Appendix_E_-_Spill_Prevention-Response_Plan.pdf

SPILL PREVENTION & RESPONSE PLAN

CDRL CEV-15C

Thule Air Base

FINAL, FY-15

OPR: GREENLAND CONTRACTORS

Chief of Environmental Engineering DSN 629-3840 ext. 2698 Contract No. FA2523-05-C-9001 Supersedes CDRL CEV-15C, FY-14

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 LETTER OF INSTRUCTION

1.1 Security and Administrative Instructions

2 INFORMATION AND EMERGENCY CONTACTS

3 GENERAL

3.1 Purpose

3.2 Scope

3.3 Regulatory Overview

4 PREVENTION SECTION

4.1 Incident Commander (IC)

4.2 General Information

4.3 Potential Spill Locations

4.4 Arrangements for Emergency Services

4.5 Telephone number to emergency services

4.6 Prevention, Control and Countermeasures

4.7 Emergency Equipment

4.8 Communication systems

4.9 Evacuation Plans

4.10 Required Procedures

4.11 Site-specific procedures

4.12 Deficiencies in Spill Prevention and Control Measures

4.13 Worst Case Spill Scenarios

5 SPILL CONTROL SECTION

5.1 Responsibilities, duties, procedures and resources

5.2 Immediate response actions

5.3 Emergency Response Team

5.4 Procedures for ERT alert and response

5.5 Notification of Spills

5.6 Notification of IC, Installation Commander and local authorities

5.7 Assignment of responsibilities for making notifications

5.8 Surveillance procedures for early detection of spills

5.9 Critical Water and Natural resources

5.10 Additional Emergency Assistance Organizations

5.11 Cleanup procedure

5.12 Reuse and disposal of recovered substances and absorbent materials

5.13 General health, safety and fire prevention precautions

5.14 Public Affairs and releasing information

Thule Air Base CDRL CEV-15C Spill Prevention and Response Plan FY 15

6 REPORTING SECTION

6.1 Recordkeeping

6.2 Non-Reportable Spills

6.3 Reportable Spills

6.4 Notification of Host Country Authorities

6.5 Spill Response Training and Drills

6.6 Follow-up actions

APPENDIX 1: POTENTIAL SPILL LOCATIONS, HAZMAT STORAGE

APPENDIX 2: POTENTIAL SPILL LOCATIONS, TANKS AND TRANSFORMERS

APPENDIX 3: SPILL ROUTE MAPS

APPENDIX 4: DRAINAGE PATTERNS

APPENDIX 5: EVACUATION PLANS

APPENDIX 6: WATER PROTECTION AREAS

APPENDIX 7: SPILL MIGRATION PATHWAYS

APPENDIX 8: INVENTORY OF SPILL RESPONSE EQUIPMENT

APPENDIX 9: FUEL DISTRIBUTION PIPELINE MAP

APPENDIX 10: DOCUMENTATION FOR CLEAN-UP ACTIONS

APPENDIX 11: SPILL ROUTE MAP, FLIGHTLINE

APPENDIX 12: SITE SPECIFIC CONTINGENCY PLAN (EXAMPLE)

APPENDIX 13: PETROLEUM PRODUCT CONTAMINANTS OF CONCERN

APPENDIX 14 : PROCEDURES

APPENDIX 15: DISTRIBUTION LIST

APPENDIX 16: REVIEW COMMENTS……………...…………………………………………146

1 LETTER OF INSTRUCTION

1.1 Security and Administrative Instructions

Title

: The long title of this plan is “Spill Prevention and Response Plan”. The short title is SPRP, and this title will be used as reference throughout the entire document.

Classification

: The document is unclassified.

Responsibilities

: Greenland Contractors, Environmental Engineering (GC/EE) is the office with the primary responsibility for developing and maintaining the plan. The instructions given in this plan are applicable to all organizations and tenant units on Thule AB. Organizations are authorized to extract and reproduce those portions of the plan that are essential in the execution of the necessary planning and in the preparation of supporting documents and reports.

References

: References referred to in the SPRP do not appear in the plan, but they may be accessed through GC/EE or the Air Force Electronic Publication Library (AFEPL).

Reviews/changes

: The SPRP is reviewed and updated annually IAW the CDRL and distributed accordingly.

A draft is submitted to relevant GC organizations and the requiring office, 21 CES/CEIE, by 1 Nov for review. Review comments, if any, will be provided by 21 CES/CEIE within 60 days.

Review comments received will be incorporated in the final version of the plan within 30 days; thereafter the document will be submitted to 821 ABG/CC for signature. The signed plan will then be submitted as the Final edition.

Furthermore, the plan is subject to change if any of the applicable laws, regulations, or requirements are altered.

Distribution: The plan will be distributed to the organizations shown on the distribution list in Appendix 15.

2 INFORMATION AND EMERGENCY CONTACTS

As Thule AB is a remote site, no immediate support from outside installation agencies may be expected in case of emergencies. If an emergency occurs and Thule AB is not capable of responding, 21st Space Wing must be contacted.

Emergency Phone Numbers List of persons to be contacted in case of an emergency situation and their phone numbers:

Department Extension

Main Base Fire Department or Ambulance 911

12 SWS Site I Fire Department or Ambulance 911

DET-1 Fire Department or Ambulance 911

821 SFS Security Forces 911

Storm Operations Center 2764

Civil Engineering Service Call 2111

GC Environmental Responder on Call (Service Call) 2111

GC Chief of Environmental Engineering 2698

Spill Response Team Supervisor 2815

821 SPTS/SG Medical Liaison Officer 2696

821 ABG Safety Officer 2709

821 SPTS/CE Civil Engineering 3274

Danish Liaison Officer 2276/2206

Danish Police Inspector 2406/1448

21 CES/CEIE DSN 834-7707

(All 911 calls are directed to the Service center automatically)

3 GENERAL

3.1 Purpose

The purpose of the plan is to assure that documented guidance regarding spill prevention and response is available to all installation personnel. The plan will describe the procedures, methods, and equipment being used to prevent spills at Thule AB, as well as procedures to be followed in case of releases, accidents, and spills. The goal is to achieve a full state of awareness throughout the installation and in this way enable personnel to:

• Be familiar with spill prevention and response procedures including related regulatory requirements.

