Attachments.pdf

Attachment 1

AG-03R6-S-08-0120

4.4.7 Lolo National Forest EMS Environmental

Emergency Plan

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

HAZARDOUS MATERIAL SPILL/DISCOVERY

SPILL/DISCOVERY ACTION STEPS

INCIDENT REPORTING:

SPILL/DISCOVERY PREPAREDNESS

WILDLAND FIRE

WILDLAND FIRE ACTION STEPS

Introduction

An environmental Management System (EMS) was developed for the Forests and Grasslands of Region 1 that is compliant with the ISO 14001 international standard. The intention of the EMS is to enable the Forests to identify important activities, products, and services with environmental interactions, and consistently provide environmental protection measures as well as achieve objectives for environmental performance. Element 4.4.7 of the ISO standards contains requirements for the creation of an EMS Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan.

Purpose This plan outlines procedures for emergency awareness, preparation, and response with the purpose of preventing, minimizing and/or mitigating environmental impacts. The procedures listed provide a framework for proper response to emergency situations that occur and may have environmental impacts. The EMS Emergency Preparedness and Response plan should be synchronized with the procedures of the Forest emergency plan that is created to focus on human safety and health.

Scope This plan applies to emergency situations that could have significant environmental impacts to resources found on the Forests. Spills or discoveries of hazardous materials, and wildland fires are emergencies for which employees may lessen, mitigate, or prevent undesired environmental effects by taking prompt action.

The procedures outlined in this plan apply to activities conducted by Forest Service employees, volunteers, cooperators, permittees, and contractors working for the Forests and Grasslands of Region One.

Hazardous Material Spill/Discovery

Hazardous material spills and discoveries must be reported immediately to the following Emergency Contacts:

During Normal Business Hours call or radio

Off Hours call

Forest Dispatch Office:

Missoula Interagency Dispatch Center (East Zone): (406) 829-7070

Plains Dispatch (West Zone):

(406) 826-3061

County Sheriff’s Dept. Dispatcher Flathead: (406) 758-5585 Granite: (406) 859-3251 Mineral: (406) 822-3555 Missoula: (406) 258-4810 Powell: (406) 846-2711 Sanders: (406) 827-3584 Reporting

Individual: Forest Haz Mat Coordinator, Sue Colyer work (406) 329-3729 cell (406) 470-9898 home (406) 721-4329

If not available, contact Gary Garthwait work (406) 329-3835 cell (406) 207-6054 home (406) 542-1308

Forest Haz Mat Coordinator Forest Dispatch

Office: County Sheriff’s Dept. Dispatcher

Forest Haz Mat Coordinator:

Clean Up Contractor/Individuals Clean Up Contractor/Individuals

Definition of Hazardous Materials:

Hazardous Material – an umbrella term that includes hazardous chemicals, hazardous wastes, hazardous substances and oil. Hazardous chemicals (OSHA) pose a health or physical hazard.

Hazardous wastes (RCRA) pose a threat to human health or the environment. Hazardous substances include RCRA hazardous wastes as well as substances designated as hazardous under the CWA, CAA and TSCA.

A hazardous materials emergency or oil spill is defined as any release or threat of release of a hazardous substance or petroleum product that presents an imminent and substantial risk of injury to health or the environment.

A release is defined as any spilling, leaking, pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying, discharging, injecting, escaping, leaching, dumping, or disposing into the environment. A release of 25 gallons or less of refined petroleum products (gasoline, diesel, aviation fuel, asphalt, road oil, kerosene, fuel oil and derivative mineral, animal or vegetable oils) is not an emergency unless the oil enters or threatens to enter water. A sheen on water would constitute an emergency.

Releases that do not constitute an immediate threat, occur entirely within the work place, are federally permitted, or are a routine pesticide application, are not considered to be an emergency and are not covered by this direction. Non-emergency reporting will be accomplished by appropriate RO staff specialists who should be notified directly of all non-emergency releases.

Discovery of potential hazardous materials by Forest personnel will follow these procedures.

Initial information needed when a hazardous material spill is discovered and reported or potential hazardous materials are discovered:

1. Name of individual reporting spill:

Phone number:

2. Date and time of: Release/Discovery ________________________________ Reported ________________________________________ Duration of release ________________________________

3. Location: (Include state, county, route, milepost, etc)

4. Chemical name:

a. Chemical identification number

b. Other chemical data Note: for transportation related incidents, this information may be available from the driver, placards on the vehicle, and/or shipping paper.

