MatanuskaSusitna Local Emergency Planning Committee Orientation

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Matanuska-SusitnaLocal Emergency Planning
Committee? Orientation ?
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• This presentation was developed to orient new
  members with the structure
• and objectives of the
• Matanuska-Susitna Borough L.E.P.C.
• We welcome your participation

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Contents

• Sara Title III
• State Emergency Response Committee
• Local Emergency Planning Districts
• Objective
• Emergency Plan
• Hazardous Materials
• Funding
• Becoming a Member
• Tier II Reporting

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Contents (cont....)

• Cameo
• LEPC Composition
• Officers
• Subcommittees
• Meetings
• Matanuska-Susitna Facts
• Hazard Analysis
• Web Resources

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Local Emergency Planning Committee

• The Matanuska-Susitna L.E.P.C. is committed to
  the safety of the community by assuring proper
  resources and planning for emergencies.
• Preparedness activities which are
• developed to save lives and minimize damage.

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SARA TITLE III

• The Emergency Planning and Community Right To
  Know Act of 1986 establishes requirements for
  Federal, State
• and Local governments and
• industry regarding emergency planning and
• Community Right To Know (C.R.T.K.)
• reporting on hazardous and toxic chemicals.

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SARA TITLE III

• In 1986, Congress passed the Superfund
  Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA), which
  established a national baseline with regard to
  planning, response, management and training for
  hazardous materials emergencies.
• Title III of SARA mandated the establishment of
  both state and local planning groups to review or
  develop hazardous materials response plans.

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SARA TITLE III

• The state planning groups are referred to as the
  State Emergency Response Commissions (SERC) and
  are responsible for developing and maintaining
  the state's emergency response plan.
• This includes ensuring that planning and
  training are taking place throughout the state,
  as well as providing technical assistance to
  local governments.

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S.E.R.C. DUTIES

• Designate local emergency planning districts
  within the state.
• Appoint a Local Emergency Planning Committee to
  serve each of the districts.
• Coordinate and supervise the activities of the
  local committees, through regular communication
  and contact.
• Coordinate proposals for and distribution of
  training grant funds.

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S.E.R.C. DUTIES (cont...)

• Review local emergency response plans annually,
  making recommendations for any needed changes.
• Notify E.P.A. of all facilities in the state that
  are either covered under emergency planning
  requirements, or have been designated as subject
  to these requirements by the SERC or the
  governor.

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Local Emergency Planning Districts
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LEPC Objective

• The Primary objective is to increase the
  publics awareness and knowledge of hazardous
  chemicals present in their community and the
  release of these chemicals into the environment.
  Local industries report their inventory and
  releases each year.
• The LEPCs initial task is to develop an
  emergency plan to prepare for and respond to
  chemical emergencies.This only the beginning. The
  plan must be reviewed annually, tested, and
  updated.
• The Mat-Su LEPC has enhanced their plan by
  including an all hazards focus.

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Emergency Plan

• An emergency plan must include the identity and
  location of hazardous materials, procedures for
  immediate response to a chemical accident ways
  to notify the public about actions they must
  take names of coordinators at plants and
  schedules and plans for testing the plan.
• Once the plan is written, the SERC must review
  it.

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Emergency Plan (cont....)

• The LEPC must publicize the plan through the
  public meetings or newspaper announcements, get
  public comments, and periodically test the plan
  by conducting emergency drills.
• The LEPC must also update the plan at least
  annually and let the public know of its
  activities.

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Hazardous Materials

• Hazardous materials, commonly referred to as
  hazmat are hazardous substances which pose a
  threat to safety, human health and the
  environment.
• Hazmat releases demand immediate attention
  because of this threat. Hazardous materials are
  characterized as H.S. (hazardous substances) or
  E.H.S. (extremely hazardous substances).

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Hazardous Materials (cont...)

• While all hazardous substances can present
  problems when spilled, those classified as EHS
  are of primary concern. These substances, such as
  chlorine and ammonia, pose an acute inhalable
  toxic threat to humans. The U.S. Environmental
  Protection Agency (EPA) has classified over 300
  substances as EHS. Approximately 20 of these
  chemicals are commonly used in Alaska.

