&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
LPA/600/R-16/012 I January 2016 I www2.epa.gov/research
An Inventory of EPA's Tools for
Enhancing Community Resilience to
Disasters
Office of Research and Development
National Homeland Security Research Center
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EPA/600/R-16/012 | January 2016
An Inventory of EPA's Tools for Enhancing
Community Resilience to Disasters
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
National Homeland Security Research Center Office of
Research and Development
Washington, D.C. 20003
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daitner
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through its Office of Research and
Development funded and managed the research described herein under EPA Contract Number
EP-14-C-000083 to Eli Walton, Student Services Contractor. It has been subjected to the
Agency's review and has been approved for publication. It does not necessarily reflect the views
of the Environmental Protection Agency. No official endorsement should be inferred. EPA does
not endorse the purchase or sale of any commercial products or services.
Questions concerning this document or its application should be addressed to:
Brendan Doyle
National Homeland Security Research Center
Office of Research and Development
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, D.C. 20003
202-564-4584
Doyle. Brendan@epa. gov
Keely Maxwell
National Homeland Security Research Center
Office of Research and Development
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, D.C. 20003
202-564-5266
Maxwell .Keelv@epa. gov
•wledgments
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency would like to acknowledge Eli Walton (Student
Services Contractor) for his contributions to this document, and Brendan Doyle, Alan Hecht,
Mario Ierardi, Keely Maxwell, Regan Murray, and Ramona Sherman (EPA) for their review of
this document.
Cover Photo Credits: FEMA/Adam DuBrowa and Thinkstock/Kek Wee Tan
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Table of Contents
Disclaimer ii
Acknowledgments ii
List of Figures iv
List of Acronyms and Abbreviations iv
1. Introduction 1
2. Disasters and Resilience 1
3. EPA Disaster Response and Recovery 3
4. Inventorying Resilience Tools 6
4.1. Tool Identification and Collection 7
4.2. Guidance Documents 8
4.3. Tools 8
4.4. Models 9
4.5. Databases 9
4.6. GIS Mapping Tools 10
5. Current Use of EPA Tools 10
5.1 Using Tools to Strengthen Community Resilience 11
6. Opportunities for Partnerships in Resilience 13
7. Further Research Needs 15
8. Conclusion 16
Appendix A 18
References 26
in
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res
Figure 1. Continuous Cycle for Improving (Community) Resilience to All-Hazards 2
Figure 2. All-Hazards Threats to Health and Environment 5
Figure 3. Sources, Types, and Methods of Distribution for Emergency Drinking Water 12
Figure 4.1-WASTE Natural Disaster Incident Planning Scenario Process 15
ll i - i .i ',i rnyiiis ami Abbreviations
BMP
CERI
E.O.
EPA
EXAMS
FEMA
GIS
HUD
I-WASTE
LID
MMSOILS
NDRF
NHSRC
NIST
NO A A
PPD
TEVA-SPOT
WNTR
Best Management Practices
Community Environmental Resiliency Index
Executive Order
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Exposure Analysis Modeling System
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Geographic Information System
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Incident Waste Assessment and Tonnage Estimator
Low Impact Development
Multimedia Contaminant Fate, Transport, and Exposure Model
National Disaster Recovery Framework
National Homeland Security Research Center
National Institute of Standards and Technology
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Presidential Policy Directive
Threat Ensemble Vulnerability Assessment Sensor Placement Optimization Tool
Water Network Tool for Resilience
iv
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1. Introduction
Disasters have widespread implications and cascading consequences. Communities can be and
have been severely impacted by all types of hazards that cause significant and lasting harm to
people, property, and the environment. Improving resilience is key in the effort to ensure that
communities reduce hazard risks, mitigate impacts, and continue to thrive in the face of disasters.
The general concept of resilience, as defined by a number of public and private organizations, is
the capacity of a system to anticipate risk and potential harm, prepare, plan for, and absorb
impacts, and bounce back and recover from adverse, disruptive events (NRC 2012, CARRI
2014). To safeguard human health and the environment, all human and natural systems within a
community need to be considered in disaster planning and management processes.
A number of resources are available for communities to enhance their resilience to disasters,
such as resilience indices, scholarly articles, and mitigation and recovery grants. This report
inventories a subset of those resources, in the form of tools available through the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which together can be directly applied for purposes of
preparing for, mitigating, preventing, responding to, recovering from, and improving overall
community resilience to all-hazards, including both natural and man-made disasters. These tools
include online mapping systems, guidance documents and publications, and many others. Several
of the tools were originally developed for recovering from chemical, biological, radiological, or
nuclear events but can be used for recovering from other events as well. This inventory is
intended to provide researchers and practitioners with information about available resiliency
tools that they may distribute and use to help communities protect their resources and become
more resilient to all-hazards. It also addresses further research needs and opportunities to
continue advancing the science and practice of community resilience.
This report is a product of the EPA National Homeland Security Research Center's (NHSRC's)
Community Environmental Resiliency Index (CERI) project. The CERI project began as an
effort to consider how communities can safeguard their environmental and ecological systems
before, during, and following a disaster. The CERI project has worked to identify and assess
potential indicators of environmental resilience and recovery and integrate these efforts into
existing public and private organizations and partnerships. The tools in this report were retrieved
through web searches on EPA networks, from EPA webpages and documents, and through
communication with EPA researchers. They were then reviewed to determine how they could be
applied for purposes of strengthening community resilience to future disasters. A table included
in Appendix A lists each tool and its potential resilience application(s). Though a number of
tools are included in this report, the list is by no means exhaustive. Many other potential tools
have been identified and the current list may continue to be updated as more tools are released.
2. Disasters and Resilience
Over the past several decades, the number of natural disasters impacting U.S. communities has
increased dramatically, as has the number of people affected by these disasters. Globally, about
70 disasters were catalogued annually in the 1970s. Since 2000, more than 300 have been
reported every year, with half of those years experiencing 400 or more (Guha-Sapir et al., 2014).
Not only are natural disasters increasing in frequency, but they are also becoming more
destructive as well. Despite increasing knowledge of disaster impacts and mitigation practices,
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the ten most economically damaging disasters in the United States since 1900 have occurred in
the last two decades (Guha-Sapir et al., 2014). With climatic changes tending to further increase
the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, coupled with increasing technological
and manmade threats, communities are at even greater risk (Walsh et al., 2014). Preventing
further damages and addressing vulnerabilities requires new approaches to planning,
management, and recovery from all-hazards.
Whereas human and natural systems have experienced the effects of disasters for millennia,
research into hazard mitigation planning and resilience to disasters has only recently begun to
attract widespread attention. Hazard mitigation planning involves concerted efforts to reduce
risks and potential losses associated with disasters through both policy and action. Strengthening
a community's resilience involves this planning process and more. As defined in Executive
Order (EO) 13653 addressing climate change and Presidential Policy Directive (PPD) 21
addressing critical infrastructure, resilience means "the ability to anticipate, prepare for, and
adapt to changing conditions and withstand, respond to, and recover rapidly from disruptions."
(Exec. Order No. 13653, Presidential Policy Directive 21, 2013). Building resilience involves
continual preparedness, response, recovery, and adaptation efforts (Figure 1).
t
Preparedness &
Mitigation
"\
Lessons Learned
& Adaptation
\
Response &
Recovery
Incident
/
Figure 1. Continuous Cycle for Improving (Community) Resilience to All-Hazards
[Adaptedfrom USEPA. 2015.]
There are several other interpretations of resilience in the literature. Some researchers consider
resilience to be a return to normalcy following a disturbance, but others tend to agree that
resilience entails recovering and improving upon prior conditions, a view that has increased in
recent years (Jordan and Javernick-Will, 2012). Several public and private organizations have
conducted assessments, created indices, and published reports in an effort to inform stakeholders
about how they may improve the resiliency of their community systems. Community groups
have partnered with local, state, and federal agencies and researchers to conduct resiliency
studies and provide tools to plan for and recover from disaster impacts.
