On 29Sep at 1048 hrs PST, (0648 Samoa Standard Time) an 8.0 magnitude earthquake occurred 120 mi southwest of American Samoa.  The 6:48 am local time (1048 hrs PST) earthquake triggered a tsunami that struck American Samoa (population 65,000) with a series of five waves.  All waves struck the island and Pago Pago, the main village.  The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center reported the wave height at 15 feet for Pago Pago, American Samoa.  Over 73 aftershocks have been reported, including nine aftershocks ranging from magnitudes 4.5 to 6.3.

Situation Summary

On 09/29 at 1048 hrs (PST) an 8.0 magnitude earthquake occurred southwest of American Samoa.  The earthquake triggered tsunamis that struck American Samoa (population 65,000) with one wave reported at 15 feet striking Pago Pago, the main village.  Damage is widespread with 32 known fatalities, hundreds injured and many pulled out to sea.  73 aftershocks have been reported.

• Power outages continue on the east side of the island.  LBJ Hospital is operational.
• Airport is operational
• Communication is spotty; only cell phone service is local from
  Samoa Teleco or Bluesky
• Local Coast Guard personnel and EPA OSC Chris Reiner report no large oil or hazmat releases;
• Community water systems suffered some damage, but they have almost been fully restored 
• The governor of AS requested a federal disaster declaration on 9/29.

Operational Status:

• EPA R9 has received a mission assignment to staff the ESF-10 desk at the FEMA RRCC in Oakland, CA and to provide an on-scene coordinator to deploy to AS to conduct a rapid needs assessment with the FEMA team.  The MA is currently for $75,000.
• FEMA is establishing a JFO on American Samoa.  ERT's Duane Newell is traveling to AS in order to staff the ESF-10 desk at the JFO.
• Concurrent with the establishment of the JFO, the FEMA Region IX RRCC is winding down.  EPA is no longer staffing the ESF-10 desk there.
• OSC Chris Reiner hill was been deployed to AS, as ESF-10 support, on 9/30, with one EPA START contractor.
• EPA R9 continues to provide situational awareness from the Regional EOC.  ESC Michelle Rogow is the duty officer this week.

Operational Status:

EPA R9 is operating under a Pre Declaration Disaster Surge Account for $75,000 (7220SU-AS-EPA-02), covering RRCC activation and the rapid needs assessment on AmSam.  The projected end date for this MA is 10/09/2009.  The Region has also received a new, post declaration MA (1859DR-AS-EPA-02) for the same activities for $10,000 to get us started.  The projected end date for this MA is 10/10/2009.  

• OSC Chris Reiner arrived in AS as ESF-10 support at 2300 SST on 9/30, with one EPA START contractor.  OSC Reiner indicates (through OSC Weden) that communications have improved and his cell phone works fine.   
• OSC Reiner is conducting assessments in Pago Pago and Leone area with ASEPA and has identified several drums of waste oil and hazardous material.  Pulled drums from the tide line and temporarily staged them along road with collection TBD.  Mitigated released oil along main road with sorbent material.  OSC Reiner is using assistance of 10 Civil Support Team (CST) member plus 30 National Guard personnel to begin gathering and staging household hazardous waste for disposal.  The continued availability of these additional assets is uncertain.
  
• Collected 35 drums, 1 250-gal marine fuel bladder, approximately 12 compressed gas tanks and cylinders, 20 car and marine batteries, and 30-40 smaller containers of various hazardous materials.  Collected materials were taken to staging area in Tafuna.  This included material strewn about Pago Pago streets, park, and shoreline, as well as some containers floating in the harbor.  This work was carried out by EPA, USCG Pacific Strike Team, and Civil Support Team, Hawaii National Guard.  The most surprising finds were a damaged 55-gallon drum of isocyanates, and 3, 1-gallon cans of isocyanates.
  
• OSC Reiner built 6 containment cells at the Department of Public Works yard in Tafuna, for storage of collected materials. (3 Oct)
• Hazard categorization work has commenced on the containers collected to date and stored at the DPW Tafuna yard.
  
• R9 GIS support continues to develop facility location data and update the EOC Google map display.  R9 EOC is working on getting facility info uploaded into Response Manager Manager.
• EPA R9 continues to provide situational awareness from the Regional EOC.  ESC Michelle Rogow is the duty officer this week. 

2.1.3 Enforcement Activities, Identity of Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs)
Not Applicable

2.1.4 Progress Metrics

As of 10/4/09 OSC Reiner reports the following collected from Pago Pago:

Collected 35 drums, 1 250-gal marine fuel bladder, approximately 12 compressed gas tanks and cylinders, 20 car and marine batteries, and 30-40 smaller containers of various hazardous materials.  Collected materials were taken to staging area in Tafuna.  This included material strewn about Pago Pago streets, park, and shoreline, as well as some containers floating in the harbor.  This work was carried out by EPA, USCG Pacific Strike Team, and Civil Support Team, Hawaii National Guard.  The most surprising finds were a damaged 55-gallon drum of isocyanates, and 3, 1-gallon cans of isocyanates.

• FEMA reports electricity restored to 1/3 to ½ of Tutuila Island.  One of two island power plants continues to be offline. 
• LBJ Hospital is operational.
• The only international airport in AS is operational; a limited supply of jet fuel may become a logistical problem.  As of 1600 PST (2000 SST) 01Oct, 500,000 gallons of aviation fuel was verified on Tutuila Island. 
• Water system runs off power plants and is functioning with low pressure. 
• The situation in regards to drinking water has improved.  The following information was provided by Brad Rea from ASPA via Jason Gambatese/R9 at  2:30 PM PST 02Oct, regarding drinking water issues. 
  • He estimated that 95% of the people who had water before the tsunami currently have water and he expects that to go to 100% by the end of today.  Not having all the wells operating is affecting system pressure.
  • The main issue is getting generators to run the pumps.  They are a little slow in coming.
  • There are more leaks than usual in the system, but so far they are not finding any contaminated water and it is not affecting pressure because 2 of the canneries are not operating and they are major water users.
  • They are currently under a boil water notice, but ASEPA is out sampling today and the boil water notice could be lifted as early as tomorrow.
  • ASPA is getting all the support they need from FEMA.  Brad had no current needs that FEMA was not addressing.
  • He said they may have a need for some structural engineers in the near future, mainly on the waste water side.  But he knows the proper channels to go through to get the resources he needs.
• The Chicken of the Sea packing plant is closed but according to the company (via Fox news) was not damaged.  Both canneries remain closed.
• Weather – isolated scattered showers, highs in mid 80s with 75% or more humidity, variable winds 5 – 15 mph.
• A damaged section of the Leone/Auma bridge has been temporarily repaired for emergency vehicles only. 

•  FEMA reports that as of 1300 on 03OCT09 the following supplies had arrived or were en route