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Eugene -Springfield Area Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan 2. Hazard Descriptions density in areas prone to natural hazards, the odds of human exposure to hazardous materials, after a seismic incident, is also increasing. 28 Earthquakes not only cause HazMat spills, they may also obstruct emergency personnel incident response. Response to the natural disaster itself may divert resources which would otherwise be dedicated to the spill or release. Restricted site and life line access along with limited resources such as personnel and equipment can further slow a HazMat response. This chaotic post disaster environment poses significant challenges to first responders' primary missions of containing the hazardous material and stabilizing the scene. More information on HazMat spills and releases is in Appendix I. History of Impact in Eugene -Springfield There have been no earthquake induced HazMat spills or releases in the Eugene - Springfield area. Despite this, with the threat posed by the Cascadia Subduction Zone, and numerous sources of hazardous materials within the Cities, such an incident occurring is of concern. Historically, earthquakes have caused HazMat incidents by sloshing vats, damaging connections and piping on tanks, tank collapses, truck accidents, and train derailments. Some notable earthquake induced hazardous material incidents include: • 1994 Northridge, CA -magnitude 6.7: 9 petroleum pipeline ruptures, 752 natural gas line breaks, and 60 emergency HazMat incidents • 1987 Whittier Narrows, CA -magnitude 5.9: 1411 natural gas line breaks and 30 HazMat releases • 1989 Loma Prieta, California -magnitude 6.9: 300-400 natural gas line breaks and 300 hazmat releases Risk of Impact Based on the amount of hazardous materials in and around the Eugene -Springfield area, and historical occurrence of earthquake induced HazMat spills or releases in other parts of the County, the risk from this impact occurring is high. 2.3.6 Probability of Future Occurrence The State estimates earthquake probability for the mid -Willamette Valley region in two ways. One way uses a probabilistic model which considers all known ze Young, Stacy, Lina Balluz, and Josephine Malilay. "Natural and technologic hazardous material releases during and after natural disasters: a review." Science of the Total Environment322, no. 1-3 (2004):3-20.doi:10.1016/s0048-9697(03)00446-7. 2-15 January 2020