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Federal agencies play a central role in disaster recovery research and management and in
supporting state and local entities following a federal disaster or emergency declaration (Robert
T. Stafford Act 2013). As part of its mission to protect human health and the environment, EPA
works to ensure that communities and environmental and ecological systems thrive. When these
systems experience a natural disaster or other hazard, EPA assists in responding to events by
identifying risks and deploying personnel and technology to address impacts to both people and
the environment. EPA has long been a lead agency in responding to oil spills and releases of
hazardous chemicals under the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency
Plan and the National Response Framework (40-CFR-300, 1994). More recently, EPA's role in
disaster recovery is being identified and defined under the National Disaster Recovery
Framework (NDRF) and Presidential Policy Directive 8 (PPD-8). This directive discusses how
federal agencies and departments can help communities reach preparedness goals. The NDRF,
along with other frameworks for prevention, protection, mitigation, and response, provide
guidance for identifying roles and responsibilities, improving coordination, and enhancing the
overall process of building disaster resilience.
3. EPA Disaster Response and Recovery
The environmental risks associated with disasters are numerous, and impacts can be severe as
disasters routinely interrupt critical environmental services and ecosystem function.
Environmental systems like drinking water and wastewater systems can flood, rupture, be
contaminated, or lose power due to hazards such as earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, or
intentional events. Ecosystems alike can be eroded, stripped of trees and other vegetation, littered
with debris following a disaster, and further affected by contaminants released from impacted
facilities. Disasters may also cause extensive pollution, both in air and water, and have
implications for human health. Hurricane Sandy alone caused over $4 billion in damages to
water infrastructure. More than 10 billion gallons of untreated and partially treated sewage
spilled into waterways, wetlands, and even city streets (Climate Central, 2013). Structures
affected by flooding grew mold and homes and industries unintentionally released hazardous
wastes and chemicals, exposing people and wildlife to dangerous materials and prompting broad
cleanup actions.
EPA has assisted state and local communities following many types of disasters. In response to
the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, EPA mobilized available technologies to provide air
monitoring data, implement sampling plans for areas affected by the oil and cleanup operations,
and advise the U.S. Coast Guard and state and local agencies on potential risks of the spill to
human health and aquatic life (USEPA 2013a). With five state governors and other federal
agencies, EPA now co-chairs the Gulf Restoration Commission that manages the distribution of
funds for Gulf Coast recovery efforts. Immediately following the major tornado that struck
Joplin, Missouri, in 2011, EPA responded similarly. EPA deployed personnel to address critical
human health and environmental hazards, helped coordinate the removal of hazardous waste
from impacted areas, and conducted air monitoring for the presence of particulate matter and
asbestos that may have been released (USEPA 2014a).
Response efforts like these usually last for several weeks following an event and are intended to
identify and provide for the immediate health and safety needs of the affected communities.
Traditionally, EPA has filled this role as an emergency response agency. With the issuance of
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PPD-8 addressing national preparedness, security, and resilience, along with the NDRF, EPA
and other federal agencies have responsibilities that go beyond response into the recovery phase.
Though EPA does not coordinate efforts for recovery, it plays a significant supporting role in
each of six Recovery Support Functions (Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA
201 la) outlined in the NDRF:
• Community Planning,
• Housing,
• Infrastructure,
• Health and Social Services,
• Economic Recovery, and
• Natural and Cultural Resources
Designated offices and programs within EPA work with other federal agencies and departments
under these Functions to address long-term economic, social, and environmental recovery. EPA
has continued to support efforts through the recovery phase by providing air and water
monitoring, soil sampling, funding, and advising on remediation and rebuilding projects for both
Deepwater Horizon and the Joplin tornado disasters.
Like its response capabilities, EPA's recovery actions began with a focus on remediating
contamination, pollution, and chemical releases. EPA has since expanded its capabilities to
engage in an "all-hazards approach" (Figure 2), committing resources for recovery and resilience
to all types of disasters or emergencies that require long-term remediation (most often disasters
of national significance when states request federal assistance). Recovery operations, in contrast
to response efforts, last months or years following a disaster. They may involve actions such as
providing funds for long-term risk and vulnerability assessments, sampling, analysis, and
remediation efforts (as was done in Joplin), or supporting management of disaster debris. In
many cases, repairing and upgrading damaged infrastructure is also necessary. These recovery
projects, rather than returning the community to its previous state, should enhance community
resilience to and assist in preparing for and mitigating the effects of the next disaster.
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2014 West Virginia
Chemical Spill
2013 West Texas
Fertilizer Explosion
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Chemical in<) Oil
Releases
MMM
k «*"a*
Av4
4k
Nuclear Delonalion
NutttJf tmpipalvtd
#n*M
2011 Fukushima
Nuclear Accident
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proper functioning, protect human health and environmental and economic resources, and
mitigate disaster impacts. Preparing for and recovering more quickly from disasters can allow
communities to better protect and sustain their resources and achieve their sustainability goals.
Rebuilding following an event then becomes a process of adjusting to "new normals" that make
communities more sustainable and resilient to future disruptions.
Not all resilience projects may promote sustainability, however, and vice versa. For example,
building levees may enhance resilience by protecting against flooding, but building levees can be
detrimental to achieving sustainability by disturbing natural habitat or disrupting ecological
processes. Alternatively, designing communities to be more interconnected can help them
achieve sustainability by reducing resource burdens and pollution, but such action may not be
resilient if communities build in areas with high flooding risks. Still, there are opportunities to
develop and implement plans that provide complementary resilience and sustainability benefits.
Renewable energy facilities can be built to withstand potential storm surges or power outages, or
wetlands can be restored to act as natural buffers to flooding and to provide ecosystem services
like storm water filtration. Enhancing aquatic resources can attract economic activities which in
turn drive sustainability. Projects such as these that enhance both the resiliency and sustainability
of a system should be considered and prioritized whenever possible.
To support resilience efforts when responding to natural and man-made disasters, EPA has
deployed a number of tools and technologies to support state and local agencies, utilities, and
local communities in addressing their environmental concerns. In addition to tools such as
mobile laboratories and modeling software, EPA also maintains guidance documents, databases,
and other tools that were developed for a range of applications and stakeholders. During
recovery operations, EPA has partnered with other federal agencies and communities to provide
knowledge, expertise, and tools for managing air quality, drinking water, and green
infrastructure. Many of these tools, though not designed specifically for resiliency purposes,
have been applicable to disaster management and recovery; other tools may be applicable, as
well.
4. Inventorying Resilience Tools
This report reviews many of the tools EPA has available for federal partners, state and local
governments, utilities, communities, and individuals that may be applied to help prevent, prepare
for, protect against, respond to, and recover from natural disasters, hazardous chemical,
biological, radiological, or nuclear events, or other incidents that pose threats to human health
and the environment. Tools and technologies that were developed for responding to and
recovering from chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear incidents may also be successful
when used in recovering from natural disasters and other types of hazards. This effort is meant to
respond to, in part, The Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Strategy, which was issued to help provide
information and highlight further research needs for disaster recovery following Hurricane Sandy
in 2012. The Rebuilding Strategy specifically calls for "packaging] the variety of existing
Federal resources and tools related to disaster recovery to... streamline access to recovery
expertise needed by impacted communities" (p. 138), as well as "ensuring that personnel have
the appropriate skills and tools related to... recovery planning" (p. 129). The purpose of this
review is to present an inventory of available EPA tools, consider how these tools may be
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utilized in real-time to help communities enhance their resiliency and recover more quickly from
disturbances, and identify future resiliency research and technology needs.
Within EPA's Office of Research and Development, the National Homeland Security Research
Center (NHSRC) organized an innovative research team to consider concepts, applications, and
audiences for developing a Community Environmental Resilience Index (CERI). As part of this
effort, the CERI team defined "community environmental resilience" as "minimizing
environmental risks associated with disasters, quickly returning critical environmental and
ecological services to functionality following an event, and applying this learning process to
reduce vulnerabilities and risks to future incidents." Other public and private research entities
such as the National Academy of Sciences and the National Institute of Standards and
Technology have begun programs focused on community and disaster resilience, but
comparatively little attention has been paid specifically to environmental resilience (National
Institute of Standards and Technology, NIST 2015; NRC 2012). This report is designed to
support CERI team research and provide information regarding tools that can help improve
environmental resilience and address this research gap.
