Overview of the Beatty Industrial Fire on October 18, 2015 Rural Preparedness Summit Fallon, Nevada June 21, 2016
Agenda Introductions Presentations ◦ Nye County Emergency Services ◦ Nevada National Guard’s Civil Support Team ◦ Nevada State Fire Marshal Questions Conclusion
OCTOBER 2015 EVENTS LESSONS LEARNED Presented by VANCE PAYNE Nye County Department of Emergency Management and associated comments by DEM Fire/HazMat Event (Mission # 10182015-119) Flooding Event (Mission # 10192015-120) 3
Some of the participating organizations in this event 4
Lessons learned by this unique event Analysis of Core Capabilities: 1. Operations Coordination 2. Operations Communication 3. Public Information and Warning 4. Critical Transportation 5
This is Vance when he received the initial phone calls.
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This is what Vance is visualizing 10
Lessons Learned The following are excerpts only from the NV State’s After Action Report/ Improvement plan to limit the time of this presentation. (Vance can talk FOREVER!) 11
Operation Coordination: “Performed with Some Challenges” with 4 areas of Strengths and 10 areas of improvement. Strength 1 : State EOC (SEOC)was successfully activated and provided situational awareness to decision- makers, resources to affected county , and coordinated state response to these Nye County Events. (Nye County EOC was also successfully activated and included our local decision makers in the EOC) Strength 3 : SEOC effectively integrated two Liaisons into Nye County Operations during the course of event. Improvement 4 : Formalize training for all NDEM personnel on procedures to follow when receiving calls from media seeking information. Improvement 7 : Ensure Field Liaisons have the sole duty of performing Field Liaison function when activated. 12
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Tonopah Goldfield SR 266 SR 267 Beatty SR 374 Lathrop Wells SR 95 SR 160 SR 373 14
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Operations Communications “Performed with some challenges” with 2 areas of strengths and 4 areas of improvements. Strength 1 : After activation and filling in of necessary State EOC positions, communications as a whole, both within SEOC and with local jurisdictions down south , went fairly well. Strength 2 : Volunteer Communications resources were notified to help staff the communications Unit. Improvement 12 : Assign the “Call Taker” outlined in the SOG as one of the “must fill” positions to make certain all notifications have been made. Improvement 14 : Ensure decisions to reopen major arteries are shared in a timely, accurate, and comprehensive way. 16
Public Information and Warning “Performed with some Major Challenges” 1 area of strength and 4 areas of improvements. Strength: Under severe limitations, NDEM Public Information Officer (PIO) successfully partnered with other State PIOs to engage the many and varied media requests an social media rumors that circulated throughout these events. Improvement 15 : Ensure a minimum of two to three PIO’s within an activated SEOC to work real-world incidents. Improvement 16: If needed, strongly recommend State PIO’s assistance to local jurisdictions in need of effective public information. Improvement 17: Train all NDEM staff and State EOC participants regarding receiving requests from media. 17
This is NOT what it looked like, even though the rumor mill thought it might have looked like this. 18
Critical Transportation “Performed with some challenges” with 1 area of strengths and the areas of improvements are included in “communications” Strength: District NDOT worked quickly and effectively throughout both incidents, coordinating with state and local partners in closing, rerouting, clearing, and reopening major traffic arteries. 19
CPT(P) Nate Taylor PA-C Medical Section Leader 92 nd Civil Support Team (WMD) Nevada Army National Guard
92 nd Civil Support Team Team content and Immediate Response Team make up The Alert ◦ Nye DEM to NV DEM ◦ NV DEM to CST Commander ◦ CST Commander push to DTRA for plumes ◦ NV Governor deploys IRT to Beatty to conduct surveillance Governor Sandoval’s intent ◦ #1- Community safety
My initial perception of my mission….. “Nate, look at this and go figure out what’s coming out of the ground……” -(Not a real quote from) LTC Compston
Initial Plume Model from DRTA Poor records of radioactive materials were kept due to the age of the LLW Storage site. Active waste processing plant reported these chemicals on site. Diisocyanates, Ethylene Glycol, PCBs, Lead, and Nitric Acid
The Response Approximately 2130hrs 92 nd CST Dispatched 4 Hazmat Techs to Beatty to conduct monitoring to ensure safety of communities surrounding US Ecology Site Established US Ecology link up upon arrival Performed Radiation sweeps and atmospheric monitoring between town of Beatty and US Ecology site
Initial Monitoring Results
Follow-on Mission Beatty was safe and the outer portion of the US Ecology site was not “hot” with particle or energy radiation The site of the blast had not been interrogated and the nature of the “deflagration” and fire was not identified. Joint Task Force of 92 nd Civil Support Team, LVMPD TF Armor, and Radiation Safety Laboratory was formed to interrogate
Pre-entry Assessment Fixed Wing, Rotary Wing, Map, and Leader’s Reconnaissance conducted
Overview of the Area Radiation storage site. Over a dozen trenches 60’ x 650’ in size storing various former radioactive materials at a spot isolated from the chemical processing area.
