Document cortlandcountyny_gov_doc_9c664d7e26

Cortland County Hazardous Materials Response Plan An Annex to the Cortland County Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan June 2014 Revision (Supersedes all previous editions) 54 Greenbush Street • Cortland, New York 13045 (607) 753-5064 www.cortland-co.org ---PAGE BREAK--- Table of Contents Revision Log Page I. INTRODUCTION 1 II. AUTHORITY 1 III. MISSION 1 IV. SITUATION AND ASSUMPTIONS 2 V. ORGANIZATION 3 VI. CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS 5 A. Preparedness 5 1. Hazard Analysis 5 2. Facility Planning 6 3. Facility Reporting 6 4. Training & Exercises 8 B. Emergency Response 9 1. Levels of Magnitude 9 2. Dispatch & Notification 12 3. Operations 14 4. Protective Actions 18 5. Public Alerting 20 C. Recovery 24 1. Clean-up and Disposal 24 2. Relocation and Re-entry 24 3. Incident Evaluation 25 D. Direction and Control 27 VII. MISSION ASSIGNMENTS 30 A. Incident Commander 30 B. Fire Service 31 C. Law Enforcement 31 D. Emergency Medical Service 32 E. Cortland County Health Department 33 F. 911 Center 33 ---PAGE BREAK--- G. Community Emergency Coordinator 33 H. Cortland County Dept. of Emergency Response and Communications 33 I. Cortland County Emergency Operations Center 34 J. Public Information Officer 34 K. Highway Department 35 L. Facility Operator/Transporter 35 M. Chief Elected Official 35 N. American Red Cross of Cortland County 36 O. Cortland County Coroner 37 P. Locally-Based Resources 37 Q. State & Federal Agencies 37 VIII. SUPPORT 37 IX. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS 37 X. GLOSSARY 39 XI. APPENDICES 42 A. Reporting Facilities B. Telephone Roster C. (Sample) Incident Reporting Form D. List of Extremely Hazardous Substances E. LEPC By-Laws ---PAGE BREAK--- CORTLAND COUNTY HAZARDOUS MATERIALS RESPONSE PLAN Revision Log Date Description of Revision Date Revised Date Distributed 10/21/1985 Date Approved by the County Administrator October 7, 1988 October 13, 1993 October 30, 2003 June, 27 2007 ---PAGE BREAK--- 1 I. INTRODUCTION The Cortland County Hazardous Materials Response Plan has been prepared to meet statutory planning requirements of the federal Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986, SARA, Title III, and to develop a higher degree of community preparedness for incidents involving hazardous materials. This plan provides basic guidelines and establishes responsibilities for response to a hazardous materials incident in Cortland County. This plan will provide appropriate guidelines for response to the release of hazardous materials beyond the boundary of a facility using, storing or producing hazardous materials, and the release of hazardous materials that has the potential to injure or harm the population or the environment. All incidents must be reported, controlled and thoroughly investigated. Facilities and political subdivisions within the jurisdiction of this plan, shall establish and maintain operational plans and procedures that are compatible and consistent with this plan. II. AUTHORITY A. Statute for Facility Planning. In 1986 Congress passed the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act as Title III of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA). Congress enacted this law to help local communities protect public health and safety and the environment from chemical hazards. The Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) is a focal point for Title III activities in the community. The responsibilities of the LEPCs are stated in the law: each LEPC must develop an emergency plan, collect and store information provided by facilities, and make that information available to the public. B. Statute for Community Planning. Authority for a community plan is contained in NYS Executive Law, Article 2-B, “State & Local Natural and Man-Made Disaster Preparedness.” III. MISSION The mission of this plan is to: • Establish a strategy to minimize the adverse affects of hazardous materials upon life, health, property and the environment. • Identify community resources for emergency planning, response, and recovery activities. • Coordinate an effective and efficient response to a hazardous materials incident. • Establish a community “Hazardous Materials Response Plan” for inclusion in the Cortland County Comprehensive Emergency Plan. ---PAGE BREAK--- 2 IV. SITUATION AND ASSUMPTIONS A. Situation. 1. A hazardous materials incident can happen anywhere within Cortland County, and involve any potentially hazardous material. The Cortland County LEPC supports county-wide planning in addition to the site-specific planning by businesses and industries that use hazardous materials. The citizens of Cortland County are best served when response capabilities meet a broad range of hazards. 2. History shows that the majority of hazardous materials incidents present no health hazard beyond the immediate site of a release. This is due in part to the controls that many facilities employ and to the response capabilities that Cortland County has developed. The Cortland County Hazardous Materials Response Plan addresses the rare incident that may have an adverse health impact beyond the immediate site of a release. 3. For a plan to be successful, it must be used. The LEPC premise is that every response to a hazardous materials incident must be addressed by the plan, to enable an effective transition if the scope of the incident escalates to a major emergency. 4. A hazardous materials incident may be concurrent with another emergency, in which case the operations of the Cortland County Hazardous Materials Response Plan will be integrated with the overall response. Examples of these emergencies may include a plane crash, train derailment, marine emergency, and/or acts of terrorism. B. Assumptions. The Cortland County LEPC’s hazardous materials emergency planning philosophy is more comprehensive than the EPA’s “Technical Guidance for Hazards Analysis,” (December 1987). The following assumptions are at issue: 1. EPA guidance is limited to Extremely Hazardous Substances (EHS), and does not address other hazardous materials that may pose hazards to the community. The Cortland County LEPC, the municipal HAZMAT Team, and the local industrial HAZMAT Resources support response capabilities for chemical/physical hazard types, instead of an approach directed at a list of particular chemicals. 2. EPA guidance directs that a hazard analysis be done for each EHS present at a facility. The Cortland County LEPC promotes facility planning to support a comprehensive hazard analysis that considers an “all risk” approach. It is possible that EHS chemicals may not pose the greatest vulnerability at the site, and may in fact not even be involved in the incident. ---PAGE BREAK--- 3 3. A hazards analysis based on the EHS list may mislead the public about chemical hazards in the community. For example, chemicals on the EHS list may not always pose an airborne hazard to the community. Example: Phosphorus (CAS #7723-14-0), when alloyed in carbon steel, may pose an occupational hazard during milling or grinding. In this form it is not likely to pose a hazard to the outside community or the environment. 4. EPA guidance instructs that a vulnerability zone be developed for each facility. In Cortland County this could result in identifying the same population several times while completely missing at-risk populations in other areas of the County. The Cortland County LEPC supports a comprehensive county-wide plan to ensure effective use of its resources for response to a hazardous materials incident anywhere in the County. The following example will help explain the philosophy for county-wide planning: Chlorine (CAS #7782-50-5) gas cylinders can be found on transportation routes and at several fixed facilities. Release of a one-ton cylinder could potentially affect an area up to 10 miles away from the site. The prevailing winds are from the southeast, but wind direction may change at any time. So, a major release could potentially affect any part of the County. 5. In addition to the EPA guidance referenced in items #1 - a Risk Management Plan (RMP) is required for an owner or operator of a stationary source that has more than a threshold quantity of a regulated substance in a process, as determined under §68.115. Compliance with the requirements of this part are to be no later than the latest of the following dates: June 21, 1999; Three years after the date on which a regulated substance is first listed under §68.130; or The date on which a regulated substance is first present above a threshold quantity in a process. The owner/operator of a stationary source subject to this section must submit a single Risk Management Plan to EPA as provided in §§68.150 to 68.185. The RMP shall include a registration that reflects all regulated processes. V. ORGANIZATION A. The Cortland County Incident Command System Guideline Plan, specifies the Fire Service as the lead agency for the Hazardous Materials Response Plan, i.e. the Senior Fire Officer at the scene has the authority to direct and control emergency actions. B. Upon initial assessment, the Incident Commander will declare a Level of Magnitude (HAZMAT Level 0, 1, 2, or 3) and announce this declaration to the 911 Center Fire Dispatcher, who will begin the agency dispatch and notification assigned to that Level of Magnitude. ---PAGE BREAK--- 4 C. The Incident Commander will establish a Command Post from which to direct and oversee all emergency operations. The Incident Commander will secure the site with the aid of law enforcement and other available agencies. D. A unified command system will be employed to facilitate a coordinated response by all local, state and federal agencies. E. Appropriate public alerting means will be employed to deliver information about protective actions. F. Law Enforcement will assist the Incident Commander by securing and controlling access to the scene. G. EMS will assist the Incident Commander with on-scene triage, treatment, and transportation of victims. H. Special response teams, e.g. Hazardous Materials Team, Fire Special Operations (Technical Rescue Disciplines, SWAT, SCUBA), Bomb Squads, and Emergency Task Forces are available from public and private-sector resources. I. The Incident Commander will designate a Joint Information Center (JIC) for media representatives. J. The County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and/or local EOC may be activated for incidents requiring the coordination of a major response involving multiple jurisdictions. County EOC activities are coordinated by the Department of Emergency Response and Communications. K. Additional resources are available from state and federal sources. Support for local response and/or additional capacity can be obtained through chain-of-command and Mutual Aid requests. If these resources are not locally-based, response time is according to their availability and travel distance. One of these resources can be a Federal On- Scene Coordinator for Hazardous Materials Response. L. In the event of a disaster, NYS Executive Law, Article 2-B, may apply. While the Incident Commander assumes operational authority, the Chief Elected Official of the affected municipality has overall responsibility for the emergency when a disaster is declared. A declaration of a State of Emergency, utilizes and expands the authority of the local Chief Elected Official. ---PAGE BREAK--- 5 VI. CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS A. Preparedness. Preparedness involves actions designed to save lives and minimize damage. It is planning and training for appropriate response prior to an emergency. 