Hereafter referred to as tools, all materials referenced in this report, including databases,
guidance documents, models, software, programs, and applications were all developed wholly or
in part by EPA for a variety of purposes. A table summarizing each tool and a potential resilience
application is provided. Information for each tool was gathered from EPA websites and
documents or through collaborations and partnerships with EPA personnel who have experience
developing, maintaining, or deploying the tools for use. Some of the tools require training,
registration, or other prior experience to be fully understood and effectively applied. Tools were
included in this report if it was determined, in consultation with developers and owners, that it
could be applied for purposes of building environmental resilience of communities. There may
be other EPA materials and tools not present in this report such as Geographic Information
System (GIS) maps or fate and transport models that may be used directly or indirectly to
support other aspects of disaster preparedness, response, and recovery.
4.1. Tool Identification and Collection
Tools were collected through extensive searches of EPA websites and through cooperation and
consultation with members of other EPA regional offices and programs. These tools are designed
to provide a wide range of end-users such as individual community members, water utilities, and
emergency planners, managers, and responders with information and guidance regarding many
issues. Some issues include levels of chemical exposure and corresponding human health effects,
waste management planning methods, detecting and remediating drinking water system
contamination or disruption, planning for natural and man-made disasters, sustainability projects,
and modeling environmental conditions across scales and regions. Since few tools were
developed with a specific focus on environmental resilience, but instead were created for these
more general environmental management purposes, only those tools identified as sufficiently
addressing the criteria included in the environmental resilience definition were considered as
potential "resilience tools" for this project.
The Environmental Protection Agency offers hundreds of tools for public use. Over 400 were
considered for this report, including tools addressing exposure, toxicity, air quality, and many
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other environmental issues. Some were developed specifically to aid in improving resilience,
while others address broader aspects of the environment, infrastructure, and human health. EPA
also hosts webpages with general information, tips, and processes for building mitigation plans
and other resilience-related endeavors.
After determining which tools are specific to the criteria within the definition of environmental
resilience, assist in long-term recovery actions or bouncing back from a disaster, and assist in
planning, preparing for, and/or mitigating the next event, 90 are included in this report.1 These
tools include guidance documents for developing emergency response and recovery plans,
models for soil deposition and groundwater transport, and tools for integrating waste
management and green infrastructure practices into response and recovery operations. Some are
purely informational, while others describe specific actions for users to take. Each may apply to
environmental resilience in some way, whether by informing preparedness and hazard mitigation
or by guiding response and recovery actions.
4.2. Guidance Documents
Guidance documents developed by EPA include guidelines, frameworks, manuals, "how-to"
guides, reports, and handbooks that inform or provide step-by-step approaches for identifying
and addressing potential environmental harms and conducting recovery efforts. One such report
is "Planning for an Emergency Drinking Water Supply" (USEPA 2011). This report reviews
actions utilities may take to ensure they can obtain, maintain, and provide treated water to
customers if there is a disruption in service due to a natural or man-made disaster. The report
also addresses alternative methods of supplying water and how to do so in an emergency.
"Planning for Natural Disaster Debris" is another document that provides steps to plan for
community management of debris prior to the incident, which is a critical element in building
community resiliency. In future updates, "Planning for Natural Disaster Debris" will also
include elements of resilience specifically, as well as climate-related adaptation information.
The guide entitled "Enhancing Sustainable Communities with Green Infrastructure" is designed
to help local communities consider green infrastructure practices. It details strategies for
organizing stakeholders, developing a community sustainability plan, and monitoring and
evaluating progress toward both sustainability and resilience goals. The guide suggests green
infrastructure practices that have a host of benefits. Mitigating stormwater runoff and pollution
while also improving resilience to flooding and climate change impacts are two outcomes of
these efforts that also allow for many other economic, environmental, health, and social benefits.
Other guidance documents for water utilities address emergency response plans, proper disposal
of contaminated water, and disaster recovery funding opportunities.
4.3. Tools
Software, applications, computer programs, and toolkits (collections of tools) are all considered
"tools" in this report. EPA has continued to develop and update a number of tools for use by
communities, utilities, and others for a variety of purposes. The tools collected for this report
address issues such as contaminant detection in drinking water systems and estimating
'The other tools reviewed but not included in this report may still apply to resilience in other contexts.
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concentrations of chemical releases to air, water, and land. These tools may include such systems
as CANARY (TJSEPA 2012) and the Threat Ensemble Vulnerability Assessment Sensor
Placement Optimization. Tool (TEVA-SPOD that work to rapidly detect abnormal conditions in
water quality that may point to infrastructural issues like pipe damages or incidents of
contamination.
Other tools available for disaster planning, response, and recovery efforts include some tools for
procuring funding, managing waste, and monitoring pollutant discharges and watershed impacts.
Fed FUNDS is a tool available to state and local utilities that allows utilities to obtain
information about federal disaster and mitigation funding during all stages of planning for and
recovering from a disaster. The Incident Waste Assessment and Tonnage Estimator fl-WASTE)
tool, though designed generally to assist waste managers in determining how to handle, transport,
treat, and dispose of the waste and debris generated by a disaster, can also be used prior to an
event. Emergency responders, planners, utilities, all levels of government, or other decision-
makers can register and use I-WASTE (USEPA 2013d) to pre-designate waste disposal sites and
transportation routes. This can serve to better prepare recovery personnel for managing the debris
that can result from a disaster before it occurs.
4.4. Models
Models allow users to incorporate environmental information to simulate real world systems.
Users may input and alter values of environmental conditions, such as land cover type or rainfall
amount, to obtain different results that may better fit their needs or address a specific scenario.
The models presented here can be used to address disaster scenarios, and all have been
developed and are maintained by US EPA. One model, the Multimedia Contaminant Fate,
Transport, and Exposure Model iMMSOILS1 can be used as a tool for hazard identification and
evaluation as well as recovery. MMSOILS estimates human exposure to hazardous waste site
contamination releases through different exposure pathways (i.e., ingestion, inhalation, or
consumption) and associated health risks. After using the model to showcase these risks and
hazards, users can compare remediation activities across sites. Experts then can use the results of
the model to inform their long-term cleanup methods.
The Exposure Analysis Modeling System (EXAMS) is another such model that can be used to
measure and track the release of chemical contaminants. It can also determine how long it will
take for an affected aquatic ecosystem to be purified naturally following contamination. If a
community experiences a synthetic chemical spill or incident involving pesticides or industrial
materials, EXAMS may be used to evaluate hazards by examining exposure, fate, and transport
of the chemical. Technical leaders of recovery efforts may use EXAMS to investigate chronic
(long-term) exposure and follow up with actions that may be necessary if natural persistence of
the contamination poses any risks to human or environmental health.
4.5. Databases
The databases maintained by US EPA allow users to search for environmental information such
as chemical toxicity data and human health effects of environmental contaminants. These data
can be used to predict risk and exposure and inform decision-making about remediation and
recovery efforts following a disaster. The Drinking 'Water Treatability Database (DTB) contains
referenced information on a number of potential water contaminants as well as treatment
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information for each contaminant. Users can either select a contaminant of concern or a
treatment process to determine how they can prepare for, respond to, and recover from a water
contamination event. Another database, the International Siormwaler Best Management
Practices fb aiabase, is a collaborative effort among EPA and other research
organizations, federal agencies, and technical associations. The BMP Database houses studies,
tools, guidance documents, and other publications that provide information on designing,
improving, and utilizing stormwater best management practices. Communities can use the
database and its resources to implement stormwater mitigation projects and reduce
vulnerabilities associated with flooding and stormwater events.
