Are You Prepared For Increased Radiological Shipments?

1. Are You Prepared For Increased Radiological Shipments?

2. Agenda • WEM presentation – Overview, notification, etc. • Radiation Protection Section’s Presentation • Local HAZMAT team responder perspective – What is Prepared?

3. Introduction • Overview • Shipment methods • Who is impacted • Our objectives

4. Background • Regulatory obligation to notify • Previous shipments • Current shipments

5. Notification to State • Notification must be made in writing • Must be received 4 days before the estimated departure date • Notification must include the following: • Contact info for the shipper, carrier, and receiver • A description of the material contained in the shipment • Information about the departure, arrival at state boundaries, and delivery dates.

6. Subsequent Notifications • WEM contacts the SRC on-call • Are additional actions necessary? • An E-Sponder Alert is sent out to the County EM’s and Sheriff’s Offices, and the affected State Patrol Posts • A message is sent out to the County Sheriff’s and State Patrol via the TIME system • Shipment information is shared with TAG and the WEM Administrator

7. Training and Exercising • 2002 – 2003 training and exercises • Recent training • Future training – why? • Information resources

8. Are You Prepared for Increased Radiological Shipments? • 3 million radioactive material shipments annually in U.S. • Types of shipments include: • Spent reactor fuel • High level waste • Transuranic waste • HRCQ • Low-level waste • Medical isotopes, industrial devices, research, etc.

9. Spent Reactor Fuel • Enriched uranium fuel used in commercial, research and sub reactors • Research reactor fuel shipments occurred from Wisconsin in 2009 and 2010

10. High Level Waste • Reactor fuel being shipped for disposal • Waste materials from spent fuel reprocessing

11. Transuranic Waste • Transuranic means ‘beyond uranium’ • Waste containing heavy elements (i.e., plutonium) that are a byproduct of the production of nuclear weapons

12. Highway Route Controlled Quantities • HRCQ refers to radioactive material (not waste) shipments that exceed certain quantity limits in regulation • Shipments often going to industrial irradiators used to sterilize medical supplies

13. Low Level Waste • Not high-level waste • Include contaminated and irradiated items • Multiple disposal sites available in United States

14. Everything Else • Medical isotopes, industrial devices, research materials, etc. • Majority of shipments

15. State Fee Structure • Federal law allows states to charge fees for radioactive material/waste shipments • Corridor states charge fees • Wisconsin is not a corridor state – no fees • Minnesota has limited fees

16. Radioactive Material Shipments Increasing? • In 2010, large quantity shipments thru Wisconsin increased • Commercial irradiator sources (HRCQ) • Shipped in Type B containers – Radioactive Yellow II & III

18. If you had to respond to a transportation accident involving higher activity radioactive material, do you feel that you have sufficient training and resources to initially respond to a higher security, high activity shipment, and do you know who to call for assistance?

19. Wisconsin Hazmat Response

20. Mission The purpose of the Hazardous Incident Team is to identify, locate, confine, and contain the hazardous material during initial emergency operations, if the capability exists to complete tasks safely, to the extent necessary to protect human health and property

21. County Teams 72 Counties Blue Counties have their own team Yellow Counties contract for services White Counties are without contracted services. Provide Level B capabilities

22. Regional Hazmat Teams Southwest Milwaukee Racine Appleton/Green Bay/Oshkosh LaCrosse Eau Claire Superior Wausau

23. History Contracted with the State of Wisconsin in 1994 Contracts have been continually renewed usually on a bi-annual basis.

24. Personnel and Training (example) Madison Hazmat currently has 72 personnel; Division Chief Code Inspection Position 3 Shifts of 23 personnel each Core personnel Satellite personnel Training is constant and on-going

25. Response Considerations Call 911 in Madison and Dane County To request a regional team call the Wisconsin Emergency Management Hotline at; 1-800-943-0003 and then press 2 MFD Station 6 at 608-266-4628/608-266-4306 Call anytime assistance is needed with hazardous materials leaks, spills, or exposures

26. Provide Information Location, known incident information, name and contact number Product information Quantity involved Type of container and damage Injuries and exposed populations Weather conditions and route to scene Special considerations

27. Needs of HIT Directions to the scene Liaison person name and contact number Water for decontamination Decontamination personnel (4) Assistance with equipment set-up (2 to 4) Creature comfort resources

28. Local Jurisdiction Responsible for; Incident management HIT acts as a resource and will not assume control of incident Scene security, traffic, and evacuations Ambulance and EMS service Fire control

29. HIT Operations HIT will respond with a MFD Duty Chief to coordinate with local agencies Duty Chief and Safety Officer may respond ahead of HIT response vehicles HIT will maintain contact and advise on response actions as necessary HIT will develop an action plan for the hazmat emergency

30. Radiation Response Fire Department based response systems have a limited response capability. Possess the ability to detect Alpha, Beta, and Gamma Radiation and provide for public safety. Possess no radiation protective clothing or shielding containers.

31. Interstate Highway System

32. Discussion • Are we prepared? • What can we do to be more prepared? • What resources do we need? • How do I learn more?