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L.E.P.C. FUNDING

• The Oil Hazardous Substance Release Response
  (470) Fund - The North Slope Crude Oil
  Production per barrel 5 cent surcharge dictates
  the operating budget for the SERC LEPCs
• L.E.P.C. Finance Subcommittee prepares funding
  application.
• Funding Application submitted to ADES annually.
• Approved by the State Emergency Response
  Commission Finance Committee

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MEMBERSHIP

• The L.E.P.C. is made up of citizens
  professionals who represent many sectors of the
  community including both public agencies and
  private industry. A successful LEPC membership
  is designed to be broad based to help ensure full
  participation from the community and to achieve a
  successful planning process.

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MEMBERSHIP (cont...)

• Because the LEPC's members represent the
  community, they should be familiar with factors
  that affect public safety, the environment, and
  the economy of the community.
• That expertise will be essential as the LEPC
  develops a plan tailored to the needs of its
  planning district.

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Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs) are
appointed by the State Emergency Response
Commissions (SERC) LEPCs must consist of
representatives of all of the following groups
and organizations

• Elected Local Officials
• Law Enforcement
• Civil Defense
• Fire Fighting
• First Aid Hospitals
• Local Environmental
• Local Transportation

• Broadcast Print media
• Community groups Concerned citizens
• Representatives of facilities subject to the
  emergency planning community right to know
  requirements

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Knowledge

• Improving community knowledge and awareness of
  potential emergencies through sharing
  information.
• Reduction of risk through knowledge.
• Preservation of the Community
• before and after a disaster

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TIER II

• The LEPC has other responsibilities besides
  developing an emergency response plan. They
  receive emergency releases and hazardous chemical
  inventory information submitted by local
  facilities, and must make this information
  available to the public upon request. They must
  establish and publicize procedures for handling
  these requests. The information gathered is
  managed in a database called CAMEO.

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Tier II - Page 1
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Tier II - Page 2
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CAMEO

• CAMEO is a system of software applications
  used widely to plan for and respond to chemical
  emergencies. It is one of the tools developed by
  EPAs Chemical Emergency Preparedness and
  Prevention Office (CEPPO) and the National
  Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to
  assist front-line chemical emergency planners and
  responders.

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CAMEO

• They can use CAMEO to access, store, and
  evaluate information critical for developing
  emergency plans. In addition, CAMEO supports
  regulatory compliance by helping users meet the
  chemical inventory reporting requirements of the
  Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-KnowAct
  (EPCRA, also known as SARA Title III).

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BECOMING A MEMBER

• Complete the Mat-Su Application for Appointment
  to Committees, Boards and Commissions and the
  Application Form for Membership on LEPC (attach
  resume)
• The application will go to the Borough Assembly
  for approval and then on to the S.E.R.C. for
  final approval.
• Additional Qualification - Must be a Registered
  Voter in the Mat-Su Borough

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OFFICERS

• Chair
• Vice Chair
• Secretary
• Elected once each year from among the members of
  the Board.

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SUBCOMMITTEES

• Executive
• Community Awareness
• Resource
• Finance

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MEETINGS

• Open to the public, advertised in the local
• newspaper public safety web site
• Annual - Held after October 1st of each year.
• Regular - Third Wednesday of each month
  (summer option)

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MAT-SU FACTS

• The Borough was incorporated as a second class
  general law borough in 1964 and has a manager
  form of government.
• It includes the three incorporated cities of
  Houston, Palmer, and Wasilla.

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• Known as "The Valley, the Matanuska Susitna
  Valleys converge into one large basin bordering
  the north side of Knik Arm. The valley is
  governed by the Matanuska Susitna Borough.
• Our local Communities consist of
• Palmer Wasilla Knik
• Houston Talkeetna Butte
• Skwentna Big Lake Meadow Lakes
• Sutton Willow Trapper Creek
• Y (Sunshine) Chickaloon Glacier View
• Chase Petersville

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The Matanuska-Susitna Borough is situated within
the heart of Southcentral Alaska, encompassing
more than 24,000 square miles. (about the size
of the state of West Virginia).
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• The Borough includes mountain ranges and
  valleys glaciers, rivers, and lakes wetlands,
  tundra, and boreal forest farms, towns, suburban
  homes, and isolated cabins and vast stretches of
  pristine wilderness.
• Its boundaries enclose the drainages of its two
  principal rivers-- the Matanuska and the Susitna
  Rivers.