1. Hazard Analysis: a. Hazards Identification Cortland County is an industrialized community with numerous fixed facilities that use, store and produce a wide variety of hazardous materials. Cortland County also has several transportation systems: • highways (including Interstate 81 and US 11) • railroads (north-south) • pipelines (including petroleum and natural gas) • air (including an airport) • water (including the Tioughnioga and Otselic Rivers and several lakes) An incident could occur anywhere in the County – at a fixed facility that may or may not be subject to the planning requirements of SARA Title III, or during transportation. Further, the incident might involve material(s) on the Extremely Hazardous Substances list, and/or a “non- listed” hazardous material that poses a threat to the community. An incident in a neighboring county may cross the border and impact Cortland County. b. Risk Analysis Risk Analysis is an attempt to rank hazards by comparing the probability of a release with the severity of consequences of that release: Occurrence: Cortland County has already experienced hazardous materials incidents at fixed facilities and on all transportation systems. The LEPC expects that incidents will continue to occur at past rates. Consequences: Cortland County has already experienced minor and moderate- magnitude hazardous materials incidents. The LEPC expects that minor and moderate incidents will continue to occur, and that a major incident is possible. c. Vulnerability Zone Any part of Cortland County may be subject to airborne material during a release of a hazardous material. Therefore, for the purposes of this Plan and its activities, the County of Cortland is designated as the “vulnerable zone.” ---PAGE BREAK--- 6 d. Response Capabilities Cortland County’s hazardous materials response capabilities include the expertise of 1 municipal HAZMAT Team and the resources of 12 fire departments, 4 law enforcement agencies, and 4 EMS agencies. Further, hazardous materials planning and response activities are supported by private-sector organizations, numerous professional organizations, public safety training programs, and specialized response teams at the state and federal levels. 2. Facility Planning: a. Non-regulated Facilities shall: Maintain a list of 24-hour contact person(s) and submit it to local Fire Department. Establish internal procedures for evacuation in the event of a hazardous materials incident. b. Facilities regulated by SARA Title III, must meet planning requirements: Prepare both an analysis of hazards at the facility (“Facility Hazard Analysis”), and a response procedure for those hazards (“Facility Response Procedure”). Copies are submitted to: the Local Emergency Planning Committee, the State Emergency Planning Commission and the local Fire Department. Comply with the applicable SARA reporting requirements and OSHA regulations. Participate in training programs as identified in the “Training and Exercising” section. Designate an official (available on 24-hour call) who is capable of participating in a Command Post as a facility representative. This person shall have information and the authority to: • Identify the location, type and quantity of hazardous/flammable chemicals or materials • Provide MSDS information and technical data on properties of the chemicals or materials present • Implement the Emergency Action Plan for the facility (“Facility Emergency Contingency Plan”), if appropriate and available. 3. Facility Reporting: Cortland County’s response is based upon effective planning and training. Primary emergency response is most effective when the community receives prompt notification of an incident. This section provides guidance to facilities and stresses the critical need for prompt and accurate reporting. ---PAGE BREAK--- 7 a. Reporting Requirement. A facility must immediately report the release of a reportable quantity of a hazardous substance or extremely hazardous substance to the environment (EPCRA §304, 40-CFR§355.40). The report is to be made by calling both: • 9-1-1: to notify the Community Emergency Coordinator, and • 1-[PHONE REDACTED]: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation This reporting requirement does not apply to any release that results in exposure to persons solely within the site or sites on which a facility is located (EPCRA §304(d)). b. Local Reporting Guideline. In order to better protect safety and to support the primary emergency responders, the LEPC requests that facilities immediately report “Perceptible Exposure” releases by calling 9-1-1. A “Perceptible Exposure” means: Any release of a hazardous substance or extremely hazardous substance which is visible, produces a detectable odor or a distinctive taste, or impacts a human or environmental receptor physically, such as causing eye irritation, itchy skin, damaged vegetation, chronic injury, etc. c. Follow-up Notice. As soon as practicable thereafter, a written, follow-up emergency notice shall be submitted to: LEPC Community Emergency Coordinator c/o Cortland County Department of Emergency Response and Communications 54 Greenbush St Cortland, NY 13045 NYS Spill Response Commission Bureau of Spill Prevention & Response State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) 625 Broadway, 11th Floor Albany, NY 12230-7060 A sample follow-up notification form is provided (Appendix Note: This section is intended to facilitate emergency response and does not guarantee compliance with reporting requirements under any other environmental or health and safety law. There may be other applicable reporting requirements depending on the circumstances of the release. ---PAGE BREAK--- 8 4. Training & Exercises: Training. a. The LEPC supports a comprehensive training program for agency personnel and emergency staff to ensure a safe and effective response to hazardous materials incidents. b. Training requirements are established by State and Federal regulations. Absent such criteria, in-service training will be based upon the level of knowledge or skill required to perform the tasks associated with the job assignment. Training deficiencies shall be identified through appropriate administrative channels for resolution. c. SARA Title III, Section 303(c)(8) requires training for those responsible to implement chemical emergency plans. Cortland County intends to utilize courses sponsored by the Federal and State governments and private organizations to fulfill this requirement. Local agencies and facilities will also schedule courses to address the unique concerns and needs of the local hazardous materials preparedness program. d. Local agencies, facilities and organizations shall provide in-service training to satisfy operational needs, to maintain appropriate certification standards and to comply with applicable regulatory standards. It is recommended that a training officer be designated to establish an annual training program designed to meet requirements. Individual training records shall be maintained on all emergency responders. e. The LEPC works in conjunction with the State Emergency Response Commission and community leaders to evaluate the hazardous materials training needs of local emergency response personnel. The LEPC will monitor and/or coordinate local training initiatives to ensure consistency with this plan and will take advantage of training resources available from all levels of government and the private sector. Exercises. a. The LEPC supports a comprehensive exercise program to effectively implement and evaluate the Cortland County Hazardous Materials Response Plan. b. SARA Title III, Section 303(c)(9) requires local jurisdictions to establish “methods and schedules for exercising the emergency plan.” An effective exercise program will strengthen response management, coordination and operations, and identify areas for improvement. Corrective actions can then be taken to improve and refine public safety capabilities. c. Exercises are generally classified into four categories: Orientations, Table-Top, Functional and Full-Scale. Each exercise type varies in activities and resources. Some require simple preparations and execution while others may be more ---PAGE BREAK--- 9 complex and require greater efforts and resources. Each provides its own benefits and shall be considered in the development of an exercise program to satisfy community and facility needs. These exercise types can build on one another, each one becoming more complex and comprehensive. Cortland County has developed a progressive exercise program: Orientations introduce the plan and its established policies and responsibilities; Table-Top’s implement agency coordination and leadership provisions of the plan, including emergency operations concepts; Functional exercises integrate the plan’s more complex sections under simulated emergency conditions; and a Full-Scale exercise tests the entire hazardous materials emergency response system for evaluation. Lessons learned through these exercises will be referred for corrective action. d. Each facility shall conduct at least one annual test of their emergency plan. These tests shall be coordinated, with the appropriate fire department. Facilities shall conduct an exercise debriefing, and within 30 days prepare an after-action report noting corrective action and lessons learned. B. Emergency Response. 1. Levels of Magnitude: These Levels of Magnitude express the impact of a hazardous materials incident upon the community (see Figure a. Level 0 Definition: A hazardous materials incident that is not likely to adversely impact or threaten life, health, property or the environment; where control of the incident is within the capabilities of resources available to the local response jurisdictions. Criteria: • Incident controlled by the facility or the local response jurisdictions. • Municipal HAZMAT Team advice may be required for technical assistance. b. Level 1 Definition: A hazardous materials incident that may adversely impact or threaten life, health, property or the environment within an area immediately surrounding the point of release or potential release; where control of the incident is within the capabilities of the resources locally available to responders in Cortland County. Criteria: ---PAGE BREAK--- 10 • Incident that can be controlled by the City of Cortland Hazardous Materials Response Team. • Local response jurisdictions with special teams* response. ---PAGE BREAK--- 11 *special teams as defined in Section on page 4 • May require evacuation or sheltering for the area immediately affected by the release or potential release. c. Level 2 Definition: A hazardous materials incident that may adversely impact or threaten life, health, property or the environment beyond the point of release; may be across municipal jurisdictions; where control of the incident is within the capabilities of the resources based within Cortland County. Criteria: • Incident that is beyond the capabilities of the first municipal response agency and requires broad-base community resources. • Evacuation or sheltering of residents or facilities should be considered. • Participation or support by mutual-aid agencies. • (Multi-jurisdictional) Multiple municipal involvement. d. Level 3 Definition: A hazardous materials incident that adversely impacts or threatens life, health, property or the environment in a large geographic area. Additional resources are required to supplement those available within Cortland County. Criteria: • Serious hazard or severe threat to life, health and the environment. • Large geographic impact. • Major community evacuation or sheltering. • Multi-jurisdictional involvement. • Requires broad-based resources. ---PAGE BREAK--- 12 Figure 1. PRODUCT IMPACT AREA OF IMPACT CAPACITY TO CONTROL Level 0 Non-Threatening Confined to Site Local Jurisdiction Level 1 Threat Within Immediate Area of Release plus HAZMAT Team and special teams* as requested by the IC Level 2 Threat Beyond Immediate Area of Release Multiple Municipalities plus broad-base community resources Level 3 Threat Beyond Immediate Area of Release Multi-jurisdictional Large Geographic Area Broad-based resources are required to supplement those available within Cortland County *special teams as defined in Section on page 4 2. Dispatch & Notification: a. Level 0 Upon declaration of a Level 0 hazardous materials incident, 911 Center shall follow the County/City Hazardous Material Emergency Notify Dispatch Procedure which may include the following: local Fire Department local Law Enforcement (tell them this is a Hazardous Materials Incident) Other agencies as appropriate b. Level 1 Upon declaration a Level 1 hazardous materials incident, 911 