Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
each hazard, a set of procedures is developed, which includes checklists of
detailed steps, to be followed by the response teams for the release situation.
Environmental Considerations
An environmental emergency such as a hazardous substance spill or gas release
requires not only notification and mobilization of containment and control
response teams but also an understanding of the potential migration pattern
of the material in the environment. Basic site information, such as geology,
soil types, proximity to water bodies, and general meteorological conditions,
needs to be available so that this information can be used to design a sampling
program. It is important to quickly obtain data on soil, air, or water impacts in
order to assess risk and define the magnitude of the affected area. For example,
if a facility has a shallow water table, a surface spill could impact groundwater
quality. This situation would require groundwater as well as soil sampling.
Conversely, if the water table is deep or separated from the surface by a low
permeable layer, then groundwater sampling may not be necessary and the focus
of sampling may be toward soil and surface-water impacts.
Another important need for sampling media at the time of the emergency is to
establish a database that can be used to protect the responsible party from unjus-
tified damage claims. Environmental damage lawsuits are common in today's
world and in many cases are driven by emotional issues. Hard data, acquired at
the time of the incident, can be very useful in controlling damage claims and
establishing a factual representation of the impacts from the event.
Finally, it is important to understand the local, state, and federal regulatory
community. A spill or other emergency event that causes a release of a chem-
ical to the environment will involve reporting this incident to the appropriate
regulators. They will want to understand the extent of the impacts and whether
any human health or sensitive environmental systems are threatened. Usually,
any sampling data generated by studying the effects of the event will need to
be submitted to the regulators. In some cases, an environmental consultant or
engineer will needed to be hired to oversee the investigation and determine if
clean-up is necessary and to what degree. He/she would also be responsible for
preparing a report of clean-up. It is useful to document activities taken to mini-
mize environmental impact in light of the sensitivity of this issue and the public
concern.
Recovery, Reentry, and Restoration
One area typically neglected in the emergency plan is postemergency activities.
Specific procedures for recovering from an emergency and reentering a facility
must be determined on a case-by-case basis. However, guidelines for response
team activities following termination should be included.
Once the critical phase of the emergency is concluded, an inspection team
appointed by the emergency director should enter the damaged area and ensure
that it is safe for recovery operations.