5. Noted characteristics of release(e.g. smell, fumes, etc)

6. Known health risks

7. Appropriate precaution if known

8. Source and cause of release

9. Number and type of injuries

10. Potential threat to health and environment

11. Estimate of quantity released: ______________gallons

Quantity reaching water: __________________gallons Name of affected watercourse and distance to source of spill:

12. For transportation incident, name and address of carrier:

Railcar or truck number:

Spill/Discovery Action Steps

If a spill of hazardous material is associated with Forest Service operations or if party responsible is unknown and spill is discovered:

1. Call Forest Dispatch

2. Forest Dispatch calls Forest Haz Mat Coordinator and sheriff’s office.

3. Forest Haz Mat Coordinator calls Clean Up Contractor or clean up individuals

4. Within limits, Forest Service employee(s) may provide necessary and immediate response actions until further direction is provided by the Forest Haz Mat Coordinator.

These actions may include:

• Public warning and crowd control

• Retrieval of appropriate information for reporting purposes

• Additionally, and only after verification of the type of hazardous material involved and its associated hazards, a Forest Service employee(s) may also take actions including:

i. Rescue of persons in imminent danger

ii. Limited action to mitigate the consequences of the emergency, such as using a spill kit to contain a spill

• Under no condition shall a Forest Service employee(s):

i. Place themselves or others in imminent danger

ii. Perform or direct actions that will incur liability for the Forest Service

If there is any question that the emergency may constitute a threat to personal safety, limit your response to public warning and reporting of the incident.

PRECAUTIONS:

When approaching the scene of an accident involving any cargo, or other known or suspected hazardous materials emergency including oil spills:

• Approach incident from an upwind, uphill, upstream direction, if possible.

• Move and keep people away from the incident scene.

• Do not walk into or touch any spilled material.

• Avoid inhaling fumes, smoke, and vapors even if no hazardous materials are involved.

• Do not assume that gases or vapors are harmless because of lack of smell.

• Do not smoke, and remove all ignition sources.

NOTE: It is Forest Service policy NOT to use FS employees or equipment for "hands-on" cleanup of hazardous materials. Only trained personnel can contain spills within the limits of their training.

Incident Reporting:

The Forest Haz Mat Coordinator fills out the Corrective/Preventive Action Form and submits it to the EMS Representative. After incident response the Forest Haz Mat Coordinator and the EMS Representative review the response procedures and determine suggestions for improvement.

Spill/Discovery Preparedness

Any operation that uses or transports fuel, oil, or pesticides has the potential for spills. The following are minimum requirements:

Material Safety Data Sheets

• Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) shall be present for the chemical being used or transported. These are available from the manufacturer or over the internet.

Equipment/Machinery/Vehicles carrying auxiliary fuel

• Spill kits appropriate to type of spills that could take place must be present in vehicle and in equipment.

• Exemption: Timber Sale Purchasers and their employees or subcontractors follow timber sale contract provisions.

Stationary Fuel Storage and dispensing tanks

• Spill kits appropriate to the volume of stored fuel must be present at points where fuel is dispensed.

Storage and mixing tanks for pesticides

• Spill kits appropriate to the maximum capacity of mixing tanks for pesticides must be present at points where material is batched or transferred from one tank to another.

• Spill kits appropriate to the volume and toxicity of material stored must be present where pesticides are stored.

Wildland Fire

Wildland fires must be reported immediately to the following:

During Normal Business Hours call or radio

Off Hours call

Reporting Individual:

Forest Dispatch Office:

Missoula Interagency Dispatch Center (East Zone): (406) 829-7070

Plains Dispatch (West Zone): (406)

826-3061

County Sheriff’s Dept. Dispatcher Flathead: (406) 758-5585 Granite: (406) 859-3251 Mineral: (406) 822-3555 Missoula: (406) 258-4810 Powell: (406) 846-2711 Sanders: (406) 827-3584

Wildland Fire Action Steps NOTE: The US Forest Service has a well established, regimented, and sophisticated wildland fire training and response program. All Forests and Grasslands of Region 1 follow the fire training and wildland fire incident procedures. It is outside the scope of this emergency response plan to reiterate those procedures. The focus of this emergency response plan is to identify the immediate reporting and response procedures by individuals outside the fire organization.

If an Incident occurs where a Forest Service employee, contractor, partner, or volunteer crew is working in the same general area:

1. Stop Operations. Notify your supervisor and the rest of the crew.

2. Immediately report the fire. See Emergency Contacts in the box above for reporting information.

a. If Forest Service radio communication is possible in your location call the fire location to the Dispatch Office. The person reporting the fire will remain available to the radio to communicate details of the fire.

b. If Forest Service radio is not available, use whatever means available to report the fire.