Center shall follow the Cortland County/City Hazardous Material Emergency Dispatch Procedures which may include the following: local EMS local fire department local law enforcement agency Cortland County Department of Emergency Response and Communications Cortland County Health Department Cortland County EMS Deputy Coordinator 911 Center Shift Supervisor ---PAGE BREAK--- 13 Cortland County Fire Coordinator City of Cortland HAZMAT Team Cortland Chapter of the American Red Cross C R M C Hospital All-Call NY Alert NYS Office of Fire Prevention and Control NYS Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services NYS Department of Transportation NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Other agencies as appropriate c. Level 2 Upon declaration of a Level 2 hazardous materials incident, 911 Center shall follow the Cortland County/City Hazardous Material Emergency Notify Dispatch Procedure which may include the following: all Level 1 agencies, PLUS Announce on EMS Channel Announce on Fire Channels Cortland County Fire Coordinator and Deputy Coordinators Cortland County Office of the Sheriff National Response Center 911 Center Shift Supervisor, Operations Manager, Deputy Director and Center Director City of Cortland HAZMAT Team all hands Notify all fire chiefs Notify adjacent county Fire Coordinators if incident affects the boundary area Other agencies as appropriate – EOC activation determined through consultation with DER&C, the County Fire Coordinator, and the Incident Commander. d. Level 3 Upon declaration of a Level 3 hazardous materials incident, 911 Center shall follow the Cortland County/City Hazardous Material Emergency Notify Dispatch Procedure which may include the following: same as Level 2, PLUS other local State and/or Federal agencies as appropriate EOC activated by DER&C Additional Hospital(s) All-Call ---PAGE BREAK--- 14 3. Operations: Actions taken by emergency responders shall be based upon the need to protect life, health, property and the environment. Operations shall comply with applicable OSHA regulations which may include: a. 29 CFR 1910.120 – Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER), b. 29 CFR 1910.134 – Respiratory Standard, c. 29 CFR 1910.156 – Fire Brigade Standard; and, Standard Operating Procedures as specified by individual agencies. Approaching the Scene Emergency responders should approach the scene of a hazardous materials incident from upwind and uphill if possible. Emergency responders should not pass through a vapor cloud or a spill. Arriving at the Scene Emergency responders should meet with a facility representative, or other knowledgeable person, to learn about the incident. Establish a perimeter to isolate the hazard area and deny entry. Address immediate life-threatening situations. If possible, begin decontamination triage. Identifying the Materials Involved Identify hazardous materials BEFORE exposing personnel or taking remedial action. Binoculars may be used to view placards, license plates, vehicle identification information, and containers for clues about product(s) involved. Obtain shipping papers and/or Safety Data Sheets (SDS). Correct spelling of the chemical name is critical. Obtaining Hazard and Handling Information The physical and chemical properties of a product, as well as its hazards and handling information, may be obtained from sources including: • Safety Data Sheets (SDS) • Chemical reference books • CHEMTREC • Upstate NY Poison Control Center ---PAGE BREAK--- 15 • Chemical data base • Plume dispersion models ALOHA or ADASHI) mapped on GIS (Geographical Information System) • E-Plan On-scene measurements may be taken with direct-reading instruments including: • Carbon Monoxide meter • Colorimetric indicator tubes • Combustible gas indicator • Leak detector • Oxygen Meter • Ph paper • Radiological survey instruments • Chemical test/detection equipment • Multi-Gas Meter w/PID Weather may play an important role in the outcome of a hazardous materials incident. The National Weather Service can supply: • Wind speed and direction • Temperature • Relative humidity • Precipitation • Stability of the lower atmosphere • Forecast Expertise may be obtained from sources including: • Manufacturer • Shipper • Carrier • Consignee • Facility representative • Hazardous Materials Response Team • Chemical industry personnel • College and university personnel • Farm and related industry personnel Site Control The Incident Commander shall establish exclusion zones for emergency responders and the public. ---PAGE BREAK--- 16 Decontamination A decontamination area will be established for victims and equipment to minimize the spread of contamination. Prior to departing an incident scene, all contaminated personnel and equipment shall be decontaminated as much as possible. Equipment marked for further decontamination must be completely decontaminated before returning to service. It is the Incident Commander’s responsibility to see that if decontamination is needed, it is accomplished properly at the scene before any patient is turned over to EMS. Once EMS is on scene, EMS decides patient care in consultation with the HAZMAT Group Leader, Incident Commander, and EMS Medical Director. (10) Safety and Health The Incident Commander shall designate an on-scene Safety Officer who shall ensure that emergency responders use personal protective equipment and procedures that comply with OSHA regulations. (11) Mitigating the Incident The Incident Commander, in conjunction with facility personnel and other technical specialists, shall develop a plan of action and carry-out that plan to avoid unnecessary exposure. Containment and Control: 1) Qualified emergency responders may perform containment and control tasks to mitigate the incident and to minimize adverse environmental impacts. 2) Containment and control may include: closing valves, plugging or patching holes, transferring material from one container to another, damming, diking, booming, absorbing, neutralizing, diluting, suppressing vapors, extinguishing, and using water spray to keep containers cool. 3) If flammable vapors and gases are present, combustible gas indicators may be used to determine the potential ignition area. All ignition sources in that area should be eliminated. ---PAGE BREAK--- 17 4) Some materials are water reactive. Water used to extinguish a fire may create a much bigger problem when it becomes contaminated run-off. If hazardous materials are involved in a fire, it may be best to let the fire burn. In cases where contamination of the environment has occurred, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation shall be informed so they may evaluate the situation and take appropriate action. In cases where contamination of a water-supply system has occurred, the New York State Department of Health, the Cortland County Health Department and the affected water supplier shall be informed so they may evaluate the situation and take appropriate action. In cases where contamination of the sewer system has occurred, the affected sewer agency, shall be informed so they may evaluate the situation and take appropriate action. (12) Radio Communications Radio Communications are primarily between the incident site and 911 Center for: Dispatch and information exchange among base stations, mobiles and portables Command of personnel and resources Coordination among agencies: • In situations involving mutual aid, or similar multi-agency or multi- jurisdictional response, integration of the various communications systems can be achieved by coordinating information at 911 Center, the Command Post, and/or the Emergency Operations Center. • If it is necessary to operate a secondary, or alternate communications center, the emergency service agency that regularly controls the channel shall provide personnel to operate the equipment. Support Systems • Public works, transportation and related agencies have communications systems designed for their daily internal operations. These agencies have the capacity to provide equipment, vehicles and personnel for emergency communications. ---PAGE BREAK--- 18 • Amateur Radio and TV links can be activated through the Department of Emergency Response and Communications. 4. Protective Actions: Evacuation, sheltering-in-place, or a combination should be considered in defining protective actions to reduce or eliminate public exposure to hazardous materials that are released during an incident. a. Evacuation. Evacuating the public is a decision based on information indicating that the public is at greater risk by remaining in or near-by the hazard area. Information that should be considered in the decision to evacuate includes: • The severity of dangers resulting from the hazard(s) • The population affected by the hazard • The availability of the resources to evacuate the affected population, e.g. fire/EMS/police personnel, and transportation vehicles including school busses, privately-owned vehicles or public mass transit • The notification means to provide emergency instructions before and during the evacuation, e.g. local broadcast media for the Emergency Alert System, NOAA Weather Radio, route alerting via mobile address systems, sirens, NY Alerts and/or door-to-door alerting • Safe passage for the evacuees, including adequate time to conduct the evacuation, evacuation route monitoring, the ability to re-route traffic, and the availability of reception centers and shelters • Special needs of the evacuees, e.g. the need to assist facilities (hospitals, nursing homes, prisons) in evacuating, or the need to alert and warn and then evacuate special populations • The ability to provide shelter and sustenance to evacuees including adequately staffed shelters with feeding, sanitary facilities, and medical care. b. Shelter-in-Place. Sheltering-in-place means advising the affected population to seek protection within the structure they occupy or in a nearby structure. Like evacuation, this decision is based upon hazard analysis. If the danger to the public is mitigated by sheltering-in-place, then it should be employed as a protective measure. With certain hazards, e.g. short-term exposure, or line-of-sight exposure, the best decision may be to shelter-in-place. One distinct advantage of ---PAGE BREAK--- 19 sheltering-in-place is the relative ease of implementation. A decision to shelter- in-place considers: • the availability of resources • the time available to take protective actions • the public's understanding of sheltering-in-place For some hazards, sheltering-in-place can be enhanced by seeking the most protected refuge in the structure. For chemical, radiation, and some biological hazards it is enhanced by reducing the indoor-outdoor air exchange rate. c. Combination Protective Actions. There may be circumstances when using both evacuation and sheltering-in-place is appropriate. For example, when time or resources cannot support the immediate need to evacuate a large population, only those closest to the hazard and at greater danger could be instructed to evacuate, while other people inside the affected area would be advised to shelter-in-place. d. Implementation of Protective Actions. The Incident Commander shall designate a sector commander to implement and coordinate any protective action orders. In most cases, the law enforcement agency having jurisdiction will serve as the primary agency for implementing protective actions. Therefore, the sector commander in charge of implementing protective action should be a qualified member of that law enforcement agency. All personnel working in the affected are shall wear appropriate personal protective equipment. Protective actions affecting large areas may require the declaration of a local State of Emergency under New York State Executive Law, Article 2B. Affected Area Traffic Control Points and Access Control Points shall be established to direct traffic and people out of the affected area and to prevent entry. Sources of transportation capable of supporting an evacuation shall be identified. All residents of the affected area should be identified and accounted for. Forced entry into homes and apartments shall only be performed if there is a reason to believe that a victim may be inside. ---PAGE BREAK--- 20 In the case of persons who refuse to leave their homes during an evacuation order: their names, addresses next-of-kin and time of notification shall be recorded. Reception/Congregate Care Centers The sector commander in charge of protective actions shall identify a site(s) that would be suitable as a temporary staging area for evacuees until a suitable reception/congregate care center can be established. Reception/Congregate Care Centers shall be coordinated by the American Red Cross of Cortland County with personnel support from the Cortland County Department of Social Services. The American Red Cross of Cortland County shall designate and establish Reception/Congregate Care Centers. 