1 / 21

Hazardous Materials Planning, Preparedness and Response Along The US / Mexico Border

Hazardous Materials Planning, Preparedness and Response Along The US / Mexico Border . Border to Border Transportation Conference 2007 McAllen, Texas April 2007 Valmichael Leos U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Border 2012 Program. Signed April 2003 10 year binational agreement

gene
Download Presentation

Hazardous Materials Planning, Preparedness and Response Along The US / Mexico Border

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Hazardous Materials Planning, Preparedness and Response Along The US / Mexico Border Border to Border Transportation Conference 2007 McAllen, Texas April 2007 Valmichael Leos U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

  2. Border 2012 Program • Signed April 2003 • 10 year binational agreement • 6 Goals tied to regional, divisional, and branch operating plans • Goal#5: Reduce exposure to chemicals as a result of accidental chemical releases and/or acts of terrorism. • 3 objectives

  3. Border 2012 Organization

  4. Border 2012 Emergency Preparedness & Response Border-Wide Workgroup (BWWG) • Emergency Preparedness and Response Border-Wide Workgroup (BWWG) created as the steering committee of Joint Response Team (JRT) • JRT is currently co-chaired by EPA Office of Emergency Management (OEM), the Procuraduría Federal de Protección Ambiental (PROFEPA), in partnership with other Mexican and U.S. federal, state and local Agencies

  5. Federal Emergency Preparedness and Response Partners

  6. Snapshot of the U. S. National Response System

  7. National Priorities • Test the update notification system between US / Mexico • Finalize revisions to Inland Joint Contingency Plan (JCP) • Expedite cross border emergency response / training with customs officials • Secure liability insurance coverage for local emergency responders • Continue to provide training for Mexican emergency responders • Strengthen partnerships with US and Mexico federal, state, Tribal and local offices, including: • DHS CBP, NORTHCOM and all other JRT members • Protección Civil (Civil Protection), CENACOM, and Aduanas

  8. Goal 5: Reduce exposure to chemicals as a result of accidental chemical releases and/or acts of terrorism Objectives • Establish a chemical emergency advisory/notification mechanism between Mexico and the United States • Develop and implement 14 sister cities joint contingency plans – Target is 2008 3. Revise sister city plans to include preparedness and prevention activities and counter terrorism – Target is 2012

  9. Planning – Contingency Plans • 14 Local sister city contingency plans signed • Imperial County & Mexicali 12/05 • Presidio & Ojinaga 05/05

  10. Preparedness - Training _________________________________ Scenario: Chemical Release Topics: • Incident/Unified Command • Personal Protective Equipment • Decontamination • Identification of Hazardous Materials • FRP, NRP, NIMS • CBRN Response • Spanish CAMEO • FOG Manual Spanish • HazMat Training • WMD/CST • Hospital Decontamination

  11. Preparedness - Hazardous Materials Drills Region 6 - Brownsville/Matamoros Region 9 - Agua Prieta/Douglas

  12. Preparedness – Table Top Exercises Tijuana Baja California, Sept. 2005 Scenario: Ammonia Tanker Truck Spill at Customs Crossing

  13. Preparedness – Binational Partners • Border Emergency Management Academy (Tijuana) • Partnership: SD Co, PROFEPA, Protection Civil Baja California, Tijuana Fire Dept, Centro Industrial for Gestion Ambiental, USEPA, Universidad ABC • Governor of Baja California letter of Support (9/05) • Interim Organizational Structure prop (10/05) • Binational Convenio 2006 (Federal, State and local agencies) UABC-Tijuana

  14. Preparedness – Risk Identification Commodity Flow Studies providelocal baseline information concerning the transportation ofhazardous materials through a given transportation corridor. • El Paso, Texas • Eagle Pass, Texas • Cameron County, Texas • Brownsville Veteran’s Bridge • Los Indios Free Trade Bridge

  15. Rail Traffic (Y2000) 6,673 North Bound 22,027 South Bound 3,370 HazMat N+S 12% HazMat Top 5 Commodities Anhydrous Hydrogen Fluoride (800) Propylene Oxide (682) Molten Sulfur (537) Chlorine (242) Carbon Dioxide Refrigerated (186) Cameron County CFS (Rail)

  16. Preparedness – Industry Participation First Industry Event Mexicali, Baja CA Nov. 2005 • 50 participants discuss Sister City Plan • Partners: Baja CA Civil Protection, City of Mexicali, Imperial County, EPA, CANACINTRA (Industry) • Identify key sectors for pilot reduction project ( 2006)

  17. San Lazaro, Mexico Rail Car spill (Aug. 2005) 2 tank cars ruptured; 24,000 gallons of 98% sulfuric acid to Santa Cruz river 10 miles south of international border Response Binational Plan activated Well shut down on the Santa Cruz River Advisory to shut down wells. Emergency drinking water supplies in AZ Mexico Impoundments to divert flows Lime Treatment 30 US/Mexico participants Binational Response

  18. Region 9 Border Initiatives • Complete the Emergency Management Academy infrastructure and first responder training • Conduct exercise in Mexicali/Imperial County too test local and national protocols • Implement high risk source reduction projects - target industry (Mexicali/IC) - rail cars (AZ/SON)

  19. Region 6 Border Initiatives • Table Top Exercise - El Paso / Juarez - • Notification System Drill - NRC / CENACOM - • EPA Border Crossing Response Drill - Del Rio, Tx / Cuidad Acuna, Coahuila MX • MOU / Sister City Agreement – El Paso / Juarez • LEPC / CLAM Taskforce Workshops

  20. Regional Priorities Summary • 1. Expand available training to both MX and US local emergency responders, including Tribal govts • 2. Continue securing a public/private partnership to expand training along Texas / N. Mexico border area with Mexico. • 3. Investigate possible funding options and/or public & private donors to provide response gear / personal protective equipment for Mexican local emergency responders. • 4. Conduct future commodity flow studies

  21. Emergency Preparedness & Response US/Mexico Border Contact Information

More Related