Region 8 RRT Tabletop Exercise

1. Role and Responsibilities of RRT Membership During an Incident Region 8 RRTTabletop Exercise Steven Merritt & Craig Myers June 30, 2010

2. National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP) • Promulgated in the 1970s • Guides EPA and Coast Guard response to releases/discharges of hazardous substances/oil • Used for Emergency Response, Removal Actions and Remedial Actions • Establishes the National Response Team, consisting of numerous Federal Agencies • Can be superseded by the National Response Plan (NRP)

3. Regional Response Team (RRT) • The regional counterpart to the National Response Team • Composed of 16 Federal Agencies and additional State/Tribal Agencies • Convenes semiannually to review regional issues and plan for responses • Chaired by the EPA and the Coast Guard

4. Exercise Objective • The Goals of this Exercise are to: • Understand the roles and capabilities of the various RRT Member Agencies • Generate discussion about RRT support and input to response actions involving oil and hazardous substances • Familiarize RRT Members with response tools available to OSCs

5. Ground Rules • This is NOT a test • There are no wrong answers or questions • Participants are encouraged to speak from their institutional knowledge • Not a game of stump the chump; it is acceptable to say “Let me get back to you…” • The goal is to encourage an ongoing dialogue • Be open-minded, suspend disbelief, and have fun; this time the incidents are only on paper

6. Initial Notification • At 7:50 PM on June 29, 2010, a man walking his dog along the river reports a series of “loud booms” coming from the vicinity of a railroad bridge • The caller states that he thinks a train may have collided with something near the bridge, but he is unable to ascertain whether any cars are derailed • He reports seeing a dust or smoke cloud in the area, but cannot see any flames from his vantage point

7. Utah Scenario

8. Incident Location

9. North Dakota Scenario

10. Incident Location

11. Weather Conditions • Severe thunderstorm with hail and extremely heavy rain just passed through the area • Temperature is 76°F • Wind is out of the northwest at 5 to 10 mph • Humidity is 92% • Sky is cloudy, but clearing

12. Subsequent 9-1-1 Reports • Drivers along the interstate report limited visibility on the highway near the incident due to an acrid smoke plume that appears to be originating near the railroad bridge • One driver, stopped and taking pictures on the shoulder, indicates that the bridge appears to be partially collapsed at one end and that a locomotive is derailed within that section • Another caller reports a “dark colored liquid” in the river, flowing downstream from the bridge

13. Utah Scenario

14. Collapsed Bridge Crude Pipeline

15. Collapsed Bridge

16. North Dakota Scenario

17. Collapsed Bridge Crude Pipeline

18. Collapsed Bridge

19. Immediate Local Actions • Which agencies would be dispatched to the scene upon initial notification? • What are the immediate critical issues that must be addressed? • Who would 9-1-1 dispatch center be calling at this point for assistance? • Evacuations or shelter in place orders issued?

20. Utah Scenario

21. ICP Location KOA Campground Incident Location Green River State Park & Recreation Area

22. Acrolein Tank

23. North Dakota Scenario

24. Tesoro Refinery Bismarck State College Stadium ICP Location Incident Location

25. Anhydrous Ammonia Tank

26. State Government Actions • Who (which department/division) would be notified of the incident within state government? • What resources would be dispatched by state government? • What actions would be taken by these resources? • Would R8 RRT member agencies be notified? • Would notified state government departments/divisions reach out to members of the R8 RRT initially? • Could notified entities facilitate communication between the local responders and external agencies?

27. Actions by UDEQ and NDDES • How would you be alerted to the incident? • How would you respond? • Who within the agency would be notified? • What resources could/would the agency dispatch? • Are there other RRT members you would contact?

28. On-Scene Report – 8:30 PM • One train involved; one confirmed fatality in first locomotive on bridge • Track blocked and bridge partially collapsed at the first section encountered in direction of travel • UP train has derailed and stacked up behind locomotive on collapsed section of bridge • Fire associated with breach of fuel tank on second locomotive is spreading • A pipeline has been severed in bridge collapse and contents are spilling into the creek

29. Department of Homeland Security • With limited information, the State of UT/ND requests FEMA declare a this incident a disaster. • Does FEMA make such a declaration? • Would it cover both counties? • How would this affect the Federal response to the incident?

30. NRC Report • NRC notifies EPA Duty Officer • UPRR train carries anhydrous ammonia and acrolein in tank cars; derailed but unknown if breached • Utah (Low-Level Radioactive Waste) • North Dakota (Phorate Pesticide) • Locomotive leaking diesel and on fire

31. Utah Scenario

35. North Dakota Scenario

39. 15-Minute Break

40. Issues for EPA OSC • Who does the duty officer contact? • Would a responder be sent? • What actions should the responding OSC take? • How would responding OSC coordinate with other responders? • How long would it take to respond to the scene of the incident?

41. ERT & Strike Team Involvement • Technical skills? • Communications? • Accounting? • Would they be needed?

42. Issues for EPA RRT Co-Chair • Do you call other RRT members at this point? • What is the USCG Co-Chair role at this point? • Would EPA staff the Regional Emergency Operations Center? • Would a second EPA OSC be dispatched for this incident? Under what circumstances?

43. General Issues For EPA • How does the OSC communicate with EPA management? • How does the EPA OSC integrate into the unified command structure? • Do other RRT members join command structure?

44. Bismarck State University Stadium • 10,000 fans in the stadium, threatened by release of ammonia and potential release of phorate pesticide • Managing evacuations and preventing people from transiting through plume • Conditions deteriorating outside the stadium and traffic at standstill

45. Issues from EPA OSC • Unable to reach the pipeline operator and stop the flow of oil into the river? • Leaking ammonia tank and public/responder health/safety concerns related to fire/plumes? • How/where would EPA, UDEQ, NDDES perform air monitoring? • What other agencies will respond?

46. Radioactive Low-Level Waste • What capabilities/authorities does DOE have to respond to a radioactive materials transportation incident/accident? • What capabilities/authorities does NRC have to investigate and enforce against parties responsible for radioactive materials transportation incidents/accidents? • EPA OSC has requested DOE RAP Team support through RRT

47. USCG Issues • What is USCG capability in UT/ND? • Are boats available in either area? • Role for local/federal agencies with boats? • On-water role for EPA, UDEQ, NDDES and local Fire Departments? • Who controls activity on the water? • Do we want boats on the water?

48. ATSDR • How would you be alerted to the incident? • How would you respond? • Who within the agency would be notified? • What resources could/would the agency dispatch? • Are there other RRT members you would contact?

49. Public Health Concerns • Does HHS have role in protecting downstream water users? • Who determines levels of concern in water? • Can HHS provide count of hospital beds? • Any pharmaceutical in storage to treat acrolein? • Who/where is POC for HHS & locals?

50. OSHA • How would you be alerted to the incident? • How would you respond? • Who within the agency would be notified? • What resources could/would the agency dispatch? • Are there other RRT members you would contact?