5. Public Alerting. Once a decision has been made to evacuate or shelter-in-place, the Incident Commander shall alert the public. Public Alerting provides timely and reliable emergency information pertaining to the need for protective actions. For protective actions to be effective, the public must first be alerted that an emergency exists, and second be instructed on what to do. Since a hazardous materials incident is normally a rapidly developing situation, initial public alerting by emergency response personnel is a critical aspect of public safety. a. When to Alert the Public Level 0 This Level of Magnitude does not normally require Public Alerting. However, the Incident Commander shall respond to public and media requests for information. Level 1 This Level of Magnitude may not require Public Alerting. However, the Incident Commander shall respond to public and media requests for information. Level 2 This Level of Magnitude may require public alerting. Level 3 This Level of Magnitude requires public alerting. ---PAGE BREAK--- 21 b. Methods of Public Alerting News Release A news release may be relayed through 911 Center to media representatives. A news release may be made directly to on-scene media representatives. (Sample news release messages are provided at the end of this section.) Route Alerting Emergency vehicles, equipped with a siren, a public address system, and appropriate personal protective equipment may drive through the affected area and announce the emergency situation. Residential Door-to-Door Alerting Emergency personnel, equipped with appropriate personal protective equipment, may walk through the affected area and announce the emergency situation on a door-to-door basis. Emergency Alert System (EAS) Activation of the EAS can only be accomplished by pre-designated government officials or the National Weather Service. (Sample EAS messages are provided at the end of this section.) 911 Center Emergency Telephone Notification System c. Components of a Public Alert Message may include: Affected area Health hazards Protective actions Evacuation routes Location of Reception/Congregate Care Center(s) Medical treatment Telephone number for mobility impaired to call for assistance ---PAGE BREAK--- 22 Sample News Release/EAS Message Evacuation Announcement “The following message is from . A Hazardous Materials Emergency exists at (location) . All persons must evacuate an area bordered by (North), (East) , (South) , (West) . (Repeat one time, then continue) Please follow these main evacuation routes: (List routes) Please cooperate by checking on persons in your neighborhood who may live alone. If they do not have transportation, please assist them. If you know housebound or mobility impaired persons who require assistance, contact . You should prepare to spend a minimum of one day away from home. You should take sufficient quantities of personal care items and prescription drugs for this time period. We remind you to take the following steps: 1. Secure your home and property. 2. Turn off all lights and electrical appliances. 3. Turn down heating systems (or turn-off air conditioning systems). 4. Drive carefully. Proceed calmly to your destination, obeying all traffic laws. 5. Please obey the police and others who will be directing traffic along the evacuation routes. If you need a place to stay, please go to (location) . Pets will not be allowed inside the congregate care centers. However, bring your pets and facilities will be provided for their care. Do not use the telephone except to REPORT emergencies. Do not call government offices. You will be kept informed of the situation through this Emergency Alert Station. The preceding message is an announcement from regarding an order by to evacuate all persons living in the affected area. For further information, please stay tuned to this station.” (Therefore, this message shall be repeated every five minutes.) ---PAGE BREAK--- 23 Sample News Release/EAS Message Shelter-in-Place Announcement “The following message is from . A Hazardous Materials Emergency exists at , . If you live, work or are traveling within the following area, you should take shelter, by going inside a building: The area is bordered by (North), (East), (South) and (West). (Repeat one time, then continue). If you are traveling through the affected area, roll-up windows, close air vents, turn off heaters and/or air conditioners. If shelter is not immediately available, place a handkerchief, towel or other similar item snugly over your nose and mouth until you can get indoors. Take shelter indoors and do the following: Close all doors, windows, shades and drapes, sealing gaps with wet towels or wide tape. Stay away from windows. Turn off heating systems, air conditioners or fans. Extinguish fireplaces and close fireplace dampers. Keep pets inside. (Read this statement only if school is in session) Do not telephone or go to the school your children attend. They are in a covered protected environment and will be bused home when it is safe. Do not use the telephone except to REPORT emergencies. Do not call government offices. You will be kept informed of the situation through this Emergency Alert Station. The preceding message is from advising people affected by this emergency to take shelter. For further information, please stay tuned to this station.” (Thereafter, this message shall be repeated every five minutes.) ---PAGE BREAK--- 24 C. Recovery. Recovery immediately follows emergency response. It involves direction to restore the community to normal conditions and may include: • Requesting a Presidential Disaster Declaration • Maintaining access control • Clearing debris • Restoring public utilities • Providing emergency social services (shelter, clothing, food, etc.) • Rebuilding • Investigating the incident • Demobilizing emergency personnel and resources, which may include emergency worker counseling • Adjusting traffic control perimeters • Continuing public information – general purpose and health-related • Maintaining security in restricted areas • Providing long-term counseling for residents • Continuity planning for business and industry (economic preservation) 1. Clean-up and Disposal: • The clean-up and disposal of hazardous wastes will comply with applicable local, state and federal regulations. • The party responsible for the incident is legally and financially responsible for the clean-up and disposal of hazardous wastes. • Emergency responders should understand that if they initiate contact with a commercial clean-up company, they may be held responsible for the costs incurred. • If the party responsible for the incident is unknown, unwilling or unable to accomplish cleanup and disposal, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation may hire a commercial clean-up company with state funds. 2. Relocation and Re-entry: Relocation. In cases where contamination of the environment has occurred and the long-term relocation of residents is necessary, the Cortland County Department of Social Services, Cortland County Department of Emergency Response and Communications, American Red Cross, NYSDEC and/or responsible party shall provide relocation assistance. ---PAGE BREAK--- 25 Re-entry. a. Re-entry to an area that has been sheltered-in-place or evacuated shall not be allowed until authorized by the Incident Commander. b. The Incident Commander shall confer with the Cortland County Health Department, and other appropriate officials, to establish re-entry procedures that will include: • a time to return • Safety precautions • Health precautions • Decontamination • of illness as a result of exposure c. The Public Information Officer shall inform the public of the re-entry procedures. This may be done by the following methods: • News Release • Emergency Alert System • Announcements and/or printed materials at Reception/Congregate Care Centers • Printed materials issued at Traffic Control Points and Access Control Points d. Traffic Control Points and Access Control Points shall be maintained, as necessary, to ensure an orderly re-entry by the public. 3. Incident Evaluation: a. OSHA Standard 1910.120 requires the Incident Commander to debrief and evaluate the emergency response as soon as possible. (The Incident Commander for HAZMAT incidents is the Fire Chief or Senior Fire Officer of the local jurisdiction.) Incident Debriefing – The IC shall ensure that an incident debriefing occurs at the incident conclusion or as responders leave the scene. The debriefing should include, but not be limited to providing the following information: • Hazard information • Exposure signs and of materials involved • Name of individual responsible for post-incident medical contact • Administrative procedures • Gather name(s) of all outside responders and agencies ---PAGE BREAK--- 26 ---PAGE BREAK--- 27 Critique – The IC shall conduct a critique for all Level 1 or greater hazardous material incidents. Such critique will review the incident with the purpose of identifying both those areas that worked well and those areas that need improvement. (If requested, the County Fire Coordinator will provide assistance to conduct the critique.) The critique process should include, but not be limited to the following: • Be held after allowing sufficient time for the emergency to be investigated and appropriate information collected. • Include at least one representative of each agency that played a role in handling the incident. • May consist of a single multi-agency meeting or various inter-agency meetings. • The findings of such critique, and identity of its participants, shall be documented in writing. The information gathered in this AAR/IP is classified as For Official Use Only (FOUO)] and should be handled as sensitive information not to be disclosed. This document should be safeguarded, handled, transmitted, and stored in accordance with appropriate security directives. Reproduction of this document, in whole or in part, without prior approval from Cortland County Department of Emergency Response and Communications is prohibited. At a minimum, the attached materials will be disseminated only on a need-to-know basis and when unattended, will be stored in a locked container or area offering sufficient protection against theft, compromise, inadvertent access, and unauthorized disclosure. • Areas of improvement or changes identified in local or community plans or training will be incorporated in local or community activities as appropriate. Community Review – The Incident Commander or the chief elected official from the jurisdiction where the incident occurred has the option of requesting a Community Review. Such request shall be addressed to the Department of Emergency Response and Communications. Upon such request, the County Emergency Preparedness Administrator will meet with the Incident Commander and/or elected official to define goals of the community review process. When the review process is initiated by the County Emergency Preparedness Administrator it may include, but not be limited to the following: • Schedule a review to include all responding agencies. • Schedule individual agency briefings, which should be accomplished prior to the community review. • Agencies will be contacted by: for fire, EMS agencies, HAZMAT Team, and 911 Center by County Fire Coordinator; Law enforcement by County Sheriff; Cortland County Health Department and the County Emergency Preparedness Administrator for