U.S. Virgin Islands Hazard-Specific Earthquake and Tsunami Annexes

1. U.S. Virgin Islands Hazard-SpecificEarthquake and Tsunami Annexes Earthquake and Tsunami Operations Plans Overview - Environmental Response/Health and Safety 10 May 2012 Presenter: Newton Tang

2. Agenda • Plan Overview • Scenario • Environmental Response/Health and Safety • Concept of Operations • Phase 1 Tasks • Phase 2 Tasks • Phase 3 Tasks • The Way Ahead • Questions

3. Plan Overview • The plans are earthquake and tsunami hazard-specific annexes to the FEMA Region II All-Hazards plan. • They address unique issues associated with catastrophic earthquakes and tsunamis that are not adequately addressed by the All-hazards plan, the Caribbean Hurricane response plan, or other Region II response plans and procedures • Many of the objectives outlined in the All-Hazards plan adequately address the core capabilities for an earthquake and/or tsunami response. • This plan includes 10 objectives covering 8 core capabilities unique to earthquakes and/or tsunamis. • Focus of the plan is on the first 72 to 120 hours until response management shifts to the FCO and the Incident Action Plan.

4. Plan Objectives • Critical Transportation: Establish an air and sea bridge between the mainland and the USVI within 36 hours of the incident. • Mass Search and Rescue Operations: Complete rapid and primary searches in the impacted areas within 72 hours of the incident. • Public Health and Medical Services: • Initiate the emergency medical evacuations within 36 hours of the incident. • Augment the healthcare system with the resources required to meet the USVI’s medical needs within 36 hours of the incident.

5. Plan Objectives • Mass Care Services: • Shelter and feed 33,000 survivors (and 20,000 visitors in the initial 72 hours if cruise ships are in port at the time of the event - Tsunami only). • Provide feeding and hydration to 20,000 survivors, in addition to the sheltered population of 33,000 (53,000 in case of tsunami) within 72 hours. • Environmental Response/Health and Safety: Contain or stabilize life-threatening HAZMAT situations within 48 hours of the incident.

6. Plan Objectives • On-Scene Security and Protection: • Provide a secure environment for Federal responders and their resources at the onset of the response. • Facilitate the re-establishment of the public safety system within 72 hours of the incident. • Public and Private Services and Resources: Provide and establish emergency power at designated critical facilities in order to ensure the continuity of essential government functions.

7. Scenario The planning scenario reenacts the occurrence of a 7.5 magnitude earthquake in the Anegada Trough, which generates tsunami waves similar to the actual 1867 disaster. However, with regard to impacts, the frame of reference is the USVI of today to include population, shoreline development, and general modern demographics. Operational impacts include structure destruction, casualties, fires, oil spills, and other resulting calamities with magnitudes and numbers many times the statistics of 1867.

8. Response Core Capability • Environmental Response/Health and Safety • Description: Ensure the availability of guidance and resources to address all hazards including hazardous materials, acts of terrorism, and natural disasters in support of the responder operations and the affected communities. • Capability Targets: • Conduct health and safety hazard assessments and disseminate guidance and resources, to include deploying hazardous materials teams, to support environmental health and safety actions for response personnel and the affected population. • Assess, monitor, perform cleanup actions, and provide resources to meet resource requirements and to transition from sustained response to short-term recovery. • Plan Objective: Contain or stabilize life-threatening hazardous material (HAZMAT) situations within 48 hours of the incident.

9. Concept of Operations

10. Phase 1: Pre-Incident Tasks • The EPA analyzes the USVI’s HAZMAT inventories in order to develop situational awareness of potential life-threatening HAZMAT releases during a catastrophic event.

11. Phase 2a: Immediate Response Tasks • Alert and mobilize Federal OSCs. • Alert and mobilize the EPA’s Environmental Response Teams and response contractors. • Alert and mobilize a USCG Strike Team. • Establish communication with VITEMA to receive initial HAZMAT and oil-contamination assessments. • Establish communication with the Environmental Protection Division of the DPNR to receive initial HAZMAT and oil-contamination assessments. • Establish communication with HOVENSA, the Virgin Islands Water and Port Authority (WAPA), and other regulated facilities to receive initial oil-contamination assessments.

12. Phase 2a: Immediate Response Tasks • Coordinate with territorial partners to identify the location of HAZMAT storage, treatment, and disposal sites as well as areas where there is the potential for the release of oil and HAZMAT. • Determine actions that will prevent, minimize, or mitigate additional releases of HAZMAT and oil spills, and develop a plan for environmental cleanup, including the setting of priorities. • Determine the equipment requirements for a HAZMAT response. • Determine the logistics support required to deploy HAZMAT response resources. • Commence the deployment of Federal resources to address HAZMAT and oil contamination. • Deploy the primary resources directly to USVI. • Deploy the secondary (i.e., call-forward) resources to an ISB outside the impacted area.

13. Phase 2b: Deployment Tasks • Maintain situational awareness of the USVI’s HAZMAT and oil-contamination assessments. • Contact VITEMA, the Environmental Protection Division of the DPNR, and HOVENSA in order to receive updated assessments. • Establish the elements of the joint territorial/Federal HAZMAT assessment teams. • Conduct rapid-needs assessments. • Advise the UCG on setting priorities for protecting human health and welfare as well as the environment. • Coordinate efforts to detect and assess the extent of oil and HAZMAT contamination, including sampling, analysis, and environmental monitoring. • In conjunction with USVI organizations, begin execution of the HAZMAT and oil-contamination containment and stabilization response. • Conduct deliberate HAZMAT assessments. • Deploy secondary resources from the call-forward position, as required. • Identify the need for and request additional resources.

14. Phase 2c: Sustained Response Tasks • Continue to conduct HAZMAT assessments, as necessary. • Continue the execution of HAZMAT and oil contamination containment, stabilization, and collection operations, and initiate preparations for disposal. • Continue to deploy secondary resources from the call-forward position, as required. • Continue to identify the need for and request additional resources. • Continue to coordinate a prioritized and unified response to oil spills and hazardous-substance releases in accordance with the National Contingency Plan (NCP) and the NRF ESF #10 – Oil and Hazardous Material Annex.

15. Phase 3: Recovery • Additional Environmental Response/Health and Safety recovery tasks will be directed by the UCG.

16. The Way Ahead • Identify life-threatening hazardous materials being employed in the USVI before a catastrophic event occurs. • Develop interagency, coordinated response plans based on identified threat.

17. Questions?