• Develop related planning documents (e.g. action plans) that will bring the installation into full compliance with regulatory requirements.

• Quickly and appropriately respond to spills in a manner that will greatly reduce or eliminate contamination, which is the overall purpose.

• Maintain a safe working environment at the installation.

3.2 Scope

The provisions of the SPRP apply throughout the whole installation and to all personnel.

Certain responsibilities are specifically assigned to selected individuals identified in the plan.

The SPRP limits its contents to spill prevention and response issues. Related plans have been developed to cover other functions and may need to be consulted. TABI 10-105 controls the Thule Response Group. This TABI is the overall response instruction for major spills and natural disasters.

3.3 Regulatory Overview

Thule AB is required to comply with the Final Governing Standards for Environmental Protection by the United States Forces in Greenland.

The Greenland Government (GG) Authority has the primary role for environmental protection in Greenland, including supervision on Thule Air Base.

4 PREVENTION SECTION

4.1 Incident Commander (IC)

The IC at Thule AB is the Fire Chief. The following table lists the IC and alternates.

TABLE 4.1

Roster listing the IC and alternates, IAW FGS C18.3.2.1

Title Responsibility Duties Duty Phone

Tetra Phone

Fire Chief Incident Commander First Responder

Evaluate spill situation. Provide guidance in spill containment, clean-up actions and restoration activities.

Coordinate HAZMAT personnel and Spill Response Team

3249 (88) 3249

Asst. Fire Chief, Tech.

Alternate IC First Responder

Evaluate spill situation. Provide guidance in spill containment, clean-up actions and restoration activities.

Coordinate HAZMAT personnel and Spill Response Team

(88) 3158

Asst. Fire Chief, Operations

Alternate IC First Responder

Evaluate spill situation. Provide guidance in spill containment, clean-up actions and restoration activities.

Coordinate HAZMAT personnel and Spill Response Team

(88) 4650

(88) 4652

(88) 4651

4.2 General Information

4.2.1 Facility Description

Thule AB is located 695 miles North of the Arctic Circle (76 32' North latitude, 68 50' West longitude), and 947 miles south of the North Pole on the northwest side of the island of Greenland. It is approximately 550 miles east of the North Magnetic Pole.

The Thule Defense Area is a large land area that includes various base functions outside the Main Base area (Appendix 6). Thule AB contains three distinct areas; Main Base, 12 SWS, and Det-1. The areas of the base are divided into building areas designated as 100 through 900 areas. The Group Headquarters and other support functions are located in the 400 area of the base. The area identified as the goal for consolidation efforts is within the 100 and 200 areas (See Figure 1) together with the flight line facilities in the 600 area. Also, some large facilities in the 500, 700, 800 and 900 areas, primarily with stand-alone heating systems, will remain.

Figure 1: Thule AB Main Base Area

Thule AB is located in the valley of a glacially fed stream called North River. This area is designated by the Danish government as the Thule Defense Area. The Main Base is located on a relatively flat plain near the mouth of the stream. The active landfill at Thule is located southeast of the main base (Figure 3, taken from Final Landfill Assessment and Operations Management Plan, 821st ABG, December 2005). DET-1 is located 3 miles east of the Main Base (Figure 4) and 12 SWS located 12 miles northeast and 1,250 feet higher on a hill overlooking Wolstenholme Fjord (Figure 5). Lake Crescent is used for potable water production and is located 5 miles east of the main base (Figure 6).

The base mission consists of 12th Space Warning Squadron (12 SWS) and 23rd Space Operations Squadron (DET-1, 23 SOPS) satellite tracking and control operation.

Figure 2: Map of Thule Air Base

Figure 3: Thule AB Landfill area

Figure 4: Thule AB DET-1 area

Figure 5: Thule AB 12 SWS area

Figure 6: Thule AB Lake Crescent area

4.2.2 Water protection Areas

There are three main water protection areas. They are the North Star River, North Star Bay, and Lake Crescent. Maps of these three locations are shown in Appendix 6 Water Protection Areas

4.2.3 Maps of Locations

Figure 1 to Figure 6 above show maps of the locations covered by this plan. The locations are the Thule AB Main Base Area, Thule AB Landfill area, Thule AB DET-1 area, Thule AB 12 SWS area, and the Thule AB Lake Crescent area.

4.2.4 Critical water resources

Lake Crescent is a critical water resource to Thule Air Base functioning as water supply of potable water to Thule AB(See map of Lake Crescent, Figure 6). Lake Crescent is the only approved potable water supply for all facilities at Thule AB. There is no direct protection of the water source in Lake Crescent and runoff from the watershed goes directly into the lake.

The pump and water treatment facility is no longer in use and the fuel custodial tanks associated with the buildings have been removed as have any chemicals associated with the water treatment. Handling of chemicals and other water pollutants is not to take place in the proximity of the lake without taking special precautions.

4.2.5 Land Uses

The locations indentified in section 4.2.3 are all support functions to Thule Air Base. Land Uses / Land management at Thule AB are described in CDRL CEE-2 CE General Plan and CDRL CEV-13 Conservation Management Plan.

4.2.6 Possible Migration Pathways

The possible migration pathways are shown in Appendix 7 Spill Migration Pathways. The red arrows indicate the flow direction.