other agencies. ---PAGE BREAK--- 28 Review any documentation (critiques) of the incident. • The review will be scheduled at the County Emergency Operations Center, unless circumstances warrant another location due to space constraints, and/or travel considerations. • The review agenda will include: a chronological overview of the incident response; individual agency comments; and results of agency comments from an evaluation form. (The form and content will be approved by the jurisdiction requesting the Community Review prior to distribution by the County Emergency Preparedness Administrator.) A review report will be prepared and shared with the Incident Commander, the chief elected official of the jurisdiction, the first responder advisory boards. • Release of the community review report to the media, other committees, and/or the Incident Commander or the chief elected official from the affected jurisdiction(s). • Any identified planning and/or training issue will be incorporated into local and/or community activities or documents as appropriate. D. Direction and Control: The Incident Commander will control and direct all activities at the scene in accordance with the Incident Command System. If a disaster is declared, the Chief Executive (or designee) will exercise Executive Authority (as defined in NYS Executive Law, Article 2-B) over all disaster operations in the municipality in accordance with mission assignments contained in this Plan. A Command Post will be established by the Incident Commander. This is the center from which all emergency operations will be directed. Staffing for the Command Post, as directed by the Incident Commander, should be limited to primary responders: fire, law enforcement, EMS, Communications, and others who may be appointed by the Incident Commander. The news media will assemble at the Joint Information Center (JIC) and when the Incident Commander deems the site accessible, be escorted to the scene staging area (designated by the Incident Commander). If the County’s EOC is activated, the EOC Public Information Officer will disseminate information in conjunction with the Incident Command PIO staff. 1. Unified Command. In the event of a hazardous material incident, the Cortland County Incident Management System Guidelines Plan will provide effective leadership, coordination and unified on-scene command of emergency response forces. All on-scene actions shall be consistent with the objective of ensuring the safety of all emergency responders and the public. ---PAGE BREAK--- 29 A hazardous materials incident may require a broad range of on-scene response organizations including: emergency response personnel from all levels of government; industry representatives; private contractors; and the media. The need for specialized equipment and technical knowledge during response may also be extensive, as are the number of critical decisions that must be made in the area of the incident: containment, emergency worker safety, public protective actions, and environmental protection. This Plan addresses the need to ensure control of a multi-jurisdiction/multi-agency response to a hazardous materials incident, and highlights the demand for a unified Incident Command System under the direction of the Incident Commander. The concept of Unified Command simply means that all agencies that have jurisdictional responsibilities at an incident will contribute to the process of: • Determining overall response objectives • Selecting response strategies • Ensuring joint planning and application of tactical and operational activities • Maximizing use of available resources • Public Alerting and News Releases a. First Responder The primary responsibility of the First Responder is to determine the potential hazards to life, health, property and the environment resulting from the incident. If it is determined that the incident presents a potentially hazardous situation, the first responder should communicate this to 911 Center. The First Responder should then initiate the following actions: Evacuate all non-emergency personnel from the hazard area Identify the material(s) involved Establish a Command Post Determine if community notification, sheltering or evacuation is needed and the geographical area likely to be impacted Isolate contaminated persons in a safe location When representatives of the Lead Agency having jurisdiction designate an Incident Commander, the first responder should brief the Incident Commander on the extent of injuries, damage and the status of efforts to control the incident b. Incident Commander As part of the initial response to a hazardous materials incident, and as identified in the Cortland County Incident Command System (Policy #100- 002), the fire department having jurisdiction shall serve as the Lead Agency. A qualified on-scene member of that fire department shall serve as the Incident Commander. Using the definitions previously described, the Incident Commander shall ---PAGE BREAK--- 30 declare a Level of Magnitude for the incident. If conditions change, the Level of Magnitude may be upgraded or downgraded as appropriate. When the designation of Incident Commander needs to be evaluated, the following factors should be considered: • Level 3, or declared “State of Emergency” • Geographic area affected • Impact upon the community • Single or multiple jurisdictions affected • Number of response agencies • Operational requirements • Resource commitments • Scope and technical complexity of the incident The Incident Commander must ensure that all participating agencies (local, state and federal) are effectively communicating within the designated command structure. If the designation of Incident Commander changes such that the Incident Commander is not physically at the scene, it may be necessary to designate an Operations Section Chief. c. Emergency Operations Center (EOC) An EOC provides off-site incident coordination and assistance as required. The Department of Emergency Response and Communications maintains procedures for activating Cortland County's EOC. Upon notification of a Level 2 HAZMAT incident, the Department of Emergency Response and Communications shall contact the Incident Commander to assess whether Cortland County's EOC needs to be activated; and if so, the degree to which the EOC needs to be staffed. d. Command Responsibilities 1) Level 0 – Implement Incident Command The Incident Commander shall: • Establish contact with a facility representative • Determine the number and type of response units that are needed to handle the incident • Evaluate the need to declare a higher or lower Level of Magnitude • Respond to public and media requests for information ---PAGE BREAK--- 31 2) Level 1 – In addition to Level 0 activities, the Incident Commander shall also: • Establish a Command Post • Establish liaison with the Facility Emergency Coordinator • Ensure that all appropriate agencies are represented in the Command Post • Designate Branches, Groups, and Divisions, as appropriate 3) Level 2 – Levels 0 and 1 activities, plus the Incident Commander shall: • Consult with the Department of Emergency Response and Communications about activating the Emergency Operations Center. City/Town/Village Operation Centers may be activated. • The Department of Emergency Response and Communications shall notify and brief the County Administrator. • The Chief Elected official shall evaluate the need to declare a State of Emergency under N.Y.S. Executive Law, Article 2-B. 4) Level 3 – In addition to Levels 0, 1 and 2 activities: • The Incident Commander, Fire Coordinator, EMS Administrator, Community Emergency Coordinator, Sheriff, Health Director, local officials (including local law enforcement), and the County Administrator shall re-evaluate the existing designation of the Incident Commander. The County Administrator shall decide whether to retain the existing Incident Commander or designate a new Incident Commander. • The New York State Office of Emergency Management (SOEM) coordinates the application of the state's resources in an emergency. VII. MISSION ASSIGNMENTS A. Incident Commander. The senior official from the Lead Agency will, upon arrival, normally serve as the Incident Commander. Assignment of responsibilities to all other emergency response units will be coordinated by this individual. The Incident Commander will: 1. Direct on-scene operations to ensure that objectives are identified and assignments are made including hazard assessment and First Responder briefings. 2. Coordinate actions through support agency representatives who will retain control of their respective forces under the Incident Command System. ---PAGE BREAK--- 32 3. Designate a hazard area, define its limits, and establish other zones as needed. 4. Determine the need for public alerting, sheltering-in-place or evacuation and notify the appropriate law enforcement (agency) representative who will initiate actions. 5. Establish the Incident Command System (ICS) structure and staff the Command Post to handle the operation. ICS unit responsibilities may include: • Risk Evaluation/Cause and Response • Scene Security • Public Alerting/Evacuation/Shelter-in-Place • Rescue • Fire Suppression • Spill Containment/Leak Control • Re-entry and Recovery 6. Establish functional Sections to support operations. Functional Sections may include: • Resources Unit (within the Planning Section) • Medical and Communications Units (within the Logistics Section) B. Fire Service: 1. Fire Department. As the Lead Agency, the Senior Fire Officer present shall take actions to implement the Incident Command System. Fire Department responsibilities may include the identification of materials, bringing fires under control, and the containment of spills. The fire department coordinates and notifies appropriate authorities to implement the safe removal of the product and may monitor the clean-up and decontamination of the site. 2. Fire Coordinator. If requested by the Incident Commander, or if conditions warrant, provide: • an on-scene Fire Liaison • act as the principal coordinator of the Cortland County Mutual Aid Plan and the County Hazardous Materials Response Team • provide technical advice and assistance as required. 3. Hazardous Materials Response Team (HMRT): 1. The HMRT will provide overall technical assistance in conjunction with the on- scene qualified industrial representative. 2. The HMRT will identify the product, its potential hazards, and provide this ---PAGE BREAK--- 33 information to the Incident Commander. 3. The HMRT will make entry into the hot zone to control, contain and stop the leak and/or spill. 4. HMRT operations and recovery will be conducted in accordance with appropriate OSHA and CERCLA regulations. C. Law Enforcement. Law Enforcement duties may include securing the immediate area at the scene of the incident, rerouting traffic, public alerting, and limiting access to the area to emergency personnel only. D. Emergency Medical Service (EMS): EMS will coordinate on-scene emergency medical care, transportation and hospital treatment for victims of a hazardous materials incident. EMS will assure adequate resources are available for the rehabilitation and treatment of first responders operating at the incident. They will also ensure that mutual aid plans for both EMS and the hospitals are implemented. A release of hazardous materials into the environment may cause multiple injuries and/or casualties. EMS may be needed to provide medical care to those injured and/or exposed, e.g. facility employees, emergency responders, the public. Furthermore, a hazardous materials incident may require mutual aid among Emergency Medical Service providers and hospitals. 1. EMS. EMS is in charge of all patient care at the scene. Patient care decisions are the providence of the senior EMS provider at the scene. 