| Volume 3 Number 1 | February 1998 |
Blood samples will be drawn for a SMAC-20 test. Other community and environmental groups are planning on assisting with donations of medical supplies.
The volunteer committee's agenda will include an item to help fund efforts by the Phoenix Fire Department to conduct a community outreach and education effort regarding preparing for and handling chemical spills and releases. This outreach and education effort is planned to start in South Phoenix, including an outreach to area schools, facilities with EPCRA chemical storage reporting requirements, and interested groups.
Eventually, this outreach and education program will be the model for the rest of the nation. New computer software resulting from the BOLDER Project will be used in this outreach and education program. It enables a person to calculate the distance from a chemical spill that people could be affected by chemicals released into the environment. It will be used in this outreach and education effort to illustrate to the public how forfeiters and other emergency responders determine when to evacuate and/or shelter-in-place, and how they use this computer software to plan well in advance of a spill.
There is a call to the public at the end of the LEPC meeting for public comments.
This lag in time before the Tier Two Report is due could allow a facility to exist for a long time before the local fire department and emergency response and planning agencies are properly notified about chemicals stored there, so a section of EPCRA, 311, requires a special action. Either a list of chemicals or the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for the chemicals must be provided within 90 days of the time that a facility has enough of a chemical on-site in large enough amounts to trigger Tier Two reporting requirements. This also applies to existing facilities that have been reporting using Tier Two Reports if there is a change in the process or types of chemicals at the facility that will cause the addition of new chemicals on the next Tier Two Reports. Thus, if a new factory opens, or there is a process change at an existing facility, the public can inquire about its EPCRA information and won't have to wait until March 1st of the following year to find out if there are hazardous chemicals stored and used there. If an incident occurs right after a facility opens, the firefighters and emergency responders will have the facility's chemical information and will be able to take the appropriate actions in the event of a spill or release.
Under OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, a facility's operators must use the MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEETS to train the employees on how to safely work with these chemicals. OSHA also requires a facility to train employees about the proper handling of chemicals using the MSDSs at the facility. There is also a Worker Right-To-Know law.
Generally, the MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEETS for a chemical will indicate if the chemical triggers EPCRA reporting requirements. Most often, the EPCRA law will be referred to as SARA Title III on an MSDS. The OSHA standards for MSDSs are not entirely clear, so there can be a large difference between the information on MSDSs for even the same chemicals and mixtures, depending on the chemical supplier.
Facilities with Extremely Hazardous Substances (EHS) On-Site (* denotes EHS chemicals, which require special emergency planning measures):
Air Products and Chemicals, 4625 South 36th Street
Ammonia*, Boron Trichloride*, Chlorine*, Hydrogen Chloride*, Sulfur Dioxide*, Hydrogen Fluoride*, Argon, Carbon Dioxide, Oxygen, Nitrogen
ASM America/ASM Epitaxy, 4302 East Broadway Road
Hydrofluoric Acid 49%*, Nitrogen
Auto-Chlor System, 3525 East Wood #1
Formaldehyde Solution*, Formaldehyde*
Continental Circuits Corporation,3502 East Roeser Road,
Ammonium Hydroxide, Copper/Copper Compounds, Nitric Acid*, Sodium Hydroxide, Sulfuric Acid*
Continental Circuits Corporation, 3510/3530 E Atlanta,
Chlorine*, Nitric Acid*, Sulfuric Acid*, Formaldehyde*, Sodium Hydroxide, Ammonium Hydroxide, Hydrochloric Acid, Copper/Copper Compounds
Ionics Pure Solutions, 4101 East Wood Street
Hydrochloric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide,
Keystone Graphics, 5245 South 39th Street
Hydroquinone*, Formaldehyde*, Sulfuric Acid*
Metco Metal Finishing, 3508 East Corona Street
Sulfuric Acid*, Nitric Acid*, Ammonia* Hydrochloric Acid
Mission Linen, 2652 South 16th Street
Ammonium Silicofluoride, Sulfuric Acid*, Sodium Hypochlorite, Gasoline
Naumann/Hobbs Materials Handling, 4336 S 43rd St &4015 S 43rd Pl
Sulfuric Acid*
Pepsi-Cola, 4242 East Raymond Street
Ammonia (Anhydrous)*, Chlorine*, Carbon Dioxide, Sodium Hydroxide, Propane, Diesel Fuel, Nitrogen, Sulfuric Acid*
City of Phoenix/Highline Booster Station, 8002 S 42nd Pl
Chlorine*
City of Phoenix/Mineral Road Booster Station, 745 East Mineral Road
Chlorine*
City of Phoenix/Mountain Park Ranch, 14100 S 24th Wy
Chlorine*
Nellcor Puritan-Bennett Corp, 4202 E Superior Ave
Ethylene Oxide*, Carbon Dioxide, Oxygen, Nitrous Oxide,
Nitrogen
Quality Printed Circuits, 5815 South 25th Street
Sulfuric Acid*, Formaldehyde Solution*, Nitric Acid*, Copper, Ammonium Hydroxide, Hydrochloric Acid, Cupric Chloride
Reddy Ice - Phoenix Plant, 4626 South 40th Street
Ammonia*
Target Specialty Products, 4865 South 36th Street
Methyl Bromide*
Universal Industries, Western Division, 3910 East Wier
Ammonia (Anhydrous)*
U.S. West Communications, 5827 South 40th Street
Sulfuric Acid* (in batteries as electrolyte)
Step 1 Move inside a dwelling such as a house, apartment, or church immediately.