4.2.7 Drainage Patterns

Drainage patterns are shown in Appendix 4

4.3 Potential Spill Locations

A significant spill is defined as an uncontained release to the land or water in excess of any of the following quantities:

• For hazardous waste or hazardous substance identified as a result of inclusion in Table AP1.T4 of the Final Governing Standards, any quantity in excess of the reportable quantity listed in the table;

• For POL or liquid or semi-liquid hazardous material, hazardous waste or hazardous substance, in excess of 400 liters (110 gallons);

• For other solid hazardous material, in excess of 225 Kg (500 pounds); or

• For combinations of POL and liquid, semi-liquid and solid hazardous materials, hazardous waste or hazardous substance, in excess of 340 Kg (750 pounds).

If a spill is contained inside an impervious berm, or on a nonporous surface, or inside a building and is not volatilized and is cleaned up, the spill is considered a contained release and is not considered a significant spill.

All HAZMAT storage locations where there can be a significant spill are listed in Appendix 1.

Bulk Storage sites for JP-8 are 12 Bulk Storage Tanks (BST) at Tank Farm North, Tank 98 at the pier and two BSTs at J-plant (bldg. 4016). Further, there are a large number of smaller organizational tanks at Thule AB. Appendix 2 lists the tanks that can produce a significant spill.

Bulk Storage, Handling and Transfer sites are listed in Appendix 2, with range and total quantity of spill.

4.4 Arrangements for Emergency Services

Emergency services are provided by Greenland Contractors. Security is provided by 821st Security Forces Squadron. Sections 5.1.3 - 5.1.6 and 5.1.11 describe the role of each emergency response team.

4.5 Telephone number to emergency services

The telephone number to emergency services on a 24 hour basis is ext. 911.

For incidents where there is no imminent danger to human health or the environment, the incident can be reported to service call instead at ext. 2860.

4.6 Prevention, Control and Countermeasures

The potential sites where a significant spill can occur are listed in Appendix 1 and 2.

The slope of the terrain will cause all spills in the main base area to ultimately flow west, eventually reaching the North Star Bay (possibly via the North Star River).

Further, the Wolstenholme Fjord could be threatened by a major spill incident at 12 SWS.

Most indoor spills will be contained to the building in which the tanks or hazardous material are located. A spill will be contained using compound absorbent material and spill kits. The primary concern will be the safety of personnel and entry into the sewage system. All indoor potential spill locations must have appropriate spill kits available.

Site specific spill route maps for outdoor locations are provided in Appendix 3 and indicate the potential direction of flow.

Appendix 1 lists the areas where large amounts of hazardous materials and/or waste are stored. The table is listed according to building number, functional area, amount and type of material or waste. The hazardous material inventories from the individual shops are overseen by GC/EE and GC Supply, who maintain a database over the purchase and stock of hazardous materials.

In all cases spills will be collected in trucks to be temporarily disposed of in POL/water tanks designated for POL spills or stored at Bldg 604 for later shipment as hazardous waste. In case the storage capacity of Thule AB is not sufficient, outside emergency assistance will be required and can be obtained from the list of organizations in section 5.10. Contact to these organizations will occur through 821 ABG/CC.

4.7 Emergency Equipment

Appendix 8 contains an inventory of emergency equipment used by the Emergency Response Team. Appendix 1 and 2 list emergency equipment present at potential spill locations.

4.8 Communication systems

At Thule Air Base there are the following communication systems, which can be used under a spill incident:

• Telephone system

• Tetrasystem

In the initial phase of a spill incident, the alarm will go via the telephone system using 911.

4.9 Evacuation Plans

Evacuation plans for potential spill sites, where there is a possibility that evacuation would be necessary, are provided in Appendix 5. The signal for evacuations at Thule AB is fire alarms.

4.10 Required Procedures

Written procedures to preclude spills, inspections and recordkeeping requirements can be found in Appendix 14

4.11 Site-specific procedures

In Appendix 12 an example of the contingency plans can be found. At each potential spill locations, these plans are posted with appropriate spill flow route maps or evacuation plans from Appendix 3 and 5, respectively.

4.12 Deficiencies in Spill Prevention and Control Measures.

The following deficiencies have been identified at Thule AB

TABLE 4.2

Deficiencies in TAB’s Spill Prevention and Control Measures.

Potential Spill Location Deficiencies Tanker at DeLong Pier Inability to anchor boom at Dundas Mountain

Inability to recover POL from ocean surface Tank Farm North No storage capacity for worst case spill

Inability to deploy boom at North Star River mouth Inadequate Secondary Containment (Tank 34)

Fuel Distribution System Inability to deploy boom at North Star River mouth 12 SWS BSTs Inability to deploy boom in Wolstenholme Fjord

4.13 Worst Case Spill Scenarios

The worst case discharge for Thule AB is 2.5 million gallons IAW FGS Appendix AP2. Thule AB does not have the capability to respond to a spill of that magnitude

. The procedures below are a reflection on what could be done with the resources available and should not be interpreted as final or even satisfactory responses. Additional emergency assistance organizations are listed in section 5.10.

4.13.1 Tank ship operation

A disaster scenario at Thule AB would be if the tanker that delivers POL to Thule AB during the summer experienced a significant spill. More than 10 million gallons of JP-8 jet fuel are received annually. This amount is considered as the Worst Case Discharge (WCD) for a vessel spill near Thule AB. Pumps are available to recover fuel from the ocean surface. The pumps can only be deployed from the pier and have a capacity of 154 gallons per minute.

The collected water and fuel would be disposed in an empty BST (which will be available during the tanker operation).

Thule AB is capable of deploying a spill boom. The boom is long enough to reach the Dundas Mountain and there is a tethering point there to contain spills from tankers or spills entering the North Star River. However, experiences from the annual exercises indicate that the engine power of the available push boat is insufficient to deploy more than 400 meters of boom due to the heavy current. The boom would be deployed in a loop around the tanker.

In case a weather warning calling for high speed winds is issued the fuel transfer will be aborted temporarily. This minimizes the risk of a spill under conditions where the POL will enter open water fast and thus prevent outside assistance from arriving in time to avoid an environmental disaster.

