Emergency Evacuation Methodology for a City - Case Study Example

INTRODUCTION EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) does not discriminate against the potentiality of hazardous situations likely to be posed by chemicals. It is with this stance that the EPA’s policies emphasize on a need to assess the hazardousness of any given chemical component that holds an impending threat to the public or environment. Depending on the situation, the assessment is expected to give historical accidents of at least the past five years as well as a projection of a worst-case scenario. At the same time, respective authorities should input prevention programs such as monitoring or even training measures. To enhance risk management, it is also appropriate for the concerned authorities to introduce an emergency response program inclusive of procedures to inform the public and carry out evacuation plans if necessary. ASSUMPTIONS City Map Given the above map, for instance, it is essential to note the surroundings of the Central City Petrochemical Corporation. According to the facts provided, the Petrochemical Corporation has two visible storage tanks with a capacity of 100,000 gallons per tank. In addition to the storage tank, there is a chemical tank on site. Further, there are two floating atmospheric tanks, which contain gasoline and diesel fuel. Crucially, one of the tanks contains 50 tons of Methyl Isocyanate. Methyl Isocyanate tanks should be properly maintained to ensure that there is no water entry during a cleanup process. This is because, when Methyl Isocyanate reacts with water, heat is produced which then transforms liquid Methyl Isocyanate into vapor. The leakage of Methyl Isocyanate would cause detrimental effects to the public. Therefore, it is vital to address the most essential steps that should be taken if a leakage is detected. This paper will however cover fundamental emergence assistance initiatives, which can be sought through accessing central telephone rosters. Additionally, the paper will address techniques as provided by EPA, which concern the containment of spills and clean up procedures. Notably, the plan should include a list of up to date and functional telephone numbers of public and private institutional groups, technical response teams, national response center and other participating agencies. It is also of importance to include a chemical proficient body such as CHEMTREC. Methodology: Emergency Contacts To make the plans most effective, telephone numbers of individuals should be noted against the name of the person and their representing organization. This would be especially effective rather than only holding telephone numbers of institutions. Community assistance; could be sought from holding phone numbers of police officers of the nearest police station. This would facilitate efficiency of plans, in locating and communicating with patrol officers on a one to one basis. At the same time, it would be beneficial to seek coordination with other community assistance groups including the department of transportation, beneficial during evacuation plans. The transit authority, rescue squad and fire brigades would also be of utmost importance in case of incidence. Other departments such as sanitation, public works, water supply and the environmental agency would be significant additions to evacuation and protection plans. Contingency plans; could also be affirmed through consulting with phone, gas and electricity companies. For instance, there is a high possibility of congestion of phone lines and it might be necessary for the phone company to have solutions for communication between essential groups. In some cases, toxic gases might be easily combustible and exposure to electricity or gas could lead to fires. Therefore, consultancy with gas and electricity companies is imperative. Further coordination would be also be effective through involving authorities in leading positions such as the county executive, the mayor, city manager and councils of government. Seeing that the emergency plans, concern chemicals, it would be imperative to include industries concerned with the production or consumption of chemicals a well as various transporters. In the same point, contact numbers should be kept of spill cooperatives and response teams. Disaster management: During calamities, volunteer groups have always proved to be of immense assistance as disaster management is key among their specialties. With this in mind, it would in congruence to establish solid communication with groups such as the Red Cross and the Salvation Army. Church groups and off-road vehicle clubs would help to lessen chaotic conditions during an incidence. The plan should be inclusive of response personnel, headed by an Incident commander. The responsive personnel should then include pathways for communication with agency coordinators and members of the response team. Crossing Borders: Since an evacuation is likely to involve crossing regional and political boundaries, relevant telephone numbers should be sought. This should encapsulate interstate compacts, irrigation districts, municipalities, states, counties and even countries. Other bodies concerned with boundaries include river basin authorities, sanitation commissions and bordering international authorities (NRT, 2001). For the sake of coverage, contacts with media houses and media personalities cannot be understated. Inclusion of the media is necessary to ensure that crucial information is passed to the public, rather than the use of graphic images, which would result to panic. Containment: For containment of spillage, and assurance of additional help, it would be critical to include phone contacts of federal bodies. The federal on-scene coordinators would head accountability operations through enhancing orderliness. At the same time, the on-scene coordinators would provide protective gear for individuals where necessary. On the other hand, the U.S department of Transportation would be included in evacuation plans for ease in the projection of the most suitable and safest transportation routes and facilities. Other federal groups such as the U.S coast guards, U.S Army, Navy and Air force would act as rescue, response and coordination teams. On the other hand, groups such as the U.S department dealing with firearms would ensure the safety of the public. Evaluations: Importantly, contact numbers should be kept for the National Response Center who are responsible for a number of evaluations and which