4.6. GIS Mapping Tools
Mapping tools, those that give users the ability to map environmental information, may also be
used to support community resilience. These tools can map demographic and health data, air and
water quality conditions, regulated facility locations, and other information across scales from
local to national. Community-level GIS tools, such as the MyEnvironment application, allow
users to select a location and subsequently view air, water, energy, health, and land data. Reports
on local environmental conditions are also available, as is the ability to "shout out" and promote
community environmental projects that are underway. Such actions can help users become more
familiar with and advance recovery efforts at the community level following a disaster.
EnvimAtlas is another GIS application with interactive tools and resources that combine maps,
fact sheets, analysis tools, and data. EnviroAtlasjzm be used to analyze interactions between
ecosystems and the communities that depend on them and determine potential impacts of various
planning decisions.
5. Current Use of EPA Tools
Many of the tools presented in this report have been used for addressing disaster scenarios and
recovery, and others can be used as well. One general modeling tool that simulates surface water
jets and plumes, the Visual Plumes modeling system, was used following Hurricane Katrina.
Water from flooded regions of New Orleans had been pumped into surrounding lakes, and
simulations made through this modeling system helped to evaluate the impact of water and
sediment discharges from these lakes into surrounding areas (USEPA 2014b). After heavy rains
flooded the state of Vermont during Hurricane Irene, EPA worked with local communities to
develop the guide "Planning for Flood Recovery and Lorn-Term Resilience in Vermont" and
identified how improving collaboration among agencies and implementing smart growth
strategies within the guide can enhance resilience and recovery.
EPA has also helped respond to hazardous chemical releases by informing decision-makers
about exposures and health risks of hazardous chemicals. Chemical exposure information was
provided to emergency responders for use following incidents of ricin contamination in
Washington D.C., releases of toxic industrial chemicals in Texas, and sulfur mustard gas
exposures during and following a Massachusetts incident. Such exposure information might also
be applied in forward-looking exercises to identify exposure levels that would help emergency
responders protect themselves and residents of an affected area from potential hazards in the
event of a future incident.
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Communities have used other tools as well in all stages of the resilience process. Both prior to
and after recovering from events, users have applied the Storm Water Management Model
fSWMM) to thousands of systems throughout the world, using the tool to map flood plains,
design flood control measures, and investigate water quality and pollutant levels. In response to
the release of pollutants and contaminants, EPA's Portable High-th.rough.put Integrated
Laboratory Identification System fPHJLIS). a network of mobile laboratory units, has been
deployed in exercises to aid in sampling and analyzing affected areas. PHILIS can operate in
response to all-hazards and facilitate more efficient site assessment and cleanup operations.
EPA's "Planning for Natural Disaster Debris" document has been used by many communities
to develop Debris Management Plans that allow them to respond and recover from natural
disasters more effectively. The document contains case studies of actual disasters and integrates
the experiences of the communities that have used the document into the recommendations
section. "Planning for Natural Disaster Debris " continues to be distributed to state and local
communities to enhance their disaster preparedness and response capabilities.
The use of these tools demonstrates their capabilities to enhance the resilience of communities to
disasters. Still, opportunities are available for further research and application of all the tools in
this inventory.
5.1 Using Tools to Strengthen Community Resilience
As the sector-specific agency for protecting water infrastructure, EPA hosts several tools for
managing drinking water and wastewater systems. Some tools specifically encourage water and
wastewater security and resilience activities, like the Community-Based Water Resiliency Tool
fCBWR). Other tools focus on contaminants, model water flow and distribution, or inform
decisions about mitigating effects of climate change on water infrastructure, like the Climate
Ready Water Utilities Toolbox, which hosts the Climate Resilience Evaluation and Awareness
Tool (CREAT). CANARY and TEVA-SPOT are two water infrastructure tools that can be used
together at all stages of the resilience process to help protect against, prevent, mitigate, respond
to, and recover from disasters. Both are designed for use by water utilities, whether public or
private. TEVA-SPOT informs optimal placement of water quality sensors, and CANARY
monitors data from these sensors and alerts operators of data anomalies that may indicate
potential contamination.
Prior to a disaster, a drinking water utility operator can use CANARY and TEVA-SPOT as early
warning and contaminant detection systems. Using tools like EPANET-RTX and the Water
Security Toolkit further enable water utilities to design and evaluate response plans and actions
relative to contamination events in near real-time. Testing these plans and their effectiveness will
help better prepare managers and first responders as well. Taken together, these actions help
mitigate potential effects to the water distribution system and to the community at large if an
event does occur. Following the event, managers can execute a more rapid, practiced, and
targeted response that can limit the extent of the damage. Continuous monitoring during long-
term recovery following a disaster, such as during cleanup and repairs of affected infrastructure,
can help utilities better address water quality issues, apply their knowledge to design more
resilient systems, and continue to provide adequate service to customers.
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Designing a more resilient water system means developing a more resilient community. Utilities
can use the "Planning for an Emergency Drinking Water Supply " guidance to prepare for
disturbances in drinking water distribution, respond to these disturbances efficiently, and recover
from them quickly. By following the steps in this guidance document, utilities can better plan for
supplying potable water during an emergency. The guidance shows how to develop a response
plan that considers how a disruption may occur, how alternative sources of water will be secured,
and how, where, and when that water will be treated, stored, and distributed (Figure 3, adapted
from "Emergency Drinking Water Supply"). The guidance also suggests that utilities consider
when they might need outside assistance. If a community's water needs cannot be met following
an event, then the utility needs to implement a plan that addresses what types of resources they
might require and how to communicate such a request to potential supporting agencies.
Key to an effective emergency drinking water supply plan is identifying the assets, roles, and
responsibilities of these supporting agencies. The tool helps to identify which utilities and local,
state, federal, or nongovernmental agencies may become involved following an event. If an event
is extensive enough that local resources are exhausted, then it may warrant state or federal
action. The "Emergency Drinking Water Supply " guidance contains information on how the
utility can liaise with these external supporting groups to effectively execute their response. For
long-term recovery efforts, the guidance notes how utilities can request that a governor seek
Stafford Act funding. These funds are targeted primarily for immediate emergency response
efforts, but they may also be provided for long-term infrastructure repair and recovery as well.
CANARY, TEVA-SPOT, and the "Emergency Drinking Water Supply" guidance are just a few
examples of the many tools and guidance documents EPA has developed to address water sector
emergency planning, disaster response and recovery funding, and contaminant identification and
cleanup.
Source
Untreated
Treated
Surface Water
Groundwater
Figure 3. Sources, Types, and Methods of Distribution for Emergency Drinking Water
12
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6. Opportunities for Partnerships in Resilience
Whether to secure water resources in the face of flooding risks or properly and efficiently
dispose of hazardous waste following a disaster, communities can use these resilience tools to
aid their efforts. Partnering with stakeholders is essential for applying these tools, testing their
efficacy, and ensuring communities have access to and successfully use them. EPA Regional
disaster recovery personnel can help work with their communities and promote these tools.
Outside of EPA, other federal agencies and departments, nonprofit organizations, and institutions
can begin and have begun programs and conducted outreach efforts to address community
resilience needs.
After experiencing hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, and other disasters, a number of regional
offices throughout EPA have expressed interest in field testing tools that can help improve their
resilience. In EPA Region 1, Vermont suffered tremendous harm as a result of Tropical Storm
Irene and associated flooding in 2011. Bridges were destroyed, hundreds of miles of roadways
were damaged, hazardous chemicals were released into waterways, and the drinking water
supply in many areas was compromised. Total damages were estimated at $175-250 million
(Vermont Agency of Natural Resources 2012). As a result of Irene, Vermont communities have
begun to consider their vulnerabilities to disasters, how green infrastructure practices may reduce
flooding impacts, and how they can better mitigate and recover from the next storm. EPA has
already been offering technical assistance for recovery efforts. There are additional opportunities
to help these communities prepare for future flooding. Using the Emergency Drinking Water
Supply guidance, Vermont communities can plan for disruptions in their water infrastructure, as
occurred with Irene. This guidance can inform communities about how they can secure other
sources of clean and safe drinking water in the face of disaster.