The Thule AB tank farm consists of twelve Bulk Storage Tanks (BSTs), each with a capacity of 2.1 million gallons. The BSTs all have secondary containment in the form of berms that incorporate double liners, drainage, and all tanks are equipped with level gauges and alarms.

The secondary containment berms are sized for 110% of the tank capacity. The tank farm is located on a hill side above the North River with the first tank being approximately a mile from the bay.

4.13.2 Tank Farm North

A critical failure of a BST could potentially release more than 2 million gallons fuel. The procedure for containing such an event would be to pump the spill from the secondary containment to an empty bulk storage tank. No BST is designated for this purpose and if all BSTs are full the spill would remain in the secondary containment basin until a BST could be emptied. The probability of such a failure is very low.

The fuel transfer lines between Tank Farm North and buildings and tanks pass over the North Star River. During high river flows or flooding these lines are potentially at risk. Even if the fuel transfer is aborted immediately following the detection of a leak, the volume of fuel in the pipelines is thousands of gallons. The Spill Boom cannot currently be deployed to contain the mouth of the North Star River and Thule’s response capability would be limited to deploying POL absorbing pillows across the mouth of the river.

4.13.3 J-site (12 SWS power plant)

J-site is located on a hill approximately 1200 feet above sea level which slopes down to a pristine glacial fjord on its north side. This site has two 126,000-gallon tanks with secondary steel berms. A failure of one or both of the bulk storage tanks at 12 SWS would endanger the Wolstenholme Fjord. The tanks are protected by secondary containment IAW the FGS and the risk of such a failure is very low. However, the fuel transfer pipes between the BSTs and the day tanks inside the 12 SWS power point do not have secondary containment or shut-off valves. Although unlikely, a vehicle could crash into these pipes with disastrous consequences. Project WWCX 10-1024 has been identified to address this deficiency. If such a spill were to happen, Thule does not have the capability to respond, especially in extreme weather. Emergency measures would be to extend the broken pipe back into the containment area and establish earth or sandbag dikes to limit the release to the fiord. This applies to failures on the fuel pipelines at the main base as well.

4.13.4 Recommended options for addressing deficiencies

An assessment of the equipment and training required to address these deficiencies has been prepared based on a site visit during the 2011 tanker operation. The report was prepared for 21 CES/CEIE (REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS for the OIL SPILL RESPONSE AND CONTINGENCY PLAN for THULE AIR BASE, GREENLAND, prepared by PCCI Marine and Environmental Engineering, 28 November 2011).

The report concludes that Thule Air Base is not prepared to respond to a large oil spill, and is especially unprepared to respond to a Worst Case Discharge from either a vessel or the above ground storage tanks. Thule AB does not at the present have enough response equipment and does not have adequate personnel trained in Oil Spill Response and the following crisis management.

The report recommends three solutions for required training and equipment. The recommendations are reproduced in table 4.3. In 2011 21 CES/CEIE, 821 SPTS/CE, 821 SPTS/LGF and GC/EE agreed to pursue option B (median equipment).

TABLE 4.3

Recommended Options for Deficiencies in TAB’s Spill Prevention and Control Measures.

ITEM RECOMMENDATION A

MINIMUM EQUIPMENT &

COST EST

RECOMMENDATION B

MEDIAN EQUIPMENT & COST

EST

RECOMMENDATION C

FULL SERVICE EQUIPMENT

& COST EST

1 ONE SMALL BRUSH SKIMMER

LAMOR MINIMAX 12- WITH HPU,

PUMP & HOSE

EDRC = 53 X 6.85714 = 363

COST EST = $ 29,100

ONE SMALL BRUSH SKIMMER

EDRC= 363

COST EST = $ 29,100

ONE SMALL BRUSH SKIMMER

EDRC= 363

COST EST = $ 29,100

2 ONE INTERMEDIATE BRUSH

SKIMMER SYSTEM

LAMOR MINIMAX 60 W/S

CAPACITY 264 GPM. WITH HPU

AND PUMP AND HOSE. FOR

ICE/OPEN WATER.

EDRC = 1810

COST = $ 37,500

THREE INTERMEDIATE BRUSH

SKIMMER SYSTEMS

EDRC = 1810 EACH

COST = $ 37,500 EACH

ONE INTERMEDIATE BRUSH

SKIMMER SYSTEM

EDRC = 1810

COST = $ 37,500

3 ONE SUPPORT BOAT

LANDING CRAFT TYPE WITH A

BOW RAMP

ELASTEC INC.

COST (FOR 2 BOATS)

= $ 108,000

TWO SUPPORT BOATS

AT LEAST ONE BOAT SHOULD BE A

LANDING CRAFT TYPE BOAT WITH A

BOW RAMP

COST = $ 212,000

ONE LARGE MULTI BRUSH OCEAN

SKIMMER TYPE: DESMI HELIX,

LAMOR LFF 100, OR DESMI POLAR

BEAR

*EDRC = 3017 BBLS PER DAY

COST = $ 125,000 TO $ 294,000

4 TRAINING FOR 10 PEOPLE

ESTIMATE $ 1800 PER PERSON

FOR FIVE DAYS IN SPILL

SCHOOL IN TEXAS INCLUDES

PER DIEM OF $70/DAY. HOTEL

$ 115 AND SCHOOL COST OF

825 PER PERSON. DOES NOT

INCLUDE FLIGHT COST

COST $ 18,000

HARBOR BOOM (JUST BOOM, NO

REEL OR POWER SUPPLY)

1000 FEET

COST $ 13,900

TWO SUPPORT BOATS

COST = $ 212,000

5 NOFI FAST WATER BOOM

SYSTEM

(HARBOR BUSTER)

COST = $ 125,000

NOFI FAST WATER BOOM (HARBOR

BUSTER)

COST $ 125,000

HARBOR BOOM (JUST BOOM, NO

REEL OR POWER SUPPLY)