Initial information needed when a wildland fire is discovered and reported:

1. Location of the fire:

2. Nature of the fire behavior:

3. Estimated size of the fire in acres:

4. Who else has been notified:

5. Initial response, if any:

6. Name of person reporting fire:

Phone number:

Incident Reporting:

Annually the Forest Fire Management Officer in coordination with the EMS Representative will review After Action Review and Wildland Fire Reports and determine if any changes to the EMS Wildland Fire action steps procedures discussed above need to be made.

Fire Control

(a) Contractor's Responsibility for Contractor-Caused Fires. The Contractor, whether or not directed by the Forest Service, shall immediately extinguish, without expense to the Government, all fires on or in the vicinity of the project which are caused by Contractor's employees, whether set directly or indirectly as a result of Contractor operations. The Contractor may be held liable for all damages and costs of additional labor, subsistence, equipment, supplies, and transportation resulting from fires set or caused by the Contractor's employees or resulting from contract operations.

(b) Other Fires. For the purpose of fighting forest fires on or in the vicinity of the project which are not caused by the Contractor or the Contractor’s employees, the Contractor when requested by the Contracting Officer shall place the employees and equipment temporarily at the disposal of the Forest Service. Payment for such services will be made by the Government at not less than the current rate for fire-fighting services established by the Forest Service in the area concerned.

Any employees and equipment furnished will be relieved from fire fighting as soon as the Forest Service finds that it is practicable to employ other labor and equipment adequate for the protection of the area.

An equitable adjustment in contract time may be made for this period.

(c) Fire Protection Requirements - Fire Plan. At all times during closed fire season period, as specified by State law, the Contractor shall comply with each of the following provisions to the extent applicable to the Contractor’s operation under the contract.

(1) Fire Tools. The Contractor will provide for each employee in the contract area at least one approved handtool of a type appropriate in the contract area, such as shovel, pulaski, or ax.

Tools required and furnished under (2) and (4) below, shall count toward fulfillment of the above requirement. Where additional tools, beyond those required under (2) and (4) below, are to be provided, the Contractor shall seal such tools in one or more boxes painted red and marked "Tools for Fire Only." All tools required herein shall be kept sharp and in good serviceable condition and maintained at locations to be designated by the Forest Service.

(2) Fire Extinguishers and Tools on Mobile or Stationary Equipment. Each unit of powered equipment used in connection with this contract, including automobiles, trucks, tractors, etc., shall be equipped with serviceable tools and fire extinguishers as follows:

One - fire extinguisher, dry chemical type of not less than 2-1/2 pound capacity with 4 BC or higher rating.

One - shovel, round point #0 lady or equal.

One - ax, 2 pounds or over, 26-inch minimum length, or one pulaski.

One - water container (at least 1-gallon capacity), not required with stationary equipment.

(3) Spark Arresters. Each internal combustion engine shall be provided with a spark arrester or spark arresting device approved by the Forest Service. Exceptions where the Forest Service may approve mufflers, or other equipment in lieu of spark arresters qualified and rated under Forest Service Standard 5100-1a are: (a) small multiposition engines, such as chain saws, shall meet Society of Automotive Engineers J335b standards; (b) passenger-carrying vehicles and light trucks may have baffle-type mufflers with tail pipe; (c) heavy-duty trucks may have a vertical stack exhaust system and muffler, provided the exhaust stack extends above the cab of the vehicle. An exhaust-driven turbocharger is considered to be a satisfactory spark arrester. Internal combustion engine exhaust systems, arresters, and other devices must be properly installed and maintained.

(4) Powersaws. For each powersaw used in connection with this contract, the following will be provided:

One - shovel, round point #0 lady or equal. Shovel must be immediately available for use.

One - Fire extinguisher, containing not less than 8 ounces of extinguisher fluid, or a dry chemical powder-type of not less than 1-pound capacity. The extinguisher must be immediately accessible to the saw operator at all times.

Any fueling or refueling of a powersaw shall only be done in an area which has first been cleared or is free of all material capable of carrying fire; powersaw shall be moved at least 10 feet from place of fueling before starting.

(5) Blasting. Fuse or prima cord shall not be used unless authorized in writing by the COR with special precautions stated.

(6) Smoking. Smoking shall not be permitted within the contract area except on surfaced or dirt roads, at landings, within closed vehicles, in camps, or at other posted places, and shall never be allowed while working or traveling on foot.