Flooding similarly devastated many areas of Colorado in EPA Region 8 in September 2013, with
deluges of precipitation amounting to more than ten times average levels in some areas (National
Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration, NOAA 2013). Just over one year later, communities in
Colorado are still recovering from the flooding and working to become more resilient to all-
hazards. EPA's Flood Resilience Guide is an interactive tool for utilities that can be helpful to
Colorado towns and cities, such as Boulder, that have identified community risks and needs to
further address how they can prepare for floods, mitigate impacts, and recover quickly (City of
Boulder 2013). The guide walks users through a process for increasing a utility's resilience to
flooding that includes completing worksheets and watching informational videos (USEPA
2014c). The process includes convening relevant stakeholders to discuss responsibilities, identify
threats and assets, evaluate mitigation options, and create a plan to implement flood mitigation
measures. A number of potential mitigation measures for drinking water and wastewater utilities
are documented along with their relative costs.
The guide also highlights resources that communities can take advantage of for resilience. In
addition, it provides an example of a pilot project. By using the approach outlined within the
guide, a small drinking water utility in the Northeast successfully implemented a plan for flood
resilience. Although the guide specifically addresses flooding, the authors note that the process it
lays out can be useful for enhancing resilience to other hazards as well. As evidenced by the pilot
project, using the guide to address flood risks will allow for observable progress toward more
resilient communities that improve essential functions and reduce potential harm.
13
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Hurricane Sandy prompted widespread action on disaster preparedness, response, and recovery
due to the extent of its damage throughout communities along the East Coast. As part of the
Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force, EPA has supported response and recovery efforts in
impacted cities and states. Following sewage overflows and the flooding of residences, water
utilities, and commercial facilities, both New York and New Jersey issued boil water advisories
for millions of residents, some lasting more than three weeks after the Hurricane struck (New
York State Department of Health 2012; New Jersery Department of Environmental Protection
2012). EPA Region 2 immediately conducted sampling of potentially contaminated areas, helped
pump out flood waters, and assessed a number of drinking water and wastewater facilities for
damages, helping to restore power and repair equipment. Some water systems continue to need
repairs, and the many tools EPA has that are related to building resilience into drinking water
infrastructure can provide a host of benefits to utilities and the communities they serve. EPA
tools such as the All-Hazards Preparedness, Mitigation, Response, and Recovery Checklist
address what actions state drinking water programs should consider before, during, and after an
event. EPA's guidance documents and tools such as these can assist communities in
incorporating flood management, green infrastructure practices, and sustainability into
community and utility planning and action.
The tornado that struck Joplin, Missouri, in 2011 destroyed thousands of structures and scattered
more than 1.5 million cubic yards of hazardous waste and debris across the city (FEMA 201 lb).
How to dispose of this large amount of waste, transport it, and handle the hazardous materials
and contaminated areas properly was one of many issues Joplin faced for months after the
disaster. EPA and Region 7 worked with Joplin to designate hazardous waste sites and provide
funding for ongoing soil sampling and remediation activities (USEPA 2014a). I-WASTE, hosts
waste management information that can help local officials and state agencies create incident
response plans. I-WASTE assists users with waste management by granting access to available
waste treatment and disposal facility databases, guidance documents, and debris and waste
estimators. To mitigate and recover quickly from potential future events, Joplin and other
communities can use I-WASTE to consider waste disposal options and locations ahead of time
(Figure 4, adaptedfrom I-WASTE report).
14
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Step 1: Incident
Information
Step 6: View
Waste Profiles
Step 7: Facility
Selection I
Transportation
Planning
Step 2: Waste
Estimation
Details
Step 5: Waste
Stream
Summary
Step 3: Specify
Additional
Disaster
Wastes
Step 4: Specify
Disposal
Methods I
Facility Types
Incident
Summary
Figure 4.1-WASTE Natural Disaster Incident Planning Scenario Process
EPA has already taken advantage of opportuni ties for partnering with organizations outside the
agency. Through a Memorandum of Understanding, EPA has partnered with the Rockefeller
Foundation's J00 Resilient Cities program. Cities selected by this project receive funding for a
Chief Resiliency Officer, technical assistance to develop a strategy for resilience, and access to
innovative tools (The Rockefeller Foundation 2014). EPA is working towards this effort by
sharing knowledge, innovations, and tools for resilience with member cities so that they may
meet their sustainability and resilience goals. EPA has also partnered with the United Nations
Office for Disaster Risk Reduction's R! SE initiative to support creating more resilient
communities. Across federal agencies and departments, efforts such as the Department of
Flousing and Urban Development's (HUD's) National Disaster Resilience Competition offer
similar benefits. Providing tools to the 67 states, districts, territories, and cities that are eligible
for the competition can help them create innovative plans for resilience that better prepare them
for future events and improve their capacity to recover as well. Partnering with environmental
justice communities, those communities that are particularly vulnerable to environmental and
health hazards or experience them disproportionately, offers another opportunity to apply these
tools in the areas that need them most.
7. Further Research Needs
As described in this report, many tools exist to help communities enhance their resilience. Still,
many are not recognized or put into practice because they are yet to be distributed or are
generally unknown to the communities who can utilize them. For instance, the tools currently
maintained by EPA are located on different web pages throughout the epa.gov site, making them
more difficult to locate. Expanding outreach and communication is essential for ensuring that
city planners, community officials, emergency responders, and recovery personnel know what
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tools are available and what issues they can address. Expansion of outreach can be done through
workshops, education programs, and collaborations with local organizations. Generally
categorizing tools, clearly communicating the required level of expertise, and hosting them in
one centrally located website or database can make the tools easier to access and explore as well.
Efforts to do so are already underway at the federal level, as the recent launch of
disasters.data.gov shows. This website hosts links to disaster resilience tools, data sets, and
challenges innovators to consider new ideas, tools, and solutions to disaster issues. Many more
tools are available to be showcased, and new partners can contribute innovations as well. With
further developments, the website could become an essential database for disaster resilience
information from all types of organizations. EPA is also engaging in efforts to offer training and
develop a network of EPA regional disaster recovery contacts and specialists who will apply
these and other tools and help further resilience research and applications.2
With regard to creating new tools and improving upon existing tools, developers should consider
how they can address community needs. They should involve communities before, during, and
after the development process. This way, communities can inform tool designers about the types
of issues they are facing and the types of tools that would be most suitable to their needs. Making
these tools openly accessible, distributable, and understandable to the general public will allow
more users to take advantage of their benefits. When using the tools, communities should also
provide feedback on their effectiveness, ease of use, and how they might be updated to address
other salient issues the community faces. Through these collaborations and by listening to
community concerns, developers can create even more valuable tools for disaster resilience that
communities can comprehend and easily apply.
For measuring the success of these available tools and their applications, measuring resilience is
key. However, the data on community and environmental resilience topics are relatively sparse
and neither consistent nor systematic. There are technical and research gaps that still need to be
addressed with regard to how to measure resilience, what types of resilience metrics and
indicators are appropriate, and how these metrics can be applied across different temporal and
spatial scales (McAllister 2013). Though indicators for risk reduction are available, recovery
metrics specifically are lacking (Jordan and Javernick-Will 2012). Researchers need to consider
how to measure the ability of critical infrastructure to recover from an event, how natural
systems are impacted, how social factors might influence recovery, and how applying tools for
resilience actually enhances a community's ability to prevent, mitigate, respond to, and recover
from a disaster (NRC 2012). EPA's NHSRC is responding to this gap in resilience indicators in
part by working to identify indicators of environmental resilience and develop quantitative
metrics for drinking water system resilience to disasters, which will be included in their Water
Network Tool for Resilience (WNTR).
8. Conclusion
Tools for enhancing resilience are being developed by federal and state agencies and
departments, private organizations and utilities, community groups, and others. Further research
following this report could be to collect these tools and identify which are most useful to
communities, how they can gain access to the tools, and how they can best apply the tools to fit
2 http://www.epa.gov/homeland-security/epas-role-disaster-recovery
16
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their needs. Some organizations like Rockefeller and HUD have taken steps to collect these tools
and put them into practice in partnership with communities. Though beyond the scope of this
report, determining what resources are available across the federal government is perhaps a next
step in detailing further opportunities for resilience research and assessment at the federal level.