1000 FEET

COST $ 13,900

6 Portable Storage Tanks TRAINING BASIC SPILL RESPONSE:

10 PEOPLE FOR SCHOOL PLUS

MEAL PER DIEM PLUS HOTEL EST

COST $ 18,000

NOFI FAST WATER BOOM

(HARBOR BUSTER)

COST $ 125,000

7 Portable Storage Tanks TRAINING BASIC SPILL

RESPONSE: 10 PEOPLE FOR 1

WEEK TEXAS A&M PLUS MEAL

PER DIEM PLUS HOTEL EST

COST $ 18,000

Table reproduced from REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS for the OIL SPILL RESPONSE AND CONTINGENCY PLAN for THULE AIR BASE, GREENLAND. Report prepared by: PCCI Marine and Environmental Engineering, November 2011

5 SPILL CONTROL SECTION

The spill control section may be considered a contingency plan and is also often referred to as the spill response section. The scope of this section is to identify resources for cleaning up spills at installations and activities located in the Thule Defense Area, and to provide assistance to other agencies when requested.

5.1 Responsibilities, duties, procedures and resources

It is the responsibility of the personnel mentioned below to maintain the procedures necessary for implementing this plan. Such procedures shall ensure adequate training of personnel and implementation of environmental protection and pollution abatement procedures in their areas of responsibility. The personnel will designate additional project officers and monitors as required ensuring an effective program. These designated individuals will continuously inspect the work areas under their individual areas of responsibility. The names and telephone numbers of the project officers and monitors will be posted in prominent locations at potential spill sites.

The Emergency Response Team (ERT) consists of personnel from the GC Fire Department (HAZMAT personnel) and designated individuals from GC Operations (the Spill Response Team).

The personnel involved in the process of containing and cleaning up spills at Thule AB (including drills) are identified below. Other offices can be involved in follow-up actions.

5.1.1 Installation Commander (821 ABG/CC)

The Installation Commander exercises the overall responsibility for the management of spill prevention and response planning at Thule AB. The 821 ABG/CC is the chairperson of the Environmental Safety Occupational Health Council (ESOHC).

Public affairs including all notifications to the DLO and/or external offices must be accomplished by or coordinated with the Installation Commander prior to execution. The Installation Commander designates the Incident Commander (IC).

5.1.2 Danish Liaison Officer (DLO)

The Danish Liaison Officer serves as the official representative of Denmark, and Greenland Self Rule at Thule AB.

5.1.3 Consolidated Service Center (GC/LGCM)

The Consolidated Communication Center (CCC) receives emergency calls (911) and activates responders. The CCC is also known as Service Center.

5.1.4 Security Forces Squadron (821 SFS)

During a spill situation, Security Forces will:

• Evacuate personnel from the scene, if needed, based on the decisions of the Incident Commander or the Fire Chief.

• Secure the area as “Off Limits” to unauthorized personnel.

• Coordinate the movement of specific personnel to assist at the incident scene.

• Direct traffic.

5.1.5 HAZMAT Personnel and Incident Commander (GC Fire Department) The Fire Department at Thule AB is the first responder to all incidents. The responsibilities include responding, containing and assessing all incidents to ensure that the scene is a safe and controlled incident site. It is the Fire Chief’s responsibility to designate an entry control point based on the incident situation. The Fire Chief or Assistant Fire Chief on duty is the designated Incident Commander (IC) by the installation commander.

The IC is responsible for directing and coordinating all spill response actions within Thule AB.

The IC will have the authority to utilize the expertise and resources of the Emergency Response Team (ERT), or any other office of expertise in determining and performing response actions.

5.1.6 Spill Response Team (GC/OMUFM)

The Spill Response Team (SRT) consists of designated members mainly from the Utilities Facilities Maintenance section, but personnel from the Transportation and Vehicle Maintenance shops can also be appointed. Members must have received training in HAZMAT communication training and have a technical background. The task of the SRT is to respond to spills when requested by the Incident Commander or the Fire Chief in order to perform spill containment, recovery, disposal, and restoration activities.

The SRT will be notified by the IC and requested to initiate cleanup actions when the incident scene is considered under control and safe to enter. The SRT at TAB is limited in equipment and training, and is therefore not able to respond to all types of incidents. The role of the SRT is to provide manpower for low-risk clean-up tasks and they will always work under the direction of the Incident Commander. Specific incidents they would not be able to respond include chemical spills were response activities require chemical protection suits and/or advanced respiratory protection equipment. Peterson AFB will be contacted for assistance in case of an emergency that Thule AB is not equipped for or otherwise able to respond to.

5.1.7 Civil Engineering Flight Commander (821 SPTS/CE)

The Civil Engineering COR will oversee GC response efforts and act as the point of contact for follow-on actions and remediation efforts.

5.1.8 Environmental Engineering (GC/EE)

GC/EE has the responsibility of managing the Thule AB SPRP. In a spill situation, GC/EE is tasked to assist the IC in evaluating the situation and provide guidance on spill containment, cleanup actions and restoration activities. GC/EE will manage a record of all spills at TAB and prepare all required reports and documentation.

5.1.9 Pavement and Grounds (GC/LGTT)

The GC Pavement and Grounds division will perform excavations and transport contaminated snow and/or soil as requested by Environmental Engineering.

5.1.10 Safety Organization

The Chief of Safety (821 ABG/SE) is notified of major spills. GC/OHS will provide technical expertise on safety hazards at the request of the IC or Chief of Safety.

5.1.11 GC Health Services (GC/SG)

GC Health Services (the base hospital) can be activated by the IC to provide medical expertise.

5.1.12 General Personnel

Each individual working at Thule AB including all seasonal contractors are tasked to report any spills to the Service Center ext. 2860 and to take every reasonable precaution to prevent spills.

Appendix 8 provides data on locations and quantities of spill response equipment at Thule AB. This is to provide a better and more efficient emergency response to minor spills and to keep a total list of equipment available and updated. Shops can use the lists as a reference, if a spill occurs within their shop and additional spill response equipment is needed.

