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Elkhorn
Valley Local Emergency Planning
Committee
Antelope, Madison, Pierce,
Stanton & Wayne Counties of Nebraska
On-Scene Emergency Response - Responsibilities
RESPONSIBILITIES
The Fire Department is responsible for:
Coordination with Facility Emergency Coordinator on response to hazardous substances in the facility.
Initial response and containment, if possible.
Coordination and the establishment of a command post at the scene.
Assuring that first responders receive sufficient direction to be able to handle the situation properly.
Planning for possible evacuation of buildings or areas involved.
Coordination with law enforcement defining the hazard area.
Request State Emergency Response Team (SERT) if necessary,
Initiating notification of support agencies.
Ensuring that a hazardous material training program is conducted for all department personnel.
Law Enforcement Agencies Are Responsible for:
Providing security for the hazard area.
Traffic and crowd control.
Evacuation movement.
Training their personnel.
Madison (or Pierce, Stanton or Wayne as the case may be) County Emergency Management Agency is responsible for:
Notification of support agencies.
Coordination with charitable and volunteer organizations that may provide assistance.
Coordination with state and federal agencies that may have a disaster response role.
Coordination in notifying the public of evacuation areas, health and protective measures.
Local government agencies may be responsible for decontamination of their equipment and vehicles.
State Agencies
Nebraska Emergency Management Agency:
coordinate state agency response and provide assistance and support as determined by the situation.
The Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ):
Provide technical assistance for determining areas likely to be affected by an ongoing release.
Providing technical assistance relevant to the containment and cleanup. of hazardous materials incidents. They are also responsible for warning downstream water users, where applicable.
Approve clean-up plan and notify the responsible person when satisfactory clean-up is achieved.
Give prior approval to all disposal actions.
May require a report, following the clean-up, from the responsible person describing all aspects of the incident including cause of the release, monitoring requirements (long and short term), clean-up and disposal methods, and steps to prevent a similar occurrence. If the clean-up is to be long-term, the Department may require interim status reports.
Main point of contact with the Regional Response Team (RRT), for requesting assistance, resources and coordination with Federal Agencies for response, clean-up and recovery actions.
The State Department of Health (DOH):
Assume immediate technical control of radiological material incidents as required by current law as soon as notified of an incident involving such material. See Annex L. of LEOP
Notify the public of the potential health effects of a HazMat incident.
When a physician's request is required to activate a medical information center, the DOH will provide that service.
The State Fire Marshal:
supports the local fire department's response in all working fires and hazardous materials incidents. The training division, along with the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency, will develop and administer training programs for hazardous materials.
Federal Government
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRQ):
Coordinates the overall federal technical response to a radiological emergency. See Annex L. of LEOP
Provides technical advice to state or local agencies.
Assesses the nature and extent of the radiological emergency and the potential consequences to the health and safety of the public.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):
Emergency planning and response branch provides technical assistance in hazardous material spills under the National Contingency Plan.
Can provide resources through the Regional Response Team (RRT). The RRT can be activated through the NDEQ.
Office of Water and Hazardous Materials provides assistance with pesticide incidents.
Section 123 of SARA authorizes EPA to reimburse local governments, who qualify, for expenses incurred in carrying out temporary emergency measures in response to hazardous substance threats. Reimbursement is available only to local governments. To be eligible for these funds, EPA must be notified within 24 hours of the incident by calling the National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802. An application package may be obtained by calling the Superfund Hotline 1-800-424-9346.
Department of Transportation (DOT):
under Public Law 93-633, Section 109 (d) (2), the DOT is required to provide information and advice in transportation emergencies involving hazardous materials. The DOT will also investigate transportation accidents and inspect for violations under their authority.
National Response Center (NRC):
receives and relays notices of releases to the appropriate OSC, disseminates OSC and RRT reports to the NRT, and provides facilities for the NRT to use in coordinating a national response action.
While having no direct bearing on the recovery from a hazardous materials accident, it is important to note that the Federal Aviation Administration, Federal Railroad Administration, and the National Transportation Safety Board are responsible for investigating transportation accidents and the appropriate agency may become involved at any time. (Public Law 93-633, Section 302 [1])
Industry
Owner or Operator
The owner is required to notify the State Department of Environmental Quality upon discovery of a release of a hazardous substance of ten pounds or greater according to DEQ Regulation Title 126, Chapter 18 001.01-001.04. Containment and cleanup proceeds under the guidance of the Department of Environmental Quality (Title 126, 002 through 004).
The owner or operator will designate a facility emergency coordinator who will participate in the planning process.
The Facility Emergency Coordinator (FEC) will notify the Community Emergency Coordinator for the Local Emergency Planning Committee, the State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) of any state likely to be affected by the release, the National Response Center (NRC), and any other persons to whom the facility is to give notification.
The Facility Emergency Coordinator will make available to the Community Emergency Coordinator any information needed for implementing this emergency plan.
Shipper:
under the regulations of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the shipper of hazardous materials is responsible for complying with all applicable regulations in packaging, labeling, marking, and otherwise preparing any goods for transport by carrier. The shipper must certify on the shipping papers that applicable regulatory requirements have been met. DOT regulations also require him to inform the carrier of any special precautions that must be taken in the transport of his goods. If called in case of an accident, the shipper is also required to provide whatever details about his shipment that are necessary and helpful. The shipper may wish to offer assistance in confining and cleaning up any accident involving his shipment. The shipper may also provide a list of 24-hour telephone contacts of persons familiar with the technical details of the shipment.
Carrier:
the carrier is responsible for handling, stowing, storing shipments, and placarding vehicles in accordance with DOT regulations and exercising due care in transporting the shipment to the consignee. In the event of an accident, the carrier is responsible for initial actions to include notification of appropriate governments, the shipper, DOT, and possibly the Department of Energy (DOE). The carrier also has the basic responsibility for containing or confining any threat associated with the cargo in his possession, whether or not radioactive materials or other hazardous materials are involved. During recovery, the carrier also has the basic responsibility to see that the cleanup/decontamination is completed.
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