This determination can also help inform what actions to take regarding the development and
application of new tools for resilience. Collaborating with stakeholders is essential to this
process.
Preparing for and recovering from disasters requires many different efforts at the community,
state, regional, and federal level. The tools presented in this report address a variety of topics and
are meant to serve as a sample of the EPA resources available to users to improve local capacity
and enhance their environmental resilience to all-hazards. Some focus on specific disasters, such
as floods or chemical contamination, or address general issues of waste cleanup, infrastructure
repair, and environmental conditions prior to or following any type of disaster. Others serve as
guidance for how to implement protection and response plans and receive funding for recovery
efforts. Field testing these tools, some of which have been developed for homeland security or
other purposes, may prove to be useful when applied in an all-hazards context. Tools created
specifically for emergency response and recovery may also be used for planning and better
preparing communities for future disasters. Communities most in need can utilize these tools,
serving to broaden their applicability and offer additional benefits as well. Though addressing
issues individually can be effective, considering a more comprehensive approach to tool
development may prove to be more beneficial. Enhancing resilience to all types of hazards
requires concerted efforts to research, consider options, take action, apply the tools presented
here and elsewhere, and measure community progress throughout long term disaster recovery
and sustainability efforts.
17
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Appendix A
Table 1: EPA resilience tools, access link, and resilience application
Tool Name
Access Link
Description or Potential Resilience Application
Contamination, Exposure, and Contaminant Cleanup
Aggregated Computational
Toxicology Online Resource
(ACTOR)
http://actor.epa.gov/actor/fac
e s/ACToRHome .j sp
Inform decisions on chemical toxicity, contaminants, and
their health and environmental effects by reviewing data
ASPECT (Airborne Spectral
Photometric Environmental
Collection Technology)
http: //www. epa.gov/emerge
ncy-response/aspect
Detect and map chemical and radiological contamination
through airborne remote sensing
CAMEO (Computer-Aided
Management of Emergency
Operations)
http: //www. epa.gov/cameo/
what-cameo-software-suite
Help plan for and respond to chemical emergencies by
providing emergency managers a suite of tools to access,
store, and evaluate information for developing emergency
plans
EcoToxicology Database
(EcoTox)
http: //cfpub. epa.gov/ecotox/
Inform decisions about chemical toxicity and effects on
aquatic life, terrestrial plants, and wildlife
Environmental Response
Laboratory Network (ERLN)
[including Water Laboratory
Alliance]
http: //www. epa.gov/emerge
ncy-
response/environmental-
response-laboratory-network
Support response and recovery efforts following Chemical,
Biological, and Radiological (CBR) events by providing
laboratory testing capabilities and capacity
EPA-Expo-Box (Exposure
Toolbox)
http: //www. epa.gov/expobo
X
Learn about and assess exposure by accessing exposure
assessment tools, guidance documents, models, etc.
Exposure Analysis Modeling
System (EXAMS)
http: //www. epa.gov/exposur
e-assessment-
models/exams-version-index
Examine and evaluate fate, transport, and short-long term
exposure and persistence of certain chemical contaminants
in the environment
Integrated Risk Information
(IRIS) Database
http://www.epa.gov/iris
Inform decisions for risk, exposure, and health effects of
over 500 chemicals within database
Interim Clearance Strategy for
Environments Contaminated
with Anthrax
http: //www. epa.gov/emerge
ncy-response/epacdc-
interim-clearance-strategy-
environments-contaminated-
anthrax
Inform decisions and approaches for remediating indoor
and outdoor areas contaminated with anthrax
Multimedia Contaminant Fate,
Transport, and Exposure Model
(MMSOILS)
http: //www. epa.gov/exposur
e-assessment-
models/mmsoils
A screening tool that can be used to analyze movement of
chemicals through the environment and routes that may
result in human exposures
Portable High-throughput
Integrated Laboratory
Identification System (PHILIS)
http: //www. epa.gov/emerge
ncy-response/chemical-
biological-radiological-and-
nuclear-consequence-
management#PHILIS
Mobile lab that can conduct rapid on-site analysis of
contaminated environments and detect chemical warfare
agents and toxic industrial chemicals in samples
Provisional Peer Reviewed
Toxicity Values (PPRTVs)
http: //hhpprtv. ornl .gov/
Inform decisions for risk related to certain chemicals at
Superfund sites
Risk-Screening Environmental
Indicators (RSEI)
http: //www. epa.gov/rsei
Analyze data about toxic substance releases from facilities
in an area and identify situations that may pose threats to
human health and require further evaluation and action
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Selected Analytical Methods for
Environmental Remediation and
Recovery (SAM) 2012
http: //www. epa.gov/homela
nd-security-research/sam
Determine which analytical methods to use on
environmental samples following a contamination event
TAGA: Trace Atmospheric Gas
Analyzer buses
http: //www. epa.gov/ert/envi
ronmental-response-team-
trace-atmosphere-gas-
analyzer-taga
A screening tool that can conduct instant-result monitoring
of air quality to help inform air quality assessments and
response actions
Drinking Water and Wastewater
Adaptation Strategies Guide
http: //www. epa.gov/crwu/cli
mate-adaptation-strategies-
guide-and-toolbox-training-
water-utilities
Prepare utility facilities for climate-related impacts and
incorporate sustainable practices into adaptation measures
Alarm Estimation Tool (AET)
http: //www. epa.gov/waterqu
alitysurveillance/customer-
complaint-surveillance-
resources
Develop alarm thresholds for the customer complaint
surveillance component of a surveillance and response
system
All-Hazard Consequence
Management Planning for the
Water Sector
http: //www .awwa. org/portal
s/O/files/legreg/security/allh
azard.pdf
Develop response plans that can reduce the public health
and economic consequences of both natural and man-made
threats that may impact water facilities
Better Assessment Science
Integrating point & Non-point
Sources (BASINS)
http: //www. epa.gov/exposur
e-assessment-models/basins
Determine action steps by assessing the effects of different
climate change scenarios on streamflow and water quality
Bridging the Gap: Coordination
between State Primacy Agencies
and State Emergency
Management Agencies
http: //www. epa.gov/commu
nitywaterresilience/collabor
ation-between-state-water-
primacy-agencies-and-
emergency-management
Assist in preparing for emergency response to incidents
that require state involvement by coordinating and
collaborating with the public water and emergency
management sectors
CANARY
https ://sofitware .sandia.gov/t
rac/canary
Monitor water quality, detect contaminants and alert
operators to water quality changes in water distribution
networks
Climate Ready Water Utilities