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• The Borough is comprised of the lush farmlands
  of the Matanuska and Susitna Valleys,
  approximately 42 miles northeast of Anchorage.
  Its center lies at approximately 61 36' N
  Latitude,
• 149 06' W Longitude .
• The area encompasses 24,694 sq. miles of land
  and 539 sq. miles of water. The average
  temperatures in January range from 6 to 14 in
  July, 47 to 67. Annual precipitation is 16.5
  inches.

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• The Borough includes portions of the Alaska
  Range with the tallest mountain in North America,
  Mount McKinley, just outside its northern
  borders portions of the Chugach Mountains to the
  south and virtually the entire Talkeetna and
  Clearwater Ranges in its interior. The
  Municipality of Anchorage, Upper Cook Inlet, and
  Knik Arm delineate the Borough's southern border.

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HISTORY CULTURE

• By 1920, gold, coal mining, and construction of
  the Alaska railroad sustained the local
  population. The Matanuska Valley was settled by
  homesteaders who led an agricultural lifestyle
  in the 1930s. The Susitna Valley was settled in
  the early 1900s by miners, trappers, and
  adventurers who used the river system to access
  the wilderness and natural resources of this vast
  region. Construction of the statewide road
  system and the rich farmlands fueled population
  growth. Today, Borough residents enjoy a more
  rural lifestyle close to metropolitan Anchorage.

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POPULATION TRANSPORTATION

• Population (1999 AK Dept. of Labor estimate)
  57,288
• 37 of the MSB work force commute.
• 27 travel to Anchorage
• 9.8 work elsewhere

Palmer to Wasilla 20 minutesPalmer/Wasilla to
Anchorage 50 minutes
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TRANSPORTATION

• The area accesses both the Glenn and George
  Parks Highways.
• Commercial airlines serve the nearby Anchorage
  International Airport, and local municipal
  airports support private and chartered services.

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ALASKA RAILROAD

• The Alaska Railroad connects Palmer to Whittier,
  Seward or Anchorage.

Transportation Corridor
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SCHOOLS HOSPITALS

• There are 30 schools located in the community,
  attended by 12,842 students.
• Valley Hospital is a full service accredited
  acute care institution with 36 beds, advanced
  diagnostic capabilities and approximately 7000
  patient visits per month.

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HAZARD ANAYLSIS

• MODERATE RISK
• The districts widely scattered population and
  large area serve to limit the number of people
  which might be affected by an incident, but
  increases response difficulty.

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Train derailment Mile 262 December 99 (no road
access)
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HAZARD ANAYLSIS (cont...)

• The borough and cities each have some limited,
  full-time, emergency response resources. Several
  communities have volunteer fire and ambulance
  services. Disaster emergency responses are
  usually coordinated on an area-wide basis by the
  boroughs Public Safety Director.

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Creative Communication Communication lines are
limited during a disaster. This homemade sign
let family members know their status.
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HAZARD ANAYLSIS (cont...)

• Augmentation will usually be required to respond
  to a major disaster. Wildland/urban interface
  fires threaten most of the district.
• Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and floods and
  other severe weather events can affect the entire
  district.

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Flooding
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1964 Earthquake
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1964 Earthquake
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Mt. Redoubt
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NEED FOR BENEFITS OF PLANNING

• Actions taken to increase safety will be
  worthwhile
• Benefits from efforts extend into your home and
  community
• Lessens the amount of recovery time
• Less impact on community resources

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RELYING ON YOUR RESOURCES

• Most people survive
• Injuries/death caused by debris, fire, hazardous
  materials, floods, etc.
• Disaster affects the whole community

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BOTTOM LINE

• Increased availability of Information
• the Opportunity to Prevent Accidents and Reduce
  Risks in Our Community

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Web Resources

• Matanuska- Susitna LEPC www.matsulepc.org
• Federal Emergency Management Agency - F.E.M.A.
• www.fema.gov
• Alaska Division of Emergency Services - A.D.E.S.
  
• www.ak-prepared.com/plans
• American Red Cross
• www.redcross.org
• People for Emergency Preparedness Planning for
  Animals
• www.alaska.net/liveware/peppa/peppa.htm

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Web Resources

• National Response Center www.nrc.uscg.mil
• National Response Team www.nrt.org
• Environmental Protection Agency www.epa.gov
• Alaska Dept. of Environmental Conservation
• www.state.ak.us/dec
• Internet Disaster Information Center
• www.disaster.net/index.html