2.1.2 Response Actions to Date

ER Response Planning (Andy Smith)
This is the final sitrep for this flood season.

On Tuesday, December 22, Ecology and EPA briefed Renton, Tukwila, and Auburn representatives on the Hazmat and Oil Response Plan for the Green River Flooding.  The cities agreed with the plan.

Since the last SitRep, the Hazardous Materials Task Force (lead by King County Public Health with city, Ecology, and EPA participation) has met twice:  January 20 and February 17.  Since FEMA has stood down on flood preparations for this flood season and since there is little snow pack to produce a significant rain-on-snow flood event, the HMTF decided to stand down as well and resume meeting before flood season in the fall.

King County presented on their debris management plan at the February 17 HMTF meeting.

I am listing the following tasks as place holders for me to address in the fall:

• The US Coast Guard recently expressed interested in preparing for an ESF-10 response.  EPA and Ecology were under the impression the USCG did not anticipate much involvement for them under an ESF-10 response and thus we had not involved them in flood planning preparations.  As such, EPA and Ecology needs to brief the USCG planners.  An important question to be answered is whether the USCG will join us at the ICP in unified command.

• Brief ESF 10 desk person at Camp Murray on the Response Plan

• Brief ESF-10 desk person at King County RCECC on the Response Plan.

• Provide refresher briefing on Response Plan with Tukwila, Renton, Auburn, Kent ESF-10 officials.

• Start up the HMTF meetings.  Confirm interest of HMTF in addressing flood and post-flood response planning. The HMTF charter is to do outreach to communities and businesses to prevent or minimize release of hazardous materials.  One example of needed post-flood planning is to develop and have in place an understanding between cities, on how they will manage hazardous debris and communicate that to the public.  Policy needs to be developed on how to advise on variety of situations such as orphaned containers, household hazardous waste, or actual releases on private residential property, business properties, and public property.  Legal issues for access need to be thought out and resolved beforehand by cities and county, especially in situations where no property owner can be contacted. Does HMTF wish to pursue the hazardous material corral concept?

• We need to be sure EPA, USCG, and Ecology public information officers are working with the JIC at KC RCECC. Connect PIOs with JIC at KC RCECC so that they have a game plan in place.

• Put into an electronic format, a hand-drawn schematic of ESF 10 lines-of-communication to include in Response Plan.

Superfund and RCRA Sites (Howard Orlean)

EPA issued a Unilateral Administrative Order to All American Metal Finishing  on January 8.  The owner has been cooperative and had a buyer for the plating equipment which would pay for the removal work.  However, the buyer has backed out.  EPA is considering allowing the owner more time to find a buyer taking in consideration the risk of flooding.

GIS Support (Scott Augustine)
EPA has received GIS information prepared by the HMTF in ArcReader format.

King County Public Health Environmental Sampling Support (Michael Boykin)

EPA with START support will continue with developing a Concept of Operations and a General Flood Water Sampling Plan. Work has been delayed as EPA has been waiting on a revised list of targeted facilities from KC Public Health.

ESF-10 Response Plans (Josie Clark)
FEMA has stood down.

FEMA ESF-10 Desk Officer Staffing (Michael Sibley)
No updates to report.

Water Infrastructure Response Team (Eric Winiecki)
No updates to report.