Toolbox
http: //www. epa.gov/crwu
Integrate climate mitigation and adaptation efforts into
long-term planning and review models, tools, and other
resources for climate change preparedness and response
Climate Resilience Evaluation &
Awareness Tool (CREAT)
http: //www. epa.gov/crwu/as
sess-water-utility-climate-
risks-climate-resilience-
evaluation-and-awareness-
tool
Assess climate change threats and risks, explore long-term
impacts, and evaluate & implement mitigation and
adaptation strategies
Collaborative State-Level Water
Sector Emergency Response
Exercises 2009-2011: Lessons
Learned
http: //www. epa.gov/waterre
siliencetraining/learn-state -
water-emergency-response-
exercises
Prepare for emergency response by reviewing lessons
learned from EPA-sponsored water sector emergency
response exercises
Community-Based Water
Resiliency Tool (CBWR)
http: //www. epa.gov/commu
nitywaterresilience/commun
ity-based-water-resiliency-
tool
Gauge current preparedness efforts, utilize tools and
resources for resilience, and increase community
awareness of including the water sector in emergency
planning
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Containment and Disposal of
Large Amounts of Contaminated
Water: A Support Guide for
Water Utilities
http: //www. epa.gov/wateruti
lityre sponse/containment-
and-disposal-large-amounts-
contaminated-water
Provides recommendations for containment, treatment, and
disposal of contaminated water within water systems
Decontamination and Recovery
Planning - Water and
Wastewater Utility Case Study
http: //nepis .epa.gov/Exe/Zy
PURL.cgi?Dockey=P1001K
L7.txt
Provides a case study based on how a utility coordinates,
plans, and prepares for response and recovery from a
contamination event
Drinking Water Advisory
Communication Toolbox
http: //www. cdc .gov/healthy
water/emergency/dwa-
comm-toolbox/index.html
Plan for, develop, implement, and evaluate drinking water
advisories and communications with partners and the
public
Drinking Water Treatability
Database (DTB)
http: //iaspub. epa.gov/tdb/pa
ges/general/home .do
Control drinking water contamination by accessing and
applying information on contaminants and methods for
treatment
Effective Risk and Crisis
Communication During Water
Security Emergencies: Report
Of EPA Sponsored Message
Mapping Workshops
http: //cfpub. epa.gov/si/si_pu
blic_record_report. cfm? subj
ect=Homeland%20Security
%20Research&dirEntryId= 1
65863
Effectively communicate risks and properly answer
questions prior to and following an incident by applying
message mapping methods
Effective Utility Management:
A Primer for Water and
Wastewater Utilities
http: //nepis .epa.gov/Exe/Zy
PURL.cgi?Dockey=P 10053
BJ.txt
Assess utility system performance and develop,
implement, and evaluate plans for improvements in
stability, sustainability, and operational resiliency
Emergency Response Plan
Guidance for Small and Medium
Community Water Systems
http: //www. epa.gov/wateruti
lityresponse/emergency-
response-plan-guidance-
small-and-medium-
community-water-systems
Develop, revise, and update effective emergency response
plans for various major events
Emergency Response Plan
Guidance for Wastewater
Systems
deq .mt .gov/wqinfo/pws/secu
rity/EmergencyPreparedness
/VAERP/WastewaterERPg
uidance04.pdf
Support the development of wastewater system emergency
response plans by providing information regarding
content, structure, training, and evaluation
EPANET-MSX (multi species
extension)
http: //www. epa.gov/water-
research/epanet
Help maintain and improve water quality, model fate,
transport, and reactions of chemical and biological species,
and enhance overall resilience by modeling drinking water
distribution systems
EPANET-RTX (real time
extension)
http://www.wateranalytics.o
rg/epanet-rtx/
Help maintain and improve hydraulic and water quality
performance by performing real time model simulations of
hydraulic and water quality behavior in drinking
water distribution networks
Federal Funding for Utilities -
Water/Wastewater - in National
Disasters (Fed FUNDS)
http: //www. epa.gov/fedfund
s
Obtain information about taking advantage of federal
disaster and mitigation funding before, during, and after a
disaster
Flood Resilience: A Basic Guide
for Water and Wastewater
Utilities
http: //www. epa.gov/wateruti
lityre sponse/flood-
resilience-basic-guide-
water-and-wastewater-
utilities
Understand flooding threats, identify vulnerable assets,
and evaluate mitigation options
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Incident Command Tool For
Protecting Drinking Water
(ICWATER)
http: //ofmpub. epa.gov/sor_i
nternet/registry/systmreg/res
ourcedetail/general/de scripti
on/description.do?infoResou
rcePkId= 11956
Assist incident commanders in modeling drinking water
contamination in real-time for a rapid, effective emergency
response after a source water contamination event
Large Water System Emergency
Response Plan Outline:
Guidance to Assist Community
Water Systems in Complying
with the Bioterrorism Act
http: //www. epa.gov/wateruti
lityresponse/emergency-
response-plan-guidance-
large-community-water-
systems
Prepare emergency response plans and identify plans,
procedures, and equipment to implement or utilize in the
event of an attack
Moving Toward Sustainability:
Sustainable and Effective
Practices for Creating Your Own
Water Utility Roadmap
http: //www. epa.gov/crwu/su
stainable-practices-water-
utilities
Develop sustainability plans and follow practices that help
utilities become more resilient to disasters and address
other environmental, economic, and health challenges
Need to Know: Anticipating the
Public's Questions during a
Water Emergency
http: //cfpub. epa.gov/si/si_pu
blicrecordreport. cfm?addr
ess=nhsrc/&dirEntryId=240
476
Help improve emergency response by providing
information on effectively communicating risks and
properly answering questions prior to and following an
incident
PIPELINENET
http: //ofmpub. epa.gov/sor_i
nternet/registry/systmreg/res
ourcedetail/general/de scripti
on/description.do?infoResou
rcePkId= 11893
Simulate and model fate and transport of contaminants in
water distribution systems and help estimate
risk and respond to a water contamination event
Planning for an Emergency
Drinking Water Supply
http: //cfpub. epa.gov/si/si_pu
blicrecordreport. cfm?addr
ess=nhsrc/&dirEntryId=235
197
Plan for and respond to disruptions in drinking water
services
Planning for Sustainability: A
Handbook for Water and
Wastewater Utilities
http: //www. epa.gov/crwu/su
stainable-practices-water-
utilities
Integrate sustainable practices into water utility planning
that also help improve operational resilience
Public Assistance for Water and
Wastewater Utilities in
Emergencies and Disasters
http: //www. epa.gov/waterre
silience/public-assistance-
water-and-wastewater-
utilities-emergencies-and-
disasters
Learn how to procure funding for disasters under FEMA's
Public Assistance Grant Program
Reimbursement Tips for Water
Sector Emergency Response and
Recovery
http: //www. epa.gov/fedfund
s/reimbursement-tips-water-
sector-emergency-response-
and-recovery
Learn how your utility can be reimbursed for costs
associated with a disaster
Resource Guide to Effective
Utility Management and Lean
http://permanent.access.gpo.