2. Cortland County Fire Coordinator. The emergency medical responsibilities of the EMS Administrator include the following: • Coordination of EMS activities in accordance with the Cortland County EMS Mutual Aid Plan. • Coordination with the Incident Commander, EMS responders, area hospitals and the Cortland County Health Department. • Implementation of the Cortland County Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) Plan, as appropriate. ---PAGE BREAK--- 34 3. Hospitals. Hospitals shall provide primary medical care to persons who are injured and/or exposed to hazardous materials. E. Cortland County Health Department: 1. The Cortland County Health Department shall serve as the Lead Agency for public health. 2. The Health Department shall: a. serve as serve as a consultant regarding the impact of the chemical on the public’s health b. conduct health surveillance activities if needed for the population potentially exposed c. conduct soil sampling, as warranted, in coordination with NYS DEC d. operate a Reception Center to assess impacts on the public’s health, arrange for follow-up surveillance with individuals exposed, and connect affected individuals with agencies that can assist them with mental health and housing needs. e. operate a Special Medical Needs Shelter, if needed, in cooperation with the American Red Cross f. notify New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) of the situation and keep them updated, as needed. F. 911 Center is responsible for, but not limited to, the following: 1. Functions as the community point-of-contact for persons reporting hazardous materials incidents to the LEPC Community Emergency Coordinator. 2. (On behalf of the Community Emergency Coordinator), Activate the dispatch/notification protocols for appropriate responders. 3. Maintain communication with the Incident Commander. 4. Relay critical information to responders on their operating channels. 5. Maintain 911 Center communication services for the duration of the incident. 6. Support communication needs at the Command Post and the EOC. 7. Integrate communications for local, state, and federal agencies as necessary. G. Community Emergency Coordinator: 1. Receives annual reports from reporting facilities, including hazardous chemical inventory information. 2. Receives emergency release notifications from facilities and/or transporters: ---PAGE BREAK--- 35 • immediately after the release, and in a written follow-up emergency notice. 3. Assists in making determinations necessary to implement the Plan. H. Cortland County Department of Emergency Response and Communications: 1. Designates an on-scene liaison to facilitate response. 2. Keeps the Chief Elected Official fully informed of all operations. 3. Supports emergency response forces at the Command Post. 4. Establishes an EOC in accordance with emergency plan protocols or by request of the Incident Commander and/or the Chief Elected Official. 5. Coordinates staffing and functions of the EOC. 6. Collects, displays and disseminates information in the EOC. 7. Coordinates with the State Office of Emergency Management regarding support from State and Federal Agencies. 8. Coordinates support from private agencies and volunteer groups. 9. Directs volunteer civil preparedness forces. I. Cortland County Emergency Operations Center (EOC). EOC Mission – Depending upon the incident, other governmental agencies may be required to support containment, control and recovery. These requests could include: transportation, public works, equipment, specialized personnel, materials, and communications. The Incident Commander may request such support directly or via the EOC. The EOC will coordinate: • agencies within County government, the community and the private-sector • Command and Control on behalf of the County Administrator (upon Article 2-B declaration) • state and federal agency response J. Public Information Officer (PIO): 1. Facilities and public agencies should develop media relations plans. Such plans should designate spokespersons who are available on 24-hour call, and who are prepared and authorized to discuss an emergency situation with the media. 2. The spokesperson designated to speak on behalf of the Incident Commander is the Public Information Officer. ---PAGE BREAK--- 36 3. The Public Information Officer should establish a Joint Information Center (JIC) where the media can obtain information. a. The Joint Information Center should be located in a safe and secure area. b. Allowing media representatives into the Command Post is not recommended, as it can be disruptive to the operation. However, cooperation with the media is essential to ensure that the public is informed of the situation and what precautions and/or protective actions are necessary. 4. As appropriate, the Public Information Officer, in conjunction with a facility spokesperson, should make joint media releases. 5. The Public Information Officer should assist in coordinating media requests for information. 6. Facilities and public agencies shall not make media releases without coordination with, and approval from, the Public Information Officer. K. Highway Department 1. Provide technical advice and equipment as appropriate to set up and maintain detours and to help ensure access and egress for emergency responders. 2. Assist with perimeter control as needed. 3. Provide equipment, with operators, when feasible to control the flow of hazardous materials and to minimize the damage to the environment. L. Facility Operator/Transporter: 1. Representatives are responsible to report a hazardous materials release that is greater than the reportable quantity and/or conditions that could result in an incident that may affect personnel and/or the environment. 2. Implements the facility emergency response plan and provides supplies, trained personnel, and equipment to mitigate the emergency. 3. Provides management and technical support to the Incident Commander. M. If a State of Emergency is declared, the Chief Elected Official is responsible for, but not limited to, the performance of the following functions: 1. Participate with the County EOC, which coordinates the efforts of volunteer agencies, state and federal authorities, public utilities and other support agencies during emergency response, and the recovery/re-entry phase. 2. Brief municipal officials about the nature of the emergency. ---PAGE BREAK--- 37 3. Designate a municipal spokesperson who is prepared and authorized to discuss the emergency with the media. The municipal spokesperson and the Incident Command Public Information Officer shall make joint news releases as appropriate and coordinate media requests for information. 4. Request state aid through the Office of Emergency Management if the emergency is beyond local capability. 5. Ongoing communications with and support to the Incident Commander for on-scene operations. N. American Red Cross of Cortland County. Congress established the American Red Cross as the principal organization to undertake relief activities during time of disaster. Services of the American Red Cross of Cortland County include: • Identifying and staffing emergency shelters • Providing food for victims and emergency workers • Assisting with evacuation and distribution of emergency supplies • Conducting a local damage assessment to provide support from regional and national Red Cross assets • Lead Agency to coordinate volunteer relief agencies in disaster operations O. Cortland County Coroner The Office of the Cortland County Coroner shall provide for the management for the deceased. P. Locally-Based Resources. The Incident Commander may request support from other local government agencies as required to support the incident response and recovery, e.g. transportation, public works, specialized equipment and personnel, and materials. Q. State & Federal Agencies. State and Federal laws may require the notification of other governmental agencies. Such notification is generally the responsibility of the facility/transporter responsible for the materials involved in the incident. Generally, the primary role of these agencies will be to assist the local emergency response agencies and ensure that the parties responsible for the incident provide adequate cleanup and decontamination. In most cases, State and/or Federal personnel will only be dispatched to the scene of major incidents. ---PAGE BREAK--- 38 VIII. SUPPORT Emergency response operations are initiated with locally-based responders and supported by additional resources as needed. IX. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS A. The HAZMAT Plan. As required by statute, The Local Emergency Planning Committee performs an annual review of the Plan. Comments, corrections or suggestions on any part of the Plan should be forwarded to: Cortland County Local Emergency Planning Committee Department of Emergency Response and Communications 54 Greenbush St Cortland, NY 13045 SUMMARY OF DISTRIBUTION (may be accomplished via County Website) 1. State Emergency Response Commission 2. each municipality within Cortland County; 3. all police, fire, and EMS agencies within Cortland County; 4. all ‘covered facilities’ within Cortland County (within the meaning of PL 99- 499); 5. all public libraries within Cortland County; 6. the local media; 7. the Cortland County Legislature; and, the members of the LEPC. B. The Cortland County Local Emergency Planning Committee. The LEPC complies with structure and process mandates: • The Committee carries seventeen (17) membership categories as required by statute. • The Committee meets ten times per year. Meetings held on the first Friday of the month, at 8:00 a.m. Since the LEPC’s inception, many new environmental regulations have been passed into law. As environmental legislation has expanded, the LEPC’s role has also grown. 1. SARA Title III requires the LEPC to: • Maintain emergency plans and community right-to-know programs. • Improve preparedness through training and education. • Conduct exercises to test plans and procedures. • Receive emergency notifications and activate the Plan. • Receive and file SARA Title III reports. ---PAGE BREAK--- 39 2. The Hazardous Materials Transportation Safety Act of 1990 requires the LEPC to: • Plan, train and prepare for transportation incidents involving hazardous materials. 3. The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (including section 112r, Risk Management Planning), requires the LEPC to: • Improve coordination of facility and community emergency plans by information sharing. • Provide information for facility emergency response plans. • Provide information for facility Risk Management Plans. • Review plans for SARA Title III related issues. 4. The Occupational Safety and Health Act requires the LEPC to: • Improve safety of emergency responders and facility workers though employer activities. • Provide guidance on response planning and training requirements. • Provide information for facility process safety plans. • Provide information for facility emergency response plans. 5. The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 requires the LEPC to: • Improve planning and response for oil and hazardous materials discharges to water. • Coordinate the local community Plan with facility plans. 