5.2 Immediate response actions

All permanent residents at Thule AB are obligated to react immediately, when a spill incident occurs and/or is first discovered (e.g. by calling 911, 2860 or 2111). Depending on the quantity of the spill, some personnel groups may be able to initiate an immediate response.

Immediate response actions can include

• Restrict all sources of ignition

• Check causes and stop source of spill if possible without undue risk of personal injury, stop source of spill or establish containment/diversionary devices to contain release.

• Evacuate the area

• Report the incident to the Consolidated Communication Center (CCC) ext. 911. For spills of less than 25 gallons of POL product the spill can be reported to GC/EE (ext 2698) if personnel at the scene are able to respond to the incident. Adequate response will be verified by GC/EE,

• Make the spill scene “Off Limits” to unauthorized personnel

Further actions will follow the procedure described in section 5.11

5.3 Emergency Response Team

The personnel involved in spill response actions can be divided in two groups; HAZMAT personnel and the Spill Response Team (SRT).

5.3.1 HAZMAT personnel

The HAZMAT personnel will complete the initial response to any spill situation and get it under control. HAZMAT personnel are trained professional responders (fire fighters) from the GC Fire Department. Documentation for educational background for IC and fire fighters is available at GC Human Resources. The IC directs the HAZMAT personnel.

5.3.2 Spill Response Team

The Spill Response Team (SRT) will be notified by the IC and requested to initiate cleanup actions when the incident scene is considered under control and safe to enter, using appropriate personal protection if needed.

The SRT consists of designated members mainly from the Utilities Facilities Maintenance section, but personnel from other shops can also be appointed. The task of the SRT is to respond to spills when requested by the Incident Commander or the Fire Chief in order to perform spill containment, recovery, disposal, and restoration activities.

In order to provide the SRT with the skills needed to handle a spill situation, the training will include:

• Safety training concerning emergency response information, measures to protect the employee from hazards associated with hazard materials; methods and procedures for avoiding accidents

• Training in the use of respiratory equipment

• Training in how to act at spill locations

• Training in waste management

• Performing a drill in cooperation with the HAZMAT team and The Spill Response

Team Training in the use of Spill Response Equipment (Appendix 8) is accomplished with on-the-job training.

GC Environmental Engineering coordinates this training as a one-day course in cooperation with the supervisor of the Spill Response Team, The Fire Department and GC Occupational Health and Safety. Training will be based on MSDS information on the general chemicals present at Thule AB and on site-specific conditions.

Training records are maintained at the GC Site Management Support.

5.4 Procedures for ERT alert and response

The Incident Commander or alternate is on duty at all times. The ERT is activated through the Consolidated Service Center.

When notified about a spill incident by the CCC the Fire Department responds immediately to contain the incident and initiate the clean-up. Access to CCC is available at all times by radio or phone. Maximum response times for different parts of the base are given below:

• On-scene response time from pre-positioned airfield locations for pre-announced emergencies does not exceed one minute.

• Initial on-scene response time for unannounced airfield emergencies does not exceed three minutes. Full on-scene response time does not exceed four minutes from initial notification.

• Initial on-scene response time for structural and rescue emergencies on Thule main base does not exceed five minutes. Full on-scene response time does not exceed seven minutes.

• Initial on-scene response time for structural and rescue emergencies at Det-1 does not exceed eight minutes. Full on-scene response time does not exceed 14 minutes.

• Initial on-scene response time by the two fire fighters at 12 SWS Site 1 for structural and rescue emergencies does not exceed 7 minutes. Full on-scene response time does not exceed 30 minutes. For all buildings at 12 SWS with the exception of #4002 the response time during storm conditions may not exceed 10 minutes (longer response time due to the fact that the fire fighters will have to respond to the situation via tunnel on an electric powered “golf car”).

• Initial on-scene response time for structural and rescue emergencies at North Mountain does not exceed 11 minutes. Full on-scene response time does not exceed 17 minutes.

• Initial on-scene response time for structural and rescue emergencies at South Mountain does not exceed 16 minutes. Full on-scene response time does not exceed 22 minutes.

Ambulance service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. An ambulance is capable of transporting patients and emergency medical technicians. EMTs are under the direction and oversight of a physician when treating patients.

The IC may request the activation of the Spill Response Team. The activation of Spill Response Team members is coordinated by the CCC. This position is staffed at all times.

The individual Spill Response Team members are activated by telephone or radio.

5.5 Notification of Spills

The CCC is manned at all times. For every spill incident, the IC and Chief of Environmental Engineering or alternates are notified by phone or tetra. For emergencies reported through the Sercive Center (ext.: 911) the following roster of persons are notified by phone or personal pagers.

TABLE 5.1

Key personnel Roster regarding spill response

Person/organization Office symbol Office Email Phone duty tetra number

Phone home

CCC Hilltop (service center)

GC/LGCM N/A

(servicecenter@gc.gl)

911 N/A N/A

Incident Commander

GC/AMF fireofficer@gc.gl 3249 88 3249 3149

GC Env.

Engineering

GC/EE environmental@gc.gl 2698 88 2698 2698

Civil Engineering 821 SPTS/CE 821sptscedistro@us.af.mil 3274 88 3274 3274 Chief of Safety 821 ABG/SE jacob.tarin@us.af.mil 2709 88 2709 3432 GC Operations GC/OPS sni@gc.gl 3207 88 3207 3207 GC Site Manager GC/CC sgp@gc.gl 3808 88 3808 3808

Notification of reportable and non-reportable spills will also occur through email as described in chapter 6.2 and 6.3. Spill Memos and CDRLs will use current email addresses from the CDRL distribution list.