The Team and Plan One member from each CST, TF Armor, and RSL on Entry, one CST and one TF Armor for Decon. Conduct gamma, alpha and beta assessments as close to the site as would be perceived safe by entry team RSL to conduct soil grab for laboratory analysis back in Las Vegas, NV. Step by step communication went from team, to CST Command, to DEM/Gov to guide further decisions.
The Entry Team
The Site
The Culprit
Task Force Mission Close Out No radiation beyond background was ever identified even at the rim of the hole itself. Metals were identified but not down to specific element. Final assessment: Corroded metal drums containing previously radioactive and actively water reactive metals were exposed to water from the flood and reacted. The emissions were heat, steam, and (Metal)- Hydroxide Salts.
Future Risk and Action Water reactive metals (this event was definitively identified as Sodium and Potassium) are buried shallow along with low level radioactive waste. The State and US Ecology has recapped and increased water protection at the site. Plans to place a significantly larger cap on the site are in works.
Nevada Department of Public Safety State Fire Marshal Division Beatty Industrial Fire Incident Peter J. Mulvihill, P.E., Chief Nevada State Fire Marshal (775) 684-7525 pmulvihill@dps.state.nv.us
Beatty Low-level Radioactive Waste Site Historical Timeline 1961 Nevada Legislature acquires land from BLM for LLRW site near Beatty. 1962 LLRW site opens; site is licensed by the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and leased by Nuclear Engineering Company (NECO) . 1969 Radiological Health is developed inside of Department of Health, Welfare and Rehabilitation. 1971 Legislature provided funding for a radiation control program. 1972 Nevada becomes Agreement State, and begins to develop licensing facilities. 1974 US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is created by Energy Reorganization Act. 1976 Resource Conservation & Recovery Act is enacted by Congress. US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) starts investigation of Beatty residences for materials removed from the LLRW site. 1977 Nevada releases first license amendment for NECO. 1979 Nevada governor Robert List ordered the Beatty low-level waste facility shut down and launched an investigation after a radioactive cargo fire of a truck at the facility gate on US Highway 95. 1979 NRC terminates the Special Nuclear Material License, but continues quarterly site inspections. 1980 Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) enacted by US Congress. The Low Level Waste Policy act is enacted. 1982 The establishment of 10 CFR part 61; Federal LLRW regulations. 1984 Low Level Waste Policy Act enacted by Congress; forms compacts for states and rules 1985 LLRW Policy Act of 1985 as amended. 1988 LLRW site closure plan is approved by Nevada, EPA and NRC. 1992 US Ecology Nevada (USEN) closes site per Closure plan. 1997 USEN license is transferred to Nevada for the custodial period of the closure plan.
Beatty LLRW Site Investigation
Beatty LLRW Site Interim Repairs
Questions? Vance Payne Chief, Nye County Emergency Services Captain Nathaniel Taylor Nevada National Guard 92 nd Civil Support Team Peter J. Mulvihill, P.E. Nevada State Fire Marshal Thank you for attending
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