Resolution No. 5303 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Appendix I: Hazardous Materials The probability of a hazardous materials incident in Eugene -Springfield is high; vulnerability to such an event is moderate. 1.1 Causes and Characteristics of the Hazard For mitigation planning, hazardous materials may be defined as any substance that may have negative impacts on human health. Exposure to hazardous materials may result in injury, sickness, or death. Negative health impacts from hazardous materials may be acute, causing harm after a single, episodic exposure or they may be chronic, occurring after prolonged exposure to the material. Certain hazardous materials may also threaten property and the environment. Hazardous material toxicity varies widely. The term toxic is a synonym for the more common term poisonous. Highly toxic hazardous materials may cause harm or death even after brief exposures to small amounts. Other hazardous materials are much less toxic resulting in negative health effects only after exposure to large amounts over longer periods of time. Hazardous chemicals are widely used in heavy industry, manufacturing, agriculture, mining, oil and gas industry, forestry, and transportation as well as in medical facilities and commercial, public, and residential buildings. There are numerous materials that may be hazardous to human health. A typical single-family home may contain dozens of potentially hazardous materials including fuels, paints, solvents, cleaning agents, pesticides, herbicides, medicines, and others. For mitigation planning purposes, small quantities of low to moderately toxic hazardous materials utilized by residents are of limited interest due to low potential impact. The industrial use and transportation of hazardous materials are of significant interest for mitigation planning. Situations involving extremely toxic or large quantities of hazardous materials in locations where accidents or malevolent actions (terrorism or sabotage) may result in significant public health risk are of special concern for planning purposes. The toxicity of a hazardous material is only one important measure of the potential impact on an affected community. The quantity of material and the ease of dispersal may be as important as toxicity in governing the level of potential threat to a community. For example, a small quantity of a very toxic solid hazardous material in a laboratory may pose a much smaller level of risk for a community than a large quantity of a less toxic gaseous hazardous material upwind from a populated area. The severity of any hazardous material release for an affected community depends on several factors including the: 6-147 January 2020