(7) Storage of Petroleum and Other Highly Flammable Products. Gasoline, oil, grease, or other highly flammable material will be stored either in a separate building used exclusively for such storage, or at a site where all combustible debris and vegetation is cleared away within a radius of 25 feet. Fire extinguishers and/or sand barrels may be required at such locations specified by the Forest Service when unusually hazardous conditions exist.

(8) Debris Burning and Warming Fires. Burning permits will be required for all debris burning fires. Lunch and warming fires may be allowed in fireproofed areas during periods of low fire danger if and as specified in the fire plan. Such fires must not be left burning unattended.

(9) Precautions for Stoves. Stovepipes on all temporary buildings, trailers, and tents using wood burning stoves, will be equipped with roof jacks and serviceable spark arresters of mesh with openings no larger than 5/8 inch.

All stovepipes, inside and out, will not be closer than 2 feet from any wood or other flammable material or 1 foot if the combustible material is protected by a metal or asbestos shield.

(10) Welding. Welding or use of cutting torches will be permitted only in areas that have been cleared or are free of all material capable of carrying fire. Flammable debris and vegetation must be removed from within a minimum of 10 feet radius of all welding and cutting torch operations. A shovel and a 5-gallon standard backpack water container (filled) with handpump attached, shall be immediately available for use in the event of a fire start.

(11) Fire Plan. Prior to initiating work on the contract area, during the closed fire season period, a fire prevention and suppression plan will usually be prepared. The Contractor and the Forest Service will jointly prepare this plan. Such plan shall include a detailed list of men and equipment at the Contractor's disposal for implementing the plan. The fire plan shall also specify additional measures and/or special requirements, such as Hoot Owl restrictions, necessary during periods of critical fire weather conditions.

When Hoot Owl restrictions are invoked, the Forest Service may curtail or shut down all or portions of a Contractor's operations. The following requirements may be imposed:

(i) All high fire risk operations could be terminated at 1300 local time.

(ii) All burning could be stopped, including debris burning fires.

(iii) Patrolman may be required for a period of 2 hours after high fire risk operations and 1 hour after end of work shift. The Contractor shall provide the patrolman unless the contract is for equipment rental, in which case the Government will provide the patrolman.

(12) Pump and Trailer. The Contractor shall provide at a location satisfactory to the Contracting Officer, a serviceable truck or trailer, equipped with a fire fighting tanker unit to be kept ready for instant use for suppressing forest fires. The unit shall consist of a tank of not less than 100-gallon capacity upon which shall be mounted a live hose reel or live hose basket with 250 feet of at least ¾-inch I.D. heavy-duty rubber hose; a portable or power takeoff pump with discharge capacity of at least 10 gallons per minute at 150 P.S.I. pressure. Gear type pumps shall be provided with a bypass or pressure relief valve so that the hose nozzle may be shut while the pump is operating. Each tanker unit shall have a hose nozzle of the shut-off type, adjustable for straight stream, spray or fog, at least 12 feet of 1-inch suction hose with an intake screen, and additional 250 feet of 3/4 –inch heavy-duty rubber hose or 1-inch cotton jacket rubber-lined or linen hose to be carried on the unit for use as needed. Tools, adapters, accessories and fuel necessary to operate the pump and truck or trailer shall be provided. If a trailer is used, a serviceable vehicle with proper trailer tow hitch shall be located at a point satisfactory to the Contracting Officer. Where water is available, a supply sufficient for rapidly filling the water tank shall be provided at one or more accessible points along or adjacent to the main truck roads.

(13) Burning. Before starting any open burning, the Contractor shall comply with the following:

(i) Submit a burning plan, subject to approval by the Contracting Officer, designed to minimize the impact on air quality and to lessen any fire damage.

(ii) Obtain a burning permit from the District Ranger.

(iii) Use weather forecasts as far as possible in scheduling burning for more favorable dispersal of smoke.

(iv) Fuel shall be reasonably free of dirt and piled to facilitate rapid and complete combustion. Piles shall be tended during burning operations to maintain combustion and to eliminate unnecessary smudges. Piles shall be patrolled during off-work hours to avoid wildfires.

(v) Unless fire season controls dictate otherwise, burning shall be scheduled, as far as practicable, for the most favorable conditions during the burning period.

(vi) Under certain atmospheric conditions, smoke accumulations may become excessive and in these cases, the Regional Forester may, at his/her discretion, prohibit all open burning for definite periods within specific areas of the National Forest.