EPA’ ’s Roles and s Roles and EPA Responsibilities in Responsibilities in Emergencies Emergencies Deborah Dietrich Deborah Dietrich Director, Office of Emergency Director, Office of Emergency Management Management 1
Overview: EPA’ ’s Roles and s Roles and Overview: EPA Responsibilities in Emergencies Responsibilities in Emergencies � EPA EPA’ ’s Emergency Response Program s Emergency Response Program � � EPA EPA’ ’s Capabilities s Capabilities � � Role in the National Response Framework � Role in the National Response Framework (NRF) (NRF) � National Approach to Response (NAR) � National Approach to Response (NAR) � Examples of NAR Priorities � Examples of NAR Priorities � Examples of Recent Responses Examples of Recent Responses � � Overview/Purpose of the Technical Overview/Purpose of the Technical � Assistance Document for Bacillus Antracis Assistance Document for Bacillus Antracis Intentional Releases Intentional Releases 2
EPA Emergency Response and EPA Emergency Response and Preparedness Preparedness “…to protect human health and to safeguard the to protect human health and to safeguard the “… natural environment…” …” natural environment � Clean Water Act/Oil Pollution Act � Clean Water Act/Oil Pollution Act � CERCLA � CERCLA � Stafford Disaster Relief/Emergency � Stafford Disaster Relief/Emergency Assistance Act Assistance Act � National Response Framework � National Response Framework � Homeland Security Presidential Directives � Homeland Security Presidential Directives 3
National Response System EPA’ ’s Emergency Response s Emergency Response EPA Program Program � Respond quickly and decisively � Respond quickly and decisively to releases of hazardous to releases of hazardous substances or discharges of oil substances or discharges of oil � Support state/local � Support state/local efforts...provide safety net efforts...provide safety net � Under the National Response � Under the National Response System (NRS): System (NRS): � Cornerstone of national preparation � Cornerstone of national preparation and response to HAZMAT incidents and response to HAZMAT incidents � Supported by National and Regional � Supported by National and Regional Response Teams Response Teams � Includes Superfund Removal � Includes Superfund Removal authorities authorities 4
National Response System National Response Team National Response Team � Comprised of 16 Federal Agencies Comprised of 16 Federal Agencies � � EPA Chair, USCG Vice Chair EPA Chair, USCG Vice Chair � � The NRT is a federal level planning, policy, and The NRT is a federal level planning, policy, and � coordinating body coordinating body � Provides advice and assistance to the FOSCs and Provides advice and assistance to the FOSCs and � RRTs RRTs � Eight of the NRT member agencies are key Eight of the NRT member agencies are key � federal CT agencies- - DOJ/FBI, FEMA, EPA, DOJ/FBI, FEMA, EPA, federal CT agencies DOD, HHS, DOE, DOT, and USDA DOD, HHS, DOE, DOT, and USDA 5
Wide Range of Emergency Wide Range of Emergency Scenarios Scenarios (Any or all could constitute a national security emergency) Routine oil or hazardous substance spill/discharge Catastrophic natural disaster Terrorism incident Major national security event 6
EPA’ ’s ER Program Statistics s ER Program Statistics EPA � 30,000 incident notifications/year 30,000 incident notifications/year � � Of these 20,000 are Of these 20,000 are hazmat hazmat, 10,000 are , 10,000 are oil oil � � Approximately 300 responses /year Approximately 300 responses /year � � 500 other emergency responses where 500 other emergency responses where � EPA monitors and provides technical EPA monitors and provides technical assistance under CERCLA or CWA assistance under CERCLA or CWA 7
What We Do What We Do � Site Screening Site Screening � � Sampling and Sampling and � Monitoring Monitoring � Laboratory Analysis Laboratory Analysis � � Decontamination Decontamination � � Site Clean Site Clean- -up up � � Disposal Disposal � � Risk Communication Risk Communication � � Data management Data management � 8