would enhance solid decision making during an incident. Similarly, relevant contacts for the U.S department concerned with the administration of occupational safety and health should be included for coordination with other health departments. Further emergency assistance can also be provided through synchronization with the bureau of explosives, association of American railroads, poison control center and a cleanup contractor. Emergency assistance numbers should also include CHEMTREC, CHEMNET and CHLOREP’s emergency and customer service numbers. Methodology: Cleanup After the leakage of a chemical such as Methyl Isocyanate, high priority plans should include actions for containment and mitigation, followed by cleanup methods and restoration of the environment. Pollution Assessment: In this case, analogists would be required to examine the extent of pollution to the environment and outline the most appropriate technique of dealing with the given pollutant. Containment and stabilization: Usually, parties and organizations are likely to be most concerned with the procedures for containment and stabilization of the incident. Incidentally, federal regulatory bodies detail on cleanup initiatives. Liabilities: Of course, the owner of the factory concerned for the leakage of the chemical would be held financially and legally responsible for the cleanup activities as well as the health and administration of the public, workers and victims (NRT, 2001). Government officials, such as the FOSC ensure that the factory owner participates fully and efficiently in cleanup activities. Countermeasures for the cleanup: A highlight of items and procedures for the cleanup should be made in accordance with EPA objectives for the safety of personnel safety. According to these provisions, the planners should Develop standard procedures for entering and leaving sites Use safety and health equipment Adhere to personal safety precautions Ensure decontamination procedures. Precautions: Further precautionary activities should include the use of extinguishers where fires have occurred. Sometimes, it might deem necessary to let the fire to burnout on its own pace rather than interfere. Using water to reduce fires caused by methyl isocyanate is likely to increase volatility rather than reduce the damage. At other times, the gaseous chemical might collect into pools of liquid especially where sprays and fogs are induced into the atmosphere. It would therefore be necessary for the responsible personnel to ensure that these pools of liquid are collected using appropriate tools and stored away (NRT, 2001). Contact areas: These areas include open water surfaces, such as a nearby lake or river, vegetables and collecting surfaces such as roofs. Moreover, the level of contamination should be tested on vegetation, which is likely to be consumed by animals that are consumed by human beings. In the same way animals that might have been exposed to the fumes, and are considered as human food, such as fish, should be tested and the relevant action taken to contain the situation. Planning for Restoration: Plans towards restoration are usually the most complex since they involve a lot of capital and investments. However, with definite planning and coordination of societal instruments, it would be possible to make significant changes within reasonable time. The first thing to consider is the resources available. This will facilitate suitable allocation and a projection of useful estimations and conditions for the cleanup. The cleanup exercise would definitely require cleanup personnel and disposal contractors. Using the resources available, the planning team would determine the amount of personal protective equipment to avoid wastage or shortages. Availability of Resources: Critically, an analysis of the resources available plays a crucial role in determining the steps to take to develop or obtain other resources. A number of organizations are likely to have resources that deal with hazardous chemicals depending with the nature of their work. Such organizations include spill or equipment cooperatives, which might even avail skilled work force along with other resources. Organizations in the chemical industries involved with production, transportation and storage would prove effective as sources for sanctioning pumps, chemical storages and other resources. On the other hand, public agencies would be beneficial in facilitating a restoration exercise. These institutions include the agriculture, fishery and game, public health and public works departments, which would ensure appropriate procedures on affected areas, plants and animals. It is important to note that despite the willingness by the various institutions to provide assistance, resources might not always be available. For this reason, it is recommended for an up to date report on availability of resources from the range of groups and organizations. A cleanup exercise would also require a provision of disposal sites, which would have to have been approved by respective bodies (NRT, 2001). Where the sites approved are not sufficient for the cleanup, it would be necessary to involve federal agencies to assist in provisioning. Reports Report writing is central during the entire cleanup exercise for not only documentation purposes, but especially as a measure of the effectiveness of plans. Research should be conducted on the suitable reports, which should be involved in such processes. In this section, the plan operatives should realize information that should be released concerning the response operation. At the same time, the operative should establish the correct formats for representing the various reports. At the report stage, responsible parties for carrying out research should be appointed for every level of research. Other important reports can be sourced from personnel who carried out crucial activities during the exercise. These individuals should give a detailed account of their activities to enable improvements. Through the various reports, an account of costs should be made to enable cost recovery and provision of future estimates. Each report should carry enough weight to show its purpose in assisting future developments. Reports should show processes, procedures and developments. Therefore, a report based on this paper would include relevant contact numbers, coordinating activities, cleanup procedures and the groups involved towards restoration. Reference NRT. (2001). Hazardous Materials Emergency. London: Sage. Read More