Download DENR Role in Emergency Response

DENR Role in Emergency
Response
FIRST RESPONSE AND RECOVERY
Natural Disasters










Hurricanes Dennis, Floyd and Irene in 1999
Isabel in 2003
Bonnie, Charlie, Frances and Ivan in 2004
Ophelia in 2005
Hanna in 2008
Earl in 2010
Irene in 2011
The nor’easter from tropical storm Nicole in 2010
The tornados in April 2011
Hurricane Sandy and a nor-easter in 2012
Manmade Disasters and Emergencies
● West Pharmaceuticals explosion in Pitt County in 2003
● Synthron Explosion in Morganton, Burke County in 2006
● Scrapyard and debris landfill in Smithfield, Johnston County
in 2007
● Royster-Clarke Fertilizer plant fire in Buncombe County in
2001
● Evans Road wildfire in Beaufort County in 2008
● Hale Swamp Fire in Brunswick County in 2007
● EQ-Apex hazardous waste facility fire in Wake County in
2006
● CSX train derailment and fire in Bethel, Pitt County in 2002
Hurricane Preparation
 Contact wastewater system operators about pre-
storm preparation
 Advise farmers on management of animal waste in
lagoons
 Identify additional debris disposal sites for local
governments that may not have adequate capacity
for storm debris
 Contact solid and hazardous waste facilities that may
be in danger of flooding
Hurricane Response: Division of Coastal
Management
 Survey of damage
 Issuance of rebuilding permits under Coastal Area
Management Act (CAMA) Emergency General
permit
 Response to state agencies and individual property
owners who need individual permits to rebuild
Oceanfront structures require individual permits
because of the need to consider shoreline
changes
Highway 12 Hatteras Island
Irene Breach 2011
(NOAA photo)
Sandy 2012 (photo by Steve Earley, AP)
Oceanfront Homes
Hurricane Response: Water Resources and
Water Quality
 Provide technical assistance to wastewater treatment






plants; coordinate with FEMA to provide resources such
as emergency generators
Track status of water treatment plants
Inspect for chemical spills and floating petroleum
underground storage tanks
Respond to reports of wastewater and chemical spills
Take water quality samples from floodwaters
Work with farmers who have excess water in waste
lagoons
Issue emergency permits to remove debris from creeks
and streams
Hurricane Response: Division of Waste
Management
 Coordinate with local governments on debris
removal and designation of new disposal sites
 Respond (with DWQ and EPA) to reports of chemical
spills, floating USTs, and hazardous materials
Solid Waste
Emergency
Response
Solid Waste Disaster debris sites
2011 tornadoes and
Hurricane Irene
Staff on call 24/7
Solid Waste interactive map available on website
Primarily managing
disaster debris
346 sites in NC
74 new sites in 2011
Hurricane Irene
Hurricane Irene Debris
Town of Lowland, photo from
TownDock.net
Other Emergencies: EQ Explosion and Fire
DENR Response
 Onsite air quality monitoring
 Identification of hazardous substances on site
 Sampling of runoff and nearby surface waters for
contamination
 Testing of indoor air in surrounding buildings
 Cleanup and proper disposal of hazardous waste
Challenges
 Division of Air Quality no longer has mobile air




quality monitoring capability
Division of Water Quality has lost the small state
fund for emergency response to oil or chemical spills
Only about 32% of the high hazard dams in the state
have emergency action plans
Many groundwater-based water systems lack backup
power sources
On-scene communications between response
agencies often relies on use of personal cellphones