5.6 Notification of IC, Installation Commander and local authorities

When notifying the Fire Department, the following information should be provided:

• Name of individual reporting spill

• Location of spill

• Number of injured personnel and nature of injuries

• Substance spilled

• Amount spilled (estimated)

• Rate substance currently leaking (estimated)

• Time spill occurred (estimated)

• Extent to which the spill has traveled

• Any pertinent information (e.g. other potential hazards)

All notification of the Installation Commander will follow the chain of command and be initiated by 821 SPTS/CE.

The Danish Liaison Officer (DLO) serves as the official representative of Denmark, and the Greenlandic Government at Thule Air Base. All notifications to the DLO and/or external offices must be accomplished by or coordinated with the Installation Commander prior to execution. The role of the DLO is discussed further in section 6.4.

5.7 Assignment of responsibilities for making notifications

All permanent residents at Thule AB are obligated to react immediately, when a spill incident occurs and/or is first discovered. Specific obligations depend on the size of the spill and the capacity of the shop to perform an appropriate response on their own.

Small POL Spill (< 3 gallons):

If the spill is small and can be responded to by the shop personnel, actions to control and clean up the spill will be initiated. GC/EE and/or Service Call must immediately be notified and will verify that the spill has been cleaned up appropriately. If a spill kit is used in the spill response action, this must be properly disposed of in accordance with the Hazardous Waste Management Plan or guidance provided by GC/EE.

Medium POL Spill (3 – 25 gallons):

If the shop personnel can respond the spill, the above guidelines shall be used.

If the spill cannot be handled or occurs in areas of concern, the personnel on site will notify the Alarm Center ext.: 911

Large POL Spill (> 25 gallons):

The personnel on site will notify the Alarm Center ext.: 911 When receiving a 911 call, the Consolidated Service Center is responsible for notifications as described in section 5.5

Non-POL HAZMAT or Hazardous Waste Spills of any size:

The personnel on site will notify the Service Center ext.: 911. Service Call may be contacted instead if there is no imminent risk to human health or the environment. When receiving a call, the Consolidated Service Center is responsible for notifications as described in section 5.5.

Sewage spill incidents All Thule AB personnel are obligated to notify the Consolidated Communication Center or CCC (GC/LGCM) immediately in case of a sewage spill/release to the storm water drainage system. The Consolidated Communication Center provides the dispatch to Service Call (ext 2111).

When the sewage spill/release incident is non-reportable (below 1000 gallons), the Consolidated Communication Center immediately activates:

• GC Utilities Facilities Maintenance (GC/OMUFM)

• GC Environmental Engineering (GC/EE)

If the sewage spill/release incident is reportable (1000 gallons or above), the Consolidated Communication Center will also notify location and volume of the sewage spill/release by telephone or pager to:

• GC Site Manager (GC/CC)

• GC Operations Manager (GC/OPS)

• GC Base Civil Engineer (GC/CE)

• GC Chief of Environmental Engineering (GC/EE)

Further notification procedures are given in section 6.2, 6.3 and 6.4

5.8 Surveillance procedures for early detection of spills

The 2-person principle is used during fuel transfer processes. One operator is located at the facility where the transfer process begins – and one operator is located at the facility where the transfer process ends. Both operators are in radio contact to ensure quick response and a complete stop if a leak occurs.

The Preventive Maintenance Program (PMP) calls for regular inspections and maintenance of all bulk quantity tanks, the fuel pipeline system, and valves. Monthly inspections include check of corrosion, damages and leaks (Appendix 14).

Inspections of HAZMAT storage areas are performed by GC/EE.

5.9 Critical Water and Natural resources

GC/EE must notify 21 CES/CEIE if a spill occurs in sensitive areas or an area with natural resources. All reporting must be coordinated with 821 SPTS/CE and the Installation

Commander. The Thule Defense Area has several areas of concern that must be protected in the event of a spill. A prioritized list is given below:

1 Lake Crescent (drinking water resource) 2 North Star Bay (coastal water) 3 Wolstenholme Fjord (coastal water) 4 North Star River 5 Streams, rivers and lakes 6 Locations that cannot be properly cleaned and reestablished

Among the lakes in the area, Lake Crescent especially must be protected from any pollution, as this lake is used as Thule AB’s supply of potable water.

The North Star Bay and Wolstenholme Fjord are very vulnerable areas in case of POL (Petroleum, oil and lubricant) spills during the tanker operations, or release of POL elsewhere at Thule AB. A spill may result in potential damage to the arctic environment around the Thule Defense Area.

The many streams and rivers flowing through the Thule Defense Area lead to coastal waters, therefore any spill in these streams and rivers will eventually end up in the coastal waters.

Soil and Vegetation: In high arctic areas, natural degrading of contaminated soils happens very slowly due to the harsh conditions. Therefore inaccessible locations such as mountainsides are areas of concern.

In general the best way to protect critical water and natural resources is to prevent spills from entering the Storm Water Drainage System. Best management practices for various activities are described in the Storm Water Management Plan CDRL CEV-15G.

5.10 Additional Emergency Assistance Organizations

Following a major peacetime accident involving POL and/or hazardous materials Thule AB may require outside assistance. Actions required may range from simple suppression to highly complex and time-consuming operations with international and/or political implications.

It is recognized that response to accidents occurring outside the Thule Defense Area may also be required. Such responses must be coordinated through the Thule AB Danish Liaison Officer (DLO) using appropriate Greenlandic and Danish official channels (Grønlands Kommando). Further details of actions to be taken during major peacetime accidents, including base evacuation, are outlined in Thule AB COOP/CEMP 10-2 (Continuity of Operations/Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan). Additional emergency assistance or information may be required during or after a spill incident. For this purpose, the following list contains contact numbers for various offices that may be of assistance.