6. The Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 requires the LEPC to: • Reduce risk by promoting source reduction and pollution prevention measures. ---PAGE BREAK--- 40 X. GLOSSARY Chief Elected Official. The Chief Elected Official of the political subdivision, ie. County Administrator, City or Village Mayor, Town Supervisor. Command Post. The Command Post (CP) is the nucleus of the decision making process at any incident. There is only one CP for the incident. In a Unified Command Structure where several agencies or jurisdictions are involved, the responsible individuals designated by their respective agencies would be co-located at the CP. If needed, the planning and logistics functions are also performed at the CP. Community Emergency Coordinator (CEC) for the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) is the Administrator of the Cortland County Department of Emergency Response and Communications, who for emergencies may be reached through the 911 Center. Emergency Manager. In Cortland County the duties are performed by the Fire Coordinator. Emergency Operations Center (EOC). An EOC is generally defined as a protected site, from which civil government officials (Municipal, County, State and Federal) issue warnings and exercise direction and control in an emergency. Extremely Hazardous Substance (EHS) is a list of substances available through EPA and set forth in Appendix D, and subsequent additions to 40 CFR Part 300 Appendix D and Appendix E. Facility means any building, structure, installation, equipment, pipe or pipeline (including any pipe into a sewer or publicly owned treatment works), well, pit, pond, lagoon, impoundment, ditch, landfill, storage container, motor vehicle, rolling stock, or aircraft, or any site or area where a hazardous substance has been deposited, stored, disposed of, or placed, or otherwise come to be located, at which an extremely hazardous substance is present in an amount in excess of the applicable threshold planning quantity; EXCEPT for the purposes of the release requirement for which “facility” means any of the items listed in or at which a hazardous chemical is produced, used or stored. The term does not include any consumer product in consumer use or any vessel. Fire Coordinator. In Cortland County, this person is responsible for all operations of the County’s Hazardous Materials Response Team and the MCI and Fire Mutual Aid Plan. Hazardous Chemical means any chemical exposure that poses a physical hazard or health hazard. Hazardous Substance means any of those substances set forth or described in Appendix D as well as any subsequent addition to 40 CFR Part 302. Incident Command System. An organized system which defines standard operating procedures and roles and responsibilities used to manage and direct emergency operations. ---PAGE BREAK--- 41 Joint Information Center (JIC). A JIC is a place which receives and processes information from the Command Post and/or the EOC, about the event for accurate and timely dissemination to the news media and the public. Media representatives report to the JNC for official information about the event. Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC). Under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs) must develop an emergency response plan, review the plan at least annually, and provide information about chemicals in the community to citizens. Plans are developed by LEPCs with stakeholder participation. There is one LEPC for each of the more than 3,000 designated local emergency planning districts. The LEPC membership must include (at a minimum): • Elected state and local officials • Police, fire, civil defense, and public health professionals • Environment, transportation, and hospital officials • Facility representatives • Representatives from community groups and the media Safety Data Sheet (SDS). Information sheet(s) about the chemical product including: emergency responder precautions, protective actions, emergency treatment, and the physical characteristics of the product among others. Cortland County Fire Coordinators Office. This County office coordinates, directs, equips, trains and manages the MC Hazardous Materials Response Team. The County Hazardous Materials Team is deployed under this office per the emergency dispatch protocols and procedures. Cortland County Incident Command System Guideline. The County’s Incident Command System authorized by the County Administrator, March 1, 2008. Cortland County is compliant with NIMS. Department of Emergency Response and Communications (DER&C). OEM is the focal point of emergency management in Cortland County for natural, technological and national security emergencies. OEM develops, maintains and administers a comprehensive emergency management plan designed to save lives and protect property through prevention/mitigation, readiness, response and recovery. Perceptible Exposure means any release of a hazardous substance or extremely hazardous substance which is visible, produces a detectable odor or a distinctive taste, or impacts a human or environmental receptor physically, such as causing irritated eyes, itchy skin, damaged vegetation, chronic injury, etc. Protective Actions. Official direction to evacuate the area, or to shelter-in-place as precaution from harmful exposure. Public Alerting. A decisive action to notify the public and to direct them to take specific actions. A number of means can be used by public officials. ---PAGE BREAK--- 42 Public Information Officer. This is the spokesperson for the event. This person is responsible to develop information about the incident and release information to the news media and other agencies, after authorization from the Incident Commander. Release means any spilling, leaking, pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying, discharging, injecting, escaping, leaching, dumping, or disposing into the environment (including the abandonment or discarding of barrels, containers, and other closed receptacles containing any hazardous substance or pollutant or containment), but excludes any release which results in exposure to persons solely within a work place, with respect to a claim which such persons may assert against the employer of such persons, emissions from the engine exhaust of a motor vehicle, rolling stock, aircraft, vessel, or pipeline pumping station engine, release of source, byproduct, or special nuclear material from a nuclear incident, as those terms are defined in the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, if such release is subject to requirements with respect to financial protection established by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission under 170 of such Act, and the normal application of fertilizer. Reportable Quantity (RQ) is determined by EPA and set forth in Appendix D. For all other hazardous substances the Reportable Quantity (RQ) is one pound. Site means all contiguous property owned or leased by the owner or operator of the facility at which the release occurred, but does not include property across a public right of way. State of Emergency. In the event of a disaster, rioting, catastrophe or similar public emergency, or in the event of reasonable apprehension of immediate danger, and upon a finding by the Chief Executive that the public safety is imperiled within the territorial limits of the county, city, town or village, the Chief Executive may proclaim a State of Emergency within any part or all of the territorial limits of such local government. Following such proclamation, the Chief Executive may promulgate local emergency orders to protect life and property or to bring the emergency situation under control (reference NYS Executive Law, Article 2-B). Threshold Planning Quantity (TPQ) means the amount set forth for each extremely hazardous substance in Appendix D. Unified Command. A method for all agencies or individuals who have a jurisdictional responsibility, and in some cases for those who have functional responsibility at the incident, to contribute to: • determining overall objectives for a safe resolution of the incident; • selecting a strategy to achieve these objectives; and, • ensuring the maximum effective use of all resources. ---PAGE BREAK--- 43 IX. APPENDICES Appendix A Reporting Facilities Appendix B Telephone Roster Appendix C (Sample) Incident Reporting Form Appendix D List of Extremely Hazardous Substances Appendix E LEPC By-Laws ---PAGE BREAK--- Appendix A Reporting Facilities NOTE: For security purposes, the list of Reporting Facilities is not included with the Plan as it is posted on the County Website. Freedom of Information Requests shall be addressed to: Freedom of Information Officer Cortland County Office Building 60 Central Ave. Cortland, NY 13045 Or e-mail to [EMAIL REDACTED] ---PAGE BREAK--- Reporting Facilities The Reporting Facilities Appendix reflects reports received by March 31, 2014. Facilty Name Owner Street Address Community Apex Tool Group Apex Tool Group 45 Cleveland Street Cortland AT & T Communications of NY AT&T Main and Clinton Cortland Bestway of NY Bestway of NY 3877 Luker Road Cortlandville Byrne Dairy Yohgurt Bryne Dairy Cortlandville Borg Warner Morse TEC Borg Warner Morse TEC 3690 Luker Road Cortlandville Bus Garage Homer Schools Copeland Ave Homer Cincinatus Main Building Cincinatus Schools 2809 Cincinatus Rd Cincinatus Cincinatus Transportation Center Cincinatus Schools 2747 Route 26 Cincinatus Cortland Plant #2 City of Cortland 75 Broadway Cortland Cortland Asphalt Suit-Kote Corp 1911 Loring Crossing Homer Cortland Campus SUNY Cortland Graham Ave Cortland(ville) CCSD Bus Garage Cortland Schools 1 Valley View Dr Cortland CVS Pharmacy #2135 3E Company 16 Port Watson Cortland Cortland Sub Station National Grid Rt.11 and Salisbury Rd Cortlandville Cornell Ruminant Center Dairy 8 LLC 681 Cornell Lane Harford Harford Mills Terminal Enterprise Terminals 291 State Highway 200 Harford Ferrell Gas Ferrell Gas 7209 Route 281 Preble Fisher Sub Station National Grid Fisher Ave Cortlandville Food Bag Store General Equities 155 Tompkins St Cortland Hartnett Elementary School Homer Schools Academy Street Truxton Homer Materials Suit-Kote Corp Health Camp Road Homer Homer Sub Station National Grid Wall St @ River St Homer Hope Lake Lodge Hope Lake Virgil Kaufman Center Cortland Schools 1 Valley View Drive Cortland Summerson WWTF City of Cortland 251 Port Watson Cortland Lorings Sub Station National Grid Lorings Crossing Cortlandville Marathon Xtramart Drake Petroleum 2 Broom St Marathon Marathon Pump Station Enterprise Products 2537 Clarks Corners Marathon Marathon Bus Garage Marathon Schools 26 Albro Road Marathon Marathon High School Marathon Schools 1 Park Street Marathon Marathon Applebee Elementary Marathon Schools 24 Albro Road Marathon Marietta Central Ave Facility Central Ave Prop. 106 Central Ave Cortland Marietta Huntington St Facility Marietta Corp 37 Huntington Cortland McGraw Central School Bus Garage McGraw Schools 16 East Avenue McGraw McGraw Sub Station National Grid Bennett St McGraw Miller St Sub Station National Grid Miller St Cortland Mohawk Home Comfort Superior Energy 3817 Route 11 Cortlandville ---PAGE BREAK--- Munson Corners Sub Station National Grid Starr Road Cortlandville Northern Concrete Block Northern Con. Block 38 Scammell St Cortland Time Warner Time Warner 224 Tompkins St Cortlandville NYSEG Clarks Corners Sub Station NYSEG Clark’s Corners Rd Lapeer Pall Trinity Micro Pall Trinity Micro 3643 Route 281 Cortlandville Percision Eforming LLC Precision Eforming 839 Route 13 Cortlandville Polkville Asphalt Storage Facility Suit-Kote Corp 3715 Rt 11 Cortlandville Polkville Crushed Stone Suit-Kote Corp 3779 Route 11 Cortlandville Preble Propane Mirabito Curry Road Preble Schwan’s Home Service Schwan’s 1885 Lorings Crossing Homer Suburban Propane Suburban 3833 Route 11 Cortlandville Suit-Kote Preble Suit-Kote Corp 2188 Patriot Drive Preble Sunoco Station 0267-1683 Sunoco 3817 Route 11 Cortlandville Sunoco Station 0267-1741 Sunoco 3947 Route 281 Homer Superior Plus Energy Service Superior 3817 Route 11 Cortlandville Transportation Center Cincinatus Schools 2747 Route 26 Cincinatus Truxton Sub Station National Grid Route 91 and 13 Truxton Tuller Hill Sub Station National Grid Clute Rd Virgil Verizon Co NY70989 Verizon 2860 Rt 41 McGraw Verizon Co NY72312 Verizon 58 North Main Homer Verizon Co NY73303 Verizon 16 Groton Ave Cortland Virgil Elementary School Cortland Schools 1208 Church St Virgil Walmart #1781 WalMart 819 Bennie Road Cortlandville ---PAGE BREAK--- Appendix B TELEPHONE ROSTER This telephone roster is provided as a summary listing of agencies and organizations that have interest and involvement in chemical emergencies. Plan holders are encouraged to develop an emergency telephone roster to facilitate recall. However, because of update requirements, changes must be made by plan holders on a continuous basis. On an annual basis this appendix will be officially updated. Numbers not preceded by an area code are “607.” Local Emergency Responders Police/Sheriff/Fire/EMS (from outside Cortland County: 607/753-3311) 9-1-1 City of Cortland HAZMAT Team (from outside Cortland County: 607/753-7533) 9-1-1 Local Government Assistance Cortland County Emergency 753-5065 After hours & weekends 911 Center Cortland County Fire 753-5065 After hours & weekends 911 Center Cortland County EMS 753-5064 After hours & weekends through 911 Center Cortland County Health 753-5305 After hours & weekends 911 Center City of Cortland Waste Water Treatment………………………………………………………756-7227 City of Cortland Water Department After hours & weekends or 345-0013 Hospitals (to Hospital Security) Cortland Regional Medical Cayuga Medical Upstate Medical Community Saint Joe’s Wilson Medical Binghamton General Utilities Electric Emergency: 1-[PHONE REDACTED] Gas Emergency: 1-[PHONE REDACTED] National Grid Power Outage 1-[PHONE REDACTED], Customer Service 1-[PHONE REDACTED], or Gas Emergency: 1-[PHONE REDACTED] Frontier (Telephone) 1-[PHONE REDACTED] or 8102 Volunteer Groups Red Cross of Cortland County 753-1182 Cortland Amateur Radio through 911 Center Salvation 753-9363 ---PAGE BREAK--- Military Incidents Fort State Assistance State Emergency Response Commission 292-2366 Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) State Spill Hotline NYS DOT 756-7072 NYS Department of Labor (Asbestos) 847-7126 NYS Ag & Markets 487-0852 (Syracuse) Federal Assistance National Response Center • U.S. DOT • Pipelines • U.S. EPA U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (Rochester) U.S. Department of Transportation (Spills-call National Response Center) Pipelines: 1-[PHONE REDACTED] U.S. Coast Guard - Buffalo - (24-hours) 843-9500 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (1-[PHONE REDACTED]).....Contact via the National Response Center U.S. Department of Agriculture – Food 263-5784 Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA, Buffalo) 551-3053 Media News 10 WTVH 5 and WSTM 3 Syracuse……………………………………………………….