Resolution No. 4814 - Laserfiche WebLink

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14,8 Summary and Mitigation Strategies 14.8,1 P~anning and Response Hazardous materials vary dramatically in their degree of toxicity to humans. The impact of a hazardous material release incident on an affected community depends on several factors including: g) the toxicity of the hazardous material, h) the quantity of the hazardous material released, i) the dispersal characteristics of the hazardous material, j) the local conditions such as wind direction and topography, soil and ground water characteristics, and proximity to critical public resources such as drinking water supplies, k) the population of nearby areas likely to be affected by hazardous materials incidents, and I) the efficacy of response and recovery actions. Effective mitigation planning and effective emergency response planning can help reduce the number or frequency of hazardous materials incidents and also reduce the severity of incidents that do occur. In combination, these benefits can significantly reduce the negative impacts of hazardous materials incidents on affected communities. The general principles of mitigation planning and emergency response planning (and training) are well standardized and practiced by Lane County and the Eugene/Springfield Metro Area. Perhaps the single most critical factor in enhancing both mitigation planning and emergency response planning is specific inventory awareness for major hazardous materials sites within each jurisdiction. Specific inventory awareness means detailed knowledge of the types of hazardous materials, quantities of hazardous materials and locations of every location in a jurisdiction with significant quantities of hazardous materials. In this context, what constitutes a significant quantity varies depending on the toxicity of the material, the dispersal characteristics and the nature and population of nearby areas likely to be affected by hazardous materials incidents. The Office of State Fire Marshall's Hazardous Substance Information System (HSIS) database contains a vast amount of information on the inventories of hazardous materials at fixed locations in the Eugene/Springfield Metro Area. This detailed inventory information along with data hazardous materials being transported within or through the Eugene/Springfield Metro Area, provides the basic data for specific inventory awareness. In combination, with the chemical data and emergency response information provided in the 2000 Emergency Response Guide and in other sources, these are the basic data necessary for effective planning and effective emergency response. The complexity and overload of information is compounded by numerous labeling, placarding, and classification systems for hazardous materials, with countless cross references to guide numbers, material safety reports and so on. Because of this vast amount of complex information, effective mitigation planning and emergency response planning must occur before an incident occurs, not after. During an incident, the most Public Review Draft: October 12, 2004 14-13