How We Respond How We Respond Responsive, decentralized operations based in the ten regional offices ffices Responsive, decentralized operations based in the ten regional o � � 250 EPA On- -Scene Coordinators (OSCs) with experience and delegated Scene Coordinators (OSCs) with experience and delegated 250 EPA On � � authority to manage incidents authority to manage incidents Comprehensive program infrastructure: intra- -agency, interagency and agency, interagency and Comprehensive program infrastructure: intra � � contracted contracted Extensive working and planning relationships with local, state and federal Extensive working and planning relationships with local, state a nd federal � � responders responders 24/7 scientific and engineering support and state- -of of- -the the- -art technology art technology 24/7 scientific and engineering support and state � � 30 year history spanning an extraordinary range of high- -hazard, large scale hazard, large scale 30 year history spanning an extraordinary range of high � � responses responses Highly specialized Decon Team recently put in place Highly specialized Decon Team recently put in place � � 9
On Scene Coordinators (OSC) On Scene Coordinators (OSC) OSC means the federal official predesignated by OSC means the federal official predesignated by EPA or the USCG to coordinate and direct EPA or the USCG to coordinate and direct responses or coordinate and direct removal responses or coordinate and direct removal actions under the National Contingency Plan actions under the National Contingency Plan (NCP) (NCP) 10
OSC Responsibilities OSC Responsibilities � Ensure prompt state notification of spills Ensure prompt state notification of spills � � Evaluate the need for a removal response Evaluate the need for a removal response � � Evaluate the magnitude of the spill Evaluate the magnitude of the spill � � Decide when a removal response begins and Decide when a removal response begins and � ends ends � Determine when a substantial threat exists Determine when a substantial threat exists � � Ensure site safety Ensure site safety � 11
Response Assets Response Assets Regional Offices and Field Offices 1 Boston, MA 2 New York, NY 2* Puerto Rico 3* Allentown, PA 3 Philadelphia, PA 3* Wheeling, WV 3* Richmond, VA 10* 4 Atlanta, GA 4* Tampa, FL 10 4 Raleigh, NC 10* 4 Louisville, KY 5 Chicago, IL 5* 10* Charlesville, IL 1 5* Cincinnati, OH 5* 5* Cleveland, OH 5* 2 3* 5* 3 5 Grosse Ile, MI 3 1 9 9 8 6 3* Dallas, TX 2 1 5* 9 7 7 Kansas City, MO 7* 7 3* 4* 7* St. Louis, MO 1 3 8 Denver, CO 4 9* 9 9 San Francisco, CA 9* Los Angeles, CA 4 10* Seattle, WA 2 6 10* Portland, OR 10* 2 Boise, ID Anchorage, AK 4 * denotes field office National Enforcement Environmental Investigations Center 1 Response Teams 2* Denver, CO 2 Edison, NJ 3 Cincinnati, OH USCG National Strike Force National Strike Force Teams Las Vegas, NV Coordination Center 1 Atlantic, Fort Dix, NJ Elizabeth, NC EPA Headquarters 2 Gulf, Mobile, AL 1 Radiation Labs Washington, DC 3 Pacific, Novato, CA 2 Las Vegas, NV National Decontamination Team Montgomery, AL 12 Cincinnati, OH
Environmental Response Team Environmental Response Team (ERT) (ERT) � Mission: Mission: Support the nation Support the nation’ ’s response, cleanup and s response, cleanup and � renewal of its contaminated land, water and air. renewal of its contaminated land, water and air. � Established in 1978 Established in 1978 � � 41 experienced responders 41 experienced responders � � 125+ trained contractors 125+ trained contractors � � Focus: Focus: “ “classic environmental classic environmental” ” � emergencies and more… … emergencies and more Characterization Sampling/monitoring Characterization Sampling/monitoring Hazard Evaluation Risk Assessment Hazard Evaluation Risk Assessment Safety Decontamination/disposal Safety Decontamination/disposal 13
ERT Assets ERT Assets � TAGAs TAGAs � MS/MS response to VX � Contaminated Water Dive Unit Contaminated Water Dive Unit � � Radiation detection resources Radiation detection resources � � WMD sampling & monitoring WMD sampling & monitoring � � Air dispersion modeling Air dispersion modeling � � Response & command Response & command � vehicles vehicles 14
National Decontamination Team National Decontamination Team (NDT) (NDT) � Established 2003 Established 2003 � � 15 multi 15 multi- -disciplined response personnel disciplined response personnel � � Contract support, Contract support, � � Surge capacity additional expertise Surge capacity additional expertise � � Focus: WMD agents Focus: WMD agents � � Sampling Sampling � Health and Safety Health and Safety � � � Decontamination Decontamination � Waste Disposal Waste Disposal � � � Nature and extent of contamination Nature and extent of contamination � Buildings, infrastructure, indoor environments, agriculture, environmental media 15
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