilson County City of Stockdale San Antonio River Authority Atascosa County City of Charlotte City of Christine City of Jourdanton City of Lytle City of Pleasanton City of Poteet Bandera County City of Bandera City of Converse City of Kirby City of Live Oak City of San Antonio City of Universal City City of Von Ormy Data to collect in order to improve this methodology prior to the Plan Update includes: City of Pearsall Guadalupe County City of New Berlin City of Schertz City of Seguin Karnes County City of Karnes City of Kenedy City of Runge City of Falls City Medina County City of Castroville City of Devine City of Hondo City of Natalia Location of critical and sensitive facilities within the buffer zones of identified hazardous materials transportation routes and fixed site facilities Risk Assessment Conclusions The potential exists that a significant number of critical facilities within each jurisdiction fall within the various hazardous materials buffer zones. Jurisdictions should consider an evaluation of these facilities to determine if mitigation actions are needed. A S A F E, S E C U R E, A N D S U S T A I N A B L E F U T U R E SECTION 6: PAGE 256