SERC-TERC Updates: April 2023 |
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SERCs, TERCs, and Federal Partners: Please forward this monthly update to your stakeholders
Mention of non-EPA documents, presentations, training opportunities and conferences does not constitute an U.S. EPA endorsement of their contents, only an acknowledgment that they exist and may be relevant to the SERC-TERC audience.
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Regulatory and Policy Information Related to Chemical Safety & Security |
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CSB Issues New Safety Alert Focused on the Hazards of Emergency Discharges from Pressure Release Valves
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) issued a new Safety Alert titled Hazards Posed by Discharges from Emergency Pressure-Relief Systems. The CSB’s alert highlights hazards identified with emergency pressure-relief systems from four CSB investigations. The alert advises facilities that while a discharge from emergency pressure-relief systems can help protect equipment from unexpected and undesired high-pressure events, it can also seriously harm or fatally injure workers and cause extensive damage to a facility if the discharge is not made to a safe location.
FEMA Seeks National Resilience Guidance Input
FEMA is spearheading an effort to create national resilience guidance and resources for the whole community to help everyone understand and fulfill their critical roles related to increasing national resilience. With the goal of increasing community and national resilience, the guidance and resources will:
- Promote a common understanding of resilience.
- Incorporate the relationship between chronic community stressors and shocks.
- Address the critical roles of all stakeholders.
- Inspire an equitable approach to planning.
FEMA will gather input from across the whole community to aid in the development of resilience guidance and resources by hosting six 60-minute listening sessions in April, May and June. Based on the input from the listening sessions, FEMA will draft national disaster resilience guidance that incorporates stakeholder feedback.
FEMA will post and distribute the draft national disaster resilience guidance in fall 2023 for national review to ensure the guidance meets stakeholder needs. After the review period, the guidance will be updated to reflect comments received during the national engagement period, with the target publishing date in the spring of 2024.
FEMA Publishes NIMS Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Functional Guidance
- The Guidance provides instruction on integrating communications, information technology and cybersecurity functions into the ICS structure while adhering to the concepts and principles of the NIMS doctrine.
- FEMA will host two, 30-minute Zoom for Government webinars during the spring and summer of 2023 (exact dates TBD) to discuss the NIMS ICT Functional Guidance and answer related questions. The webinars will be open to the whole community. Advance registration is required and will be on a first-come, first-served basis.
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EPA Publishes the 2021Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) National Analysis
EPA’s analysis of the most recent TRI data (EPCRA §313) is now available. Summaries, interactive charts, graphs, and maps, and embedded tools help you explore and understand the data for calendar year 2021: www.epa.gov/trinationalanalysis
BNSF Railway Hazardous Materials Information and Training
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BNSF Hazmat offers both in-person classes (minimum class size of 20 responders) and web-based training for individuals and groups. BNSF also provides scholarships that cover the tuition to railroad emergency response training at the industry’s Security and Emergency Response Training Center (SERTC) in Pueblo, CO. SERTC’s website is https://sertc.org/. Learn more about the training and how to register here.
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BNSF provides hazardous materials traffic flow reports to fire departments and emergency managers. These reports provide a listing of the hazardous materials that BNSF transported through a city or county over the last 12 months. Request a hazardous materials traffic flow report here.
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Another tool for emergency responders and managers is the AskRail app. This app provides responders at no cost with immediate access to accurate, timely data about what type of hazardous materials a rail car is carrying so they can make an informed decision about how to respond to a rail emergency. AskRail also has a desktop version available for local Emergency Communication Centers (ECC) that can be used to provide responders with this necessary hazmat car and train information. Get more information about the AskRail app here.
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A copy of BNSF’s System Emergency Response Plan is available for review and use. Part of the System Emergency Response Plan is BNSF’s Incident Management Team (IMT). BNSF's IMT allows for the mobilization of resources at varying levels as dictated by incident circumstances. BNSF’s IMT maintains a large group of well-trained personnel to lead and assist with emergency response incidents and is comprised of a local or state IMT, a Regional Away Team, and a Corporate Crisis Management Team (known as a “Go-Team”).
CFATS Operational Updates
To date, CISA has received over 107,000 Top-Screen submissions from over 44,000 unique facilities. Of these, CFATS covers 3,243 facilities. Additionally, the program has completed 4,653 Authorization Inspections, 10,339 Compliance Inspections, and 10,492 Compliance Assistance Visits.
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Training Opportunities and Conferences |
Tribal Oil Spill Prevention and Chemical Emergency Preparedness Webinars
- Tank Talk: Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure Overview Webinar for Tribal Partners
- This 4-hour session will provide an in-depth overview of the oil program, regulatory requirements, program implementation (inspections), and federal oil spill reporting requirements. This webinar will assist tribes with Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure compliance and the opportunity to view EPA inspector photographs showing common violations observed in the field.
- Visit this link for more information and to register.
- Overview of Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure and Computer-Aided Management of Emergency Operations (CAMEO) Software Suite Webinar for Tribal Partners
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This hour and a half, EPA-hosted session will provide a basic overview of the Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure oil spill prevention program and how the Computer-Aided Management of Emergency Operations (CAMEO) software suite can be used to help communities prepare for and respond to chemical and oil spills. The session will also include a question-and-answer segment where participants can interact with the Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure national program manager and the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act program coordinator.
- Visit this link for more information and to register
Understanding ALOHA, Virtual, May 1-5, 2023
This virtual training course is for those who want to be more proficient users of the ALOHA air dispersion modeling software, whether for response or planning activities and recommended for HazMat Technicians, Command Staff, and all LEPC/Emergency Planners. For more information, contact Tom Bergman or Carol Way at CAMEO Suite Training.
Introduction to CAMEO Chemicals Webinar, Virtual, May 23, 2023, 10:30am to 12:00pm ET
EPA Region 1 is hosting an Introduction to CAMEO Chemicals Webinar.
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CAMEO Chemicals is the hazardous chemical database for the CAMEO® software suite, which is used widely to plan for and respond to chemical emergencies. CAMEO Chemicals also has a tool to predict possible hazards if chemicals are mixed together. With CAMEO Chemicals, you can search through the extensive chemical database to find chemical datasheets with critical response information, including physical properties, health hazards, information about air and water hazards, and recommendations for firefighting, first aid, and spill response. CAMEO Chemicals is available as a website, mobile website, mobile app, and desktop program. The mobile app and the desktop program formats can be used offline, and the desktop program can share information with other CAMEO suite programs.
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This webinar, led by Len Wallace will provide an overview of CAMEO Chemicals including a live demonstration. This EPA webinar will assist first responders, emergency planners and facility staff to get key information quickly through CAMEO Chemicals. As you may be aware, WISER is no longer available as of February 28, 2023. For a brief summary of the CAMEO Chemicals program and its capabilities, download the CAMEO Chemicals fact sheet (pdf).
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Register here.
CAMEO for Planning, Virtual
Understand the hazardous material threat in your jurisdiction. Experienced instructors will
train you how to use the CAMEO® Suite software to facilitate planning for hazardous material
incidents. This training includes CAMEO Data Manager (DM). This month-long class includes: online classroom with 24/7 access to weekly lessons, videos & activities; weekly, scheduled live Q&A webinars; 1-hour Zoom call on the first day of class; and four, 2-hour webinars on the remaining 4 days. Two remaining sessions in 2023:
- Session 2: June 1 - 29 (Thursday webinars)
- Session 3: Oct. 25 – Nov. 29 (Wed. webinars – skip Thanksgiving week)
- All Zoom Calls begin at 8am PT/9 MT/10 CT/11 ET
ChemLock: Introduction to Chemical Security Training Course
This course provides an introduction to identifying, assessing, evaluating, and mitigating chemical security risks. This easy-to-understand overview identifies key components and best practices of chemical security awareness and planning to help kickstart chemical security discussions at a facility. This course runs 1-2 hours in length and is appropriate for all personnel regardless of their level of involvement with dangerous chemicals.
ChemLock: Secure Your Chemicals Security Planning Training Course
This course walks through how to create a tailored, scalable security plan that meets the business model and unique circumstances of a facility. Participants will learn the key elements of a chemical security plan and benefit from examples, lessons learned, and best practices. The course runs 2-3 hours in length and is designed to help leadership, facility security personnel, and other applicable personnel understand, develop, and implement a facility security plan.
Please share this course information with relevant chemical security stakeholders in your area. To request a special offering of either course for a facility or organization, please fill out the ChemLock Services Request Form. If you have questions about the ChemLock program, please email ChemLock@cisa.dhs.gov.
2023 NASTTPO Annual Conference, April 17-19, 2023, Salt Lake City, UT
The NASTTPO Annual Conference is confirmed for April 17-19 in Salt Lake City, UT at the Radisson Downtown. Registration and agenda information is available at www.nasttpo.com.
Managing the Message: Crisis Communication Workshop Series 2023, May 24-25, 2023, Pendleton, OR
Join a whole community approach in Managing the Message, a Crisis Communication Workshop. Local and international communicators will share their case studies and experiences on what worked well, gaps discovered, and how to "build better" communication practices to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disaster and crisis response. More information and registration details here.
Save the Date: 2023 Tribal Lands and Environment Forum (TLEF), August 14-17, 2023, Syracuse, NY
Now accepting proposals for sessions at the Tribal Lands and Environment Forum!
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Visit the 2023 TLEF website to learn more about this year’s forum.
- If you would like to submit a proposal, click on the “Call for Proposals” in the menu at the top of the page.
- Registration will open soon, with a direct link to our host hotel so you can make lodging reservations at a special reduced rate.
Online Training: Hazmat Management Railroading 101
The Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) Hazardous Materials Management Team presents Railroading 101, and provides and overview of the UPRR system, pre-planning, railroad equipment (locomotives, tank cars (pressure and non-pressure), contacting the railroad, discusses safety while operating on or near the railroad, railroad resources, markings, rail shipping papers, the emergency response process, and recovery operations.
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Ammonia Safety & Training Institute (ASTI) presents Safety Day training and chemical Tabletop Exercises (TTX) available to local industry and community responders
- ASTI formed the National Safety Day Coalition together with IIAR, RETA, and GCCA to present safety and emergency response preparedness training at minimal cost to the attendees.
- ASTI worked with Region 9 EPA to create ammonia Tabletop Exercises based upon the One Plan four stages of response; focused on engaging local, state, and federal emergency response plans.
- ASTI organizes and leads a local committee of industry, public safety, and governmental leaders to create Safety Day presentations and Tabletop Exercises.
- Sample topics include: hazard analysis, health & safety concerns, critical task readiness, e.g., emergency system control, rapid “grab and go” rescue by first responders, and methods of containment and control of ammonia events using proper methods e.g., personnel protective equipment, decontamination, teaming agreement with public safety responders, monitoring systems, and command team coordination and communications readiness to address on-site and off-site life safety and environmental receptors.
Scheduled Events
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Environmental Protection Agency / Department of Homeland Security & US Coast Guard
Department of Labor & Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Department of Transportation / Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives/ Department of Agriculture
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