Step 2 Close and lock all windows and doors.
Step 3 Turn off all ventilation systems.
Step 4 Enter and seal a room to prevent air from entering by using towels and/or tape.
Step 5 Turn on the radio for further emergency instructions.
In the event of a chemical release, the danger will often pass quickly, but with many industrial chemicals, a one-time exposure can have devastating and long-lasting health effects, so exposure must be avoided. Turning off your ventilation system also prevents contaminants from invading the home and contaminating it.
EVEN IF TOLD TO EVACUATE, A PERSON SHOULD TURN OFF THE HOME'S VENTILATION SYSTEM TO PREVENT CONTAMINATION.
It is always a good idea to avoid circumstances that could put people at risk from exposure to chemicals. If the odor of smoke or chemicals is in the air, immediately consider if there may be a danger and take steps to protect your home and people. It is natural to be curious when smoke or chemical odors are seen or smelled, but even house fires can release dangerous smoke, and industrial fires or chemical releases can be dangerous. So unless you know, stay away from the smoke and odors. Until you are certain of the source of the odors and smoke, initiate Shelter-In-Place Steps 1,2, and 3 and call the fire department.
Churches, Block Watches, and other community groups can be instrumental in raising awareness of Shelter-In-Place procedures, and they can also help by working with the local emergency response agencies to prepare an evacuation plan and notification procedures.
Currently, there is no real notification system. Using the air raid siren system has been suggested, but there has been no final determination by the City of Phoenix about what form the notification system will take. Similarly, churches, Block Watches, and other community groups can assist in developing a more comprehensive disaster preparedness plan and review for schools, nursing homes, and other at-risk populations.
Just a quick update on where we are currently with the proposed mortality mapping. Nancy (Riveland-Har, EPA's QPC Project Manager) is of the opinion that we can work out a way to get the specific addresses of the homes that they've sampled. Presently the plan is for us to draft a letter requesting this information and explaining our intentions, etc. which Nancy will share with the EPA attorneys for their approval. Once we get a suitable final draft we'll send the letter out to the appropriate residences for their signed approval.
Regarding the other request to address specific mortality information in the census tract: Apparently ADHS is the agency that controls the release of those data. We are in the process of drafting a letter to them explaining our interests and requesting that they provide us with address specific deaths for census tract 1160 from 1987 to 1997. Of concern is that confidentiality be maintained. We won't know specifically how that needs to be addressed until we hear back from ADHS. However, all we need are deaths by address for each year, not anyone's name. Hopefully they'll see fit to share that information with us after we clarify our intentions and can reach some sort of confidentiality agreement.
The LEPC receives the different chemical storage reports and facility emergency plans from the places that must report, and must establish procedures for receiving and processes requests for this information from the public under the Community Right-To-Know law. You have a federal Right to Know about chemicals stored and transported in your community. You have a federal Right to Know about the emergency plan for your area. The LEPC is your first and best point of contact for this chemical storage and emergency planning information. If you want to know about a facility, the LEPC is certainly one place to ask for information about that facility. The telephone number for the Maricopa County LEPC is 273-1411. The LEPC identifies the need for resources to deal with chemical spills and emergencies involving hazardous chemicals. Certain chemicals may have special hazards, which may require the proper specialized equipment to handle a problem.
The LEPC develops a comprehensive emergency plan for dealing with chemical spills and releases in the county, which is updated at least annually. To do this, the LEPC must examine the different emergency plans from individual facilities with chemicals stored on-site and develop an emergency response plan that will coordinate and allow the proper response to these chemical hazards. The emergency plan includes a description of the emergency equipment and facilities in the community and at each facility, and the names and contact numbers for the emergency staff at these facilities that have dangerous chemicals stored on-site. There must be an efficient way for these facility emergency staff to notify authorities when there has been a spill or release in this emergency plan. The goal is to protect everyone as well as possible. This comprehensive emergency plan includes many aspects. These include methods and procedures to be followed by facility owners and operators and local emergency and medical personnel in responding to a spill or release of hazardous substances. There must be training programs for all the people involved in emergency response, which includes practicing of the emergency plan. The public often sees the emergency broadcast system being tested, but much more than that is involved in an emergency involving chemicals.
This comprehensive emergency plan must also include methods for determining that a spill or release of chemicals has occurred, and the area or population likely to be affected by such a spill or release of hazardous chemicals. It must include evacuation plans, including provisions for precautionary evacuation and alternative traffic routes. This comprehensive emergency plan must also identify routes likely to be used for the transportation of the most dangerous chemicals. It must also identify facilities like natural gas facilities and hospitals that contribute to, or are subjected to, a higher risk because they are near facilities that store enough hazardous chemicals on-site.