…[PHONE REDACTED] WSYR 9 WBNG 12 WIVT 34 I - 1 0 0 R a d i 0 … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … . … … . 2 5 7 - 6 4 0 0 W D R X 1 0 0 . 7 … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … . … … 7 5 3 - 8 7 0 4 WXHC Radio C o r t l a n d S t a n d a r d Post Standard Newspaper…. [PHONE REDACTED] Other Emergency Assistance CHEMTREC (24-hours). CHEMNET CHLOREP NACA Pesticide Safety Team (24-hours). Propane Association………………………………………………………………………[PHONE REDACTED] Chlorine Association…………………………………………………………………….1-[PHONE REDACTED] NYS&W Railroad x 231 OR x 259 Poison Center 1-[PHONE REDACTED] ---PAGE BREAK--- Appendix C (SAMPLE) INCIDENT REPORTING 1. Caller Name Call Date 2. Affiliation Time 3. Telephone Ref. # 4. Material Released EHS: CAS# CERCLA: 5. Amount Released lb/gal 6. Date of Release Time Duration: hrs min 1. Release Medium: (circle) air water land 2. Weather Conditions: 3. Location of Release: (St/Bldg. #)(City/County) 4. Facility (name): (address): 5. EMERGENCY CONTACT (name): Telephone 6. Incident Description: 7. Health Risks: 8. Precautions: 9. Additional Notifications made: (Name) Local Fire Department time Community Emergency Coordinator time NYS Environmental Conservation time Federal National Response Center time 10. Remarks, etc. 11. Form Completed By: (signature) (Title) ---PAGE BREAK--- Appendix D List of Extremely Hazardous Substances A. Available by telephone The most current edition is available from the Federal Environmental Protection Agency’s “Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know HOTLINE”: 1-[PHONE REDACTED] (Monday - Thursday, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.) Ask for Document EPA 550-B-01-003 (October 2006) which is known as the “List of Lists.” B. Available electronically: see website below http://www.epa.gov/emergencies/docs/chem/title3_Oct_2006.pdf This is the information at the website: LIST OF LISTS Consolidated List of Chemicals Subject to the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) and Section 112(r) of the Clean Air Act This consolidated chemical list includes chemicals subject to reporting requirements under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), also known as Title III of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA)1, and chemicals listed under section 112(r) of the Clean Air Act (CAA). This consolidated list has been prepared to help firms handling chemicals determine whether they need to submit reports under sections 302, 304, or 313 of EPCRA and, for a specific chemical, what reports may need to be submitted. It will also help firms determine whether they will be subject to accident prevention regulations under CAA section 112(r). Separate lists are also provided of Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) waste streams and unlisted hazardous wastes, and of radionuclides reportable under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA). These lists shall be used as a reference tool, not as a definitive source of compliance information. Compliance information for EPCRA is published in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), 40 CFR Parts 355, 370, and 372. Compliance information for CAA section 112(r) is published in 40 CFR Part 68. This document is also available in spreadsheet format at http://yosemite.epa.gov/oswer/ceppoweb.nsf/content/ds-epds.htm. ---PAGE BREAK--- Appendix E CORTLAND COUNTY LOCAL EMERGENCY PLANNING COMMITTEE BY-LAWS NAME OF COMMITTEE The name of this Committee shall be the “Cortland County Local Emergency Planning Committee” (hereinafter referred to as “LEPC” POWERS AND DUTIES The LEPC has been established pursuant to Subtitle A, Section 301 of Title III (Emergency Planning and Right-to-Know) of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (hereinafter referred to as “SARA Title III”). The LEPC shall have all the powers and duties conferred upon it by said Law, and as it may from time to time be amended. The principal duty of the LEPC shall be to develop an emergency response plan for the County of Cortland and its included municipalities, and to review such plan annually. This plan shall contain, as a minimum, all the elements set forth in SARA Title III for such plans. MEMBERSHIP A. The members of the LEPC have been appointed by the New York State Disaster Preparedness Commission, which has been designated by the Governor as the State Emergency Response Commission (hereinafter referred to as “SERC”), pursuant to Title III and shall include the following individuals: 1. Elected Local Official 2. Elected State Official 3. Civil Defense (Emergency Management) Representative 4. Law Enforcement Representative 5. Firefighting Representative 6. First Aid Representative 7. Health Representative 8. Local Environmental Group Representative 9. Hospital Representative 10. Transportation Representative 11. Broadcast Media Representative 12. Print Media Representative 13. Community Group Representative 14. Private Facility Owner/Operator Representative 15. Public Facility Owner/Operator Representative 16. Utility Facility Owner/Operator Representative 17. Other Representative ---PAGE BREAK--- B. When a quorum has been determined by the Chairperson, (as set forth in Part V-Section C of these By-Laws), all members and/or designees present shall have equal voting privileges, one vote per member and/or designee. OFFICERS A. The LEPC shall, at its first meeting, elect by a majority vote, a Chairperson, a Vice-Chairperson, and a Secretary. Said Officers shall serve a term of two years. Elections of these three positions shall thereafter be held at each June meeting of the odd calendar year. The Cortland County calendar year is from September to the following June, unless otherwise notified. B. When a vacancy for an Officer’s position is announced, an election will be held during the next regularly scheduled LEPC meeting to fill said term of office. Nominations will be accepted and an election by majority vote for said vacancy shall be conducted. C. The powers and duties of the Chairperson shall be to preside at meetings of the LEPC, appoint such standing and special committees as shall be needed to conduct the business of the LEPC, serve as the (non-exclusive) spokesperson for the LEPC, act as the coordinating official with the SERC, and have such other powers and duties as are customary for the presiding officer of similar committees and boards. D. The powers of the vice-Chairperson shall be to preside over meetings of the LEPC in the absence of the Chairperson, and to carry out such other duties as may be directed by the Chairperson. E. The powers of the Secretary shall be to attend, whenever possible, each meeting of the LEPC and to take minutes of said meetings. The Secretary is to send minutes of the previous month’s meeting, along with a tentative agenda for the upcoming meeting, within five business days of the next scheduled meeting. The Secretary shall develop and maintain an up-to-date master e- mail distribution list that shall be revised at least annually. CONDUCT OF MEETINGS A. The LEPC shall meet to conduct its business. B. A calendar of the regularly scheduled meetings will be distributed at each September meeting. A copy of the Cortland County LEPC schedule of meetings will be sent to all area print and air media representatives. C. The LEPC shall conduct NO business in the absence of a quorum of the positions, a quorum being a majority (51%) of the positions (or a minimum of nine positions) set forth in Part III of these By-Laws. ---PAGE BREAK--- D. The LEPC shall conduct its business by means of resolutions duly adopted by a majority of the membership. No motion, resolution, or other parliamentary instrument shall prevail unless it receives a majority of the votes of the positions as set forth in Part III of these By-Laws. E. The LEPC shall be deemed to be a “public body” of the County of Cortland, within the meaning of the New York State Open Meetings and Freedom of Information statutes, except as those statutes may be superseded by applicable Federal Law. F. Except as otherwise provided in these By-Laws, the LEPC shall conduct its business in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order. ATTENDANCE POLICY A. Attendance and/or non-attendance will be noted by the LEPC Secretariat in the minutes of each LEPC meeting. B. Membership attendance records will be reviewed semi-annually by a Standing Committee to determine causes of absenteeism and to recommend to the LEPC changes to alleviate said absenteeism change time of LEPC meeting, place of meetings, day of week, etc.). C. Appointed members may designate a representative in writing to the LEPC Chairperson. Said designee shall attend LEPC meetings on the appointed member’s behalf with full voting privileges. D. All appointed members and/or designees will receive minutes, special informational packets, and agendas, either by mail or e-mail, a minimum, of five business days prior to the next regularly scheduled LEPC meeting. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND ACCESS TO INFORMATION A. The Public is encouraged to participate in the work of the LEPC by attendance at meetings; and, when in order, by addressing the LEPC. B. The Public shall be notified of meetings of the LEPC in accordance with applicable provisions of the New York State Open Meetings Law, specifically by advance notice given to the local public media by the LEPC Secretariat. C. No later than October 17, 1988, the LEPC shall develop a Cortland County Hazardous Materials Annex to the Emergency Operations Procedures in accordance with SARA Title III. After so doing, the Plan shall be made available for public examination at the Cortland County Emergency Management Office. ---PAGE BREAK--- D. Copies of the Plan and/or updates may be obtained by the Public by submitting a written request to the LEPC Chairperson at a cost of $.25 per photocopy page. BY-LAWS REVISIONS A. By-Law changes shall be recommended by an Ad Hoc Committee appointed by the LEPC Chairperson. B. Said recommendations by the Ad Hoc By-Law Committee shall be presented at a regularly scheduled LEPC meeting. C. Recommended By-Law changes shall be tabled for a minimum of thirty days or until the next regularly scheduled LEPC meeting. A motion to adopt said recommendations will be recognized by the Chairperson for majority vote by the LEPC positions. D. The original By-Laws of the Cortland County LEPC were duly adopted by a majority of the membership on 12/9/88. Amended Revisions of said document were adopted on 3/31/89;11/30/2009; and 12/31/11, and 12/31/12. J://LEPC By-Laws.doc – Microsoft Word Bsdr – 12/31/12