gov/gpo53052/eum-lean-
guide.pdf
Reduce waste, improve service, and enhance resilience to
environmental and safety risks
Drinking Water Utility
Response Protocol Toolbox
(DWRPTB)
http: //www. epa.gov/wateruti
lityresponse/drinking-water-
and-wastewater-utility-
response-protocol-toolbox
Includes six interrelated modules designed to help drinking
water utilities to plan for, investigate, and respond to
distribution system contamination incidents
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Rural and Small Systems
Guidebook to Sustainable Utility
Management
http: //www. epa.gov/small-
and-rural-wastewater-
systems/rural-and-small-
systems-guidebook-
sustainable-utility-
management
Create plans for improving management, performance, and
resilience by following the ten key management areas of
sustainably managed utilities
State Drinking Water Program
All-Hazard Preparedness,
Mitigation, Response and
Recovery Checklist
http: //www. epa.gov/commu
nitywaterresilience/state-
drinking-water-program-all-
hazard-preparedness-
mitigation-re sponse
Support and sustain preparedness, response, and recovery
by reviewing actions to be considered before, during, and
after an emergency
Tabletop Exercise Tool for
Water Systems: Emergency
Preparedness, Response, and
Climate Resiliency (TTX Tool)
http: //www. epa.gov/waterre
siliencetraining/develop-
and-conduct-water-
resilience-tabletop-exercise-
water-utilities
Plan, conduct, and evaluate tabletop exercises addressing
an all-hazards approach to emergency preparedness and
response as well as climate change
Threat Ensemble Vulnerability
Assessment - Sensor Placement
Optimization Tool (TEVA-
SPOT)
https ://sofitware .sandia.gov/t
rac/spot
Perform contaminant consequence
assessments and optimize sensor placement to detect,
evaluate, and mitigate impacts of water distribution system
contamination incidents
Threshold Analysis Tool (TAT)
http: //www. epa.gov/waterqu
alitysurveillance/customer-
complaint-surveillance-
resources
Detect water quality anomalies or contamination events
using customer complaint surveillance as an alert
mechanism
Top Ten List for Small Ground
Water Suppliers
http: //www. epa.gov/wateruti
lityresponse/top-ten-list-
small-ground-water-
suppliers-security-and-
emergencv-re sponse
Provides tips to protect facilities from contamination
incidents and to prepare for emergencies
Vulnerability Self-Assessment
Tool (VSAT)
http: //www. epa.gov/waterris
kassessment/conduct-
drinking-water-or-
wastewater-utility-risk-
assessment
Determine utility vulnerabilities to natural and man-made
hazards and evaluate options to enhance system resilience
Wastewater Response Protocol
Toolbox (WWRPTB)
http: //www. epa.gov/wateruti
lityresponse/drinking-water-
and-wastewater-utility-
response-protocol-toolbox
Provides emergency response planning tools that are
designed to help in protecting wastewater systems from
contamination events and incidents
Water Contamination
Information Tool (WCIT)
http: //www. epa.gov/waterla
bnetwork/access-water-
contaminant-information-
tool
Plan for and respond to contamination events by using
database information on chemical, biological, and
radiological contaminants of concern for water security
Water Health and Economic
Analysis Tool (WHEAT)
http: //www. epa.gov/waterris
kassessment/find-out-about-
health-and-economic-
impacts-water-utility-
emergencies
Assist utility owners and operators in quantifying an
adverse event's public health consequences (i.e. injuries
and fatalities, utility-level financial consequences, direct
and indirect regional economic consequences, and
downstream impacts
22
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Water Quality Surveillance and
Response Systems
http: //www. epa.gov/waterqu
alitysurveillance
Enhance a drinking water utility's capability to quickly
detect and respond to water quality incidents that occur in
distribution systems with this framework designed to
support monitoring and management of distribution system
water quality
Water Resiliency Action Planner
Kit
http: //www. epa.gov/commu
nitywaterresilience/commun
ity-based-water-resiliency-
tool
Enhance response capabilities by discussing roles &
responsibilities for hospitals, emergency services, major
water users, public officials and stakeholders during water
service interruptions
Water Security Toolkit
https ://sofitware .sandia.gov/t
rac/wst
Reduce the impact of water contamination incidents by
aiding in identifying the contamination injection location
and informing decision making for response, remediation,
and recovery
W ater/W astewater Agency
Response Networks (WARN)
http: //www. epa.gov/wateruti
lityresponse/mutual-aid-and-
assistance-drinking-water-
and-wastewater-utilities
Provides an avenue for water/wastewater utilities to
receive emergency assistance in the form of personnel,
equipment, materials or other associated services as
necessary from other water/wastewater utilities while
responding to or recovering from an emergency
W ater/W astewater System
Generator Preparedness
http://www3 .epa.gov/region
1/eco/drinkwater/pdfs/Water
WastewaterSystemGenerato
rPreparedness.pdf
Prepare for a disaster or loss of service by learning how to
run and maintain backup generators
Ecosystem and Human Health
Database of Sustainability
Indicators and Indices (DOSII)
E-Database in development
Identify specific indicators for measuring sustainability
and may provide information on indicators of hazard and
disaster vulnerability or resilience for community decision-
making
EJ SCREEN
http://www.epa.gov/ej screen
Identify communities potentially overburdened with
environmental issues and support decision-making for
human health and environmental wellbeing
EnviroAtlas
http: //www. epa.gov/enviroat
las
Access, view, and analyze data, tools, and other resources,
and information about ecosystem services and their human
health benefits and explore how decisions can affect
ecological and human health outcomes
Envirofacts
http://www3 .epa.gov/enviro/
Inform mitigation efforts by applying database information
on toxic air releases, water discharge, hazardous waste,
and other environmental activities affecting air, water, and
land
Integrated Climate and Land-
Use Scenarios (ICLUS) Online
http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/gl
obal/recordisplay.cfm?deid=
257306
Inform decision-making and facilitate vulnerability
assessments by providing national projections of future
housing density, population and impervious surface
consistent with global, peer-reviewed scenarios of climate
and demographic change.
MyEnvironment
http: //www. epa.gov/enviro/
myenvironment-how-use -
page
Integrate environmental and health data at the community
level using maps based on a user's location and use "Shout
out" function to report on local environmental efforts
23
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Stormwater and Flood Management
Enhancing Sustainable
Communities with Green
Infrastructure
http: //www. epa.gov/smartgr
owth/enhancing-sustainable-
communities-green-
infrastructure
Enhance community resilience by helping communities
better manage stormwater to achieve environmental,
public health, social, and economic benefits
Green Long-Term Control Plan-
EZ Template: A Planning Tool
for Combined Sewer Overflow
Control in Small Communities
http: //www. epa.gov/green-
infrastructure/green-
infrastructure-modeling-
tools
Control combined sewer overflows and manage
stormwater in communities by applying recommended
green infrastructure practices
International Stormwater Best
Management Practices Database
http: //www .bmpdatabase. or
g
Investigate and apply best practices for managing
stormwater using available guidance documents, tools, and
reports
National Stormwater Calculator
(SWC)
http: //www. epa.gov/water-
research/national-
stormwater-calculator
Determine which Low Impact Development (LID) controls
support stormwater management under different
environmental conditions and climate scenarios
Planning for Flood Recovery
and Long-Term Resilience in
Vermont: Smart Growth
Approaches for Disaster-
Resilient Communities
http: //www. epa.gov/smartgr
owth/planning-flood-
recovery-and-long-term-
resilience-vermont
Enhance flood resilience and disaster recovery capabilities
by following outlined approaches and strategies
Sanitary Sewer Overflow
Analysis and Planning (SSOAP)
Toolbox
http: //www. epa.gov/water-
research/sanitary-sewer-
overflow-analysis-and-
planning-ssoap-toolbox
Design focused field investigation plans for sanitary sewer
condition assessment, assess the effectiveness of sewer
rehabilitation programs, and support wastewater
infrastructure improvements
Storm Water Management
Model (SWMM)
http: //www. epa.gov/water-
research/storm-water-
management-model-swmm
Determine which LID and green infrastructure projects are
effective in managing stormwater and combined sewer
overflows
System for Urban Stormwater
Treatment and Analysis
Integration (SUSTAIN)
http: //www. epa.gov/water-
research/system-urban-
stormwater-treatment-and-
analysis-integration-sustain
Evaluate alternatives for stormwater management and
select stormwater best management practices in urban
watersheds
Waste and Debris
Guide for Industrial Waste
Management
http://www3 .epa.gov/epawa
ste/nonhaz/industrial/guide/i
ndex.htm
Assess risks associated with and become knowledgeable of
industrial waste and waste management processes
Incident Waste Assessment &
Tonnage Estimator (I-WASTE)
http: //www2. ergweb.com/bd
rtool/login.asp
Provides access to technical information, regulations, and
guidance on waste characterization, treatment, and
disposal options, and how to incorporate waste
management into planning, response and disaster recovery
activities
Municipal Solid Waste Decision
Support Tool (MSW-DST)
https://mswdst.rti.org/
Evaluate costs and environmental aspects of integrated
waste management strategies and can be used to evaluate
options for reducing air pollution and environmental
releases to water and land
24
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Planning for Natural Disaster
Debris
http://www3 .epa.gov/epawa
ste/conserve/imr/cdm/pubs/p
ndd.pdf
Contains recommendations, debris management options,
available resources, and community case studies to help
communities develop or revise disaster debris management
plans
RDD Waste Estimation Support
Tool (W EST)
http://cfpub.epa.gov/si/si_pub
licrecordreport. cfm? dirEntr
yld=24673 8&fed_org_id=l 2
5 3 &addres s=nhsrc/&view=de
sc&sortBy=pubDateY ear&sh
owCriteria= 1 &count=25&sea
rchall=Disposal%200R%201
andfill%200R%201eachate
Generate estimates of quantity and characteristics of waste
following a wide-area radiological event and evaluate
strategies for decontamination and disposal
Watershed and Water Modeling
Automated Geospatial
Watershed Assessment Tool
(AGWA)
http: //www. epa.gov/water-
research/automated-
geospatial-watershed-
assessment-agwa-tool-
hydrologic-modeling-and-
watershed
Identify problem areas in watersheds where mitigation
measures can be focused, and provide decision support for
watershed planning efforts based on variable scenarios and
conditions prior to or following an event
Handbook for