Contact to these offices will occur through the 821 ABG/CC:

Table 5.2 Additional Emergency Assistance Organizations roster

Name of Organization Assistance Available Telephone Number U.S. Forces Scott AFB or MAJCOM Additional Communication Support DSN 576-1110 (opr) HQ AFSPC Airlift Support Scott AFB Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (AFRCC)

Airlift Support DSN 576-4815/16/17/18/19 Commercial: (618) 256- 4815/16/17/18/19

Elmendorf RCC, Elmendorf AFB, AK Emergency contact DSN 517 522-5375 Alaska Rescue Coordination Center Emergency contact DSN 317 551-7230 Air Force Civil Engineering Services Agency (AFCESA)

Technical guidance and assistance DSN 970-1110

USAF Occupational and Environmental Health Laboratory (OEHL)

Sampling and analytical support for a complex spill

DSN 240-3305

Chemical Transportation Emergency Center (CHEMTREC)

24-hour hot line warnings and limited guidance to OSC when spill product can be identified by either chemical or trade name

US 1(800) 424-9300

Environmental Technical Information Systems (ETIS)

State and federal regulations Directories of federal and state contracts

DSN 970-6167

Oil and Hazardous Materials Technical Assistance Data System (OHMTADS)

Computerized information on various hazardous substances

US 1(800) 424-8802

SUPSALV ESSM – Oil Spill Abatement Equipment and Personal Assets

(SUPSALV)

Provides a variety of customized training to meet a range of compliance and readiness goals for both oil and hazardous substance spill risks and has Emergency Ship Salvage Material (ESSM) equipment available to various requesting agencies.

Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) OPN312 - Phone Number (703) 692-1852.

or US Navy SUPSALV:

NAVSEA Duty Officer 202- 781-3889 Code OOC25 Kemp Skudin Naval Sea Systems Command 1333 Isaac Hull Avenue S. E. Stop 1070 Washington Navy Yard, D. C. 20376-1070

Table 5.2 Additional Emergency Assistance Organizations roster

Name of Organization Assistance Available Telephone Number

Phone (2020-781-1731 Canadian Forces

Halifax RCC, Nova Scotia, Canada Emergency contact DSN 447-8200/2100/2102 RCC Comm. DSN 447-2104

Edmonton RCC, Alberta Canada Emergency contact DSN 620-4402/4403 Commercial:(405) 973-6300

Trenton RCC, Ontario Canada Emergency contact DSN 827-3870/3875 (RCC)

DSN 827-3765 (ATOC)

CFS Alert Emergency contact DSN 627-8011 ext. 201 via Ottawa operator

Canadian Coast Guard:

Central & Arctic Region

Environmental Response 1-800-265-0237 (24 hours)

Danish Forces GLK (Grønlands Kommando) Contact through DLO

Emergency Contact DSN 268 3840 ext.2612

Others Greenland Fire Protection, Nuuk Ro-Clean Spill Boom, similar to Thule AB

Spill Boom Commercial: 32 10 56

Note: Edmonton RCC has primary responsibility for Canadian SAR in Northern Canada.

They maintain a SAR response team on 24-hour alert.

5.11 Cleanup procedure

The cleanup procedure includes:

• Risk assessment

• Spill confinement

• Stop the source

• Spill clean-up

• Follow-up actions

When a spill occurs and/or is first discovered, the first step is to assess the risks that may affect human health, the environment and property. Safety is always put first. The spilled material is identified according to material safety data sheets (MSDS) and the quantity of the spill is determined.

The next step is to limit the spill by blocking, diverting, or confining the spill. Contained absorbents including the PIG socks and booms (http://www.newpig.com/pig/US/) are used to stop the flow of a liquid before it has a chance to contaminate a water source. Non-absorbing dikes are also available to confine and/or direct liquids, minimize the spill area, and protect drains.

After confining the spill, the source of the spill is stopped. This may simply involve turning a container upright, plugging a leak from a drum and transferring the liquid from the damaged drum to a new one, closing a valve, or bypassing a pipeline.

Once the spill is confined and the leak has been stopped, the incident is reassessed and a plan of action for implementing the spill cleanup is developed. Spills are commonly absorbed with granulate. PIG pillows and mat pads are other alternatives for absorbing the remainder of the spill. Unused absorbents are not hazardous. However once the absorbents are saturated with oils, solvents, etc., they are considered hazardous waste and are disposed of properly in accordance with the Hazardous Waste Management Plan.

If a spill occurs in a water resource Thule AB has PIG absorbent pillows that absorb only organic liquids (such as POL). The Spill Boom and skimmers (appendix 8) will be deployed for larger spills.

Follow-up actions involve the documentation and verification for the remedial actions and preparation of required reports as described in sections 6.2 and 6.3. If required, further action will be governed by DoDI 4715.8 “Environmental Remediation for DoD Activities Overseas”.

http://www.newpig.com/pig/US/�

5.12 Reuse and disposal of recovered substances and absorbent materials

Waste oil and fuel from spill incidents is disposed of at the K-plant waste oil tanks for incineration. Wastes containing a large fraction of water are accumulated in Intermediate Bulk Containers, POL Water tanks at the tank farm or two portable 6000 gallon contingency tanks located at the DLA yard, as directed by Environmental Engineering. After passage through an oil/water separator the water fraction can typically be discharged into the North Star River. Any required analyses will be coordinated with Environmental Engineering, who must approve any discharge. The POL fraction will be incinerated at the K-Plant.

Snow with non-volatile contamination will be transferred to 55 gallon drums and treated as POL water after melting.

Absorbent materials are disposed of as regulated waste when used for spill incidents, and are therefore disposed off via the DLA (BMC Disposition Services located in building no #

935) in accordance with the Hazardous Waste Management Plan.

Snow with volatile fuel contamination will be disposed of at the weathering bed located at Tank Farm North. The weathering bed is constructed with non-permeable concrete. Mixtures of soil, snow and contamination will be disposed of at the soil disposal site.

Contaminated soil is disposed off at a protected area west of hangar 1 (bldg. #1090) and 2 (bldg. #1091). Here the soil is awaiting land farming projects. The disposal site is divided into 4 sections:

• Section A is used for soil contaminated with volatiles such as diesel fuel or gas.

• Section B is used for soil contaminated with non-volatile oil such as…