EPA Region 4 Chemical Emergency Conference

The 4th Annual EPA Region 4 Chemical Emergency Conference will be presented at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, Florida, on October 19-20, 2010, by EPA, Region IV. This conference will provide a forum for federal agencies, State Emergency Response Commissions (SERC), Tribal Emergency Response Commissions (TERC), Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPC), and associates to discuss hazmat topics, emergency planning, chemical emergencies, and community right-to-know.  The EPA Region 4 Chemical Emergency Conference has become a major forum for information sharing, networking, and the examination of current issues and events among federal, state, and local emergency agencies, as well as private entities engaged in the chemical emergency field.  This includes the state and federal member agencies of the Federal Region IV Regional Response Team, the Region IV SERCs, Tribes, and LEPCs.  This event will be collocated with the Clean Gulf Training & Exhibition.  Registering for one of these two conferences will allow you to attend your choice of any sessions of either of the conferences.  Please contact Bryce Covington (Covington.bryce@epa.gov) for additional information, including registration details. 
 

Register Today!

Session Descriptions:

Mercury Response Issues
10/19/2010 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM 
At cleanup sites of active facilities or abandoned hazardous waste sites, mercury presents significant environmental challenges due to it being difficult to treat and because if may exist in various forms. Some mercury contamination sites are also contaminated with oils, radioactive materials and organic compounds that present technical challenges when dealing with the mercury.

This Session provides insight on how different cleanup programs, at all levels of government, can work together to meet the goals of: ensuring the site is properly cleaned up, all the while ensuring that the response efforts and results are properly communicated to the public. EPA works in partnership with state, local and tribal governments, as well as responsible parties when conducting mercury cleanups.
 
Speakers:
Ben Franco, Federal On-Scene Coordinator, U.S. EPA
Glenn Adams, Chief, EPA Technical Services Section, U.S. EPA
Jamie Arleo, State On-Scene Coordinator, Florida Department of Environmental Protection
 
Local Issues on a Federal Response
10/19/2010 3:15 PM - 4:45 PM 
This session will discuss local issues associated with federal responses to hazmat and oil spills. Local Government Reimbursements (LGRs) for hazardous substance releases (HSRs), Pollution Removal Funding Authorizations (PRFAs) and claims for oil discharges will also be covered.

The LGR Program provides federal funds to local governments for costs related to temporary emergency response actions related to past or threatened HSRs. The PRFA is a funding mechanism used by Federal On-Scene Coordinators (FOSCa) to supply state and local governments with the necessary funding to complete oil spill cleanups.
 
Speaker:
Ben Franco, Federal On-Scene Coordinator, U.S. EPA
 
Emergency Response Case Studies
10/20/2010 12:45 PM - 2:15 PM 
Learn more about the latest developments involving the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board’s (CSB) efforts to increase safety awareness and to prevent future accidents. The CSB was established by Congress in the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 and has been operational since 1998. The CSB is an independent federal agency that investigates major chemical accidents at fixed facilities. Based on its accident investigation findings, the CSB makes recommendations to a wide array of groups, including regulatory agencies, standard-setting bodies, trade association and unions.

This session will also cover EPA’s Region 4 Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA) cleanup efforts for the coal ash removal at the TVA Kingston site in Roane County, Tennessee.
 
Speakers:
William Wark, Board Member, U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board
Steve Spurlin, Federal On-Scene Coordinator, EPA Region 4
 
Preparedness- Emergency Response to Hurricanes- Data Management
10/20/2010 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM 
The EPA Emergency response and removal national Data Acquisition and Technical Assistance (DATA) team has developed a Data Management Plan (DMP) which formulates a data acquisition and the management process. The objectives of the DMP are to:

• Provide a scalable template of proven but generic guidance that will be used to manage specific data streams;
• Allow for addition of site specific requirements that will serve as metadata and documentation for how data was managed, including tools that were used and reporting functions that were developed; and
• Allow for the integration of other plans as activities become more complex.

An overview of these guides and plans will be reviewed. The guidance behind the development of a DMP will be discussed.
 
Speaker:
Randy Nattis, Federal On-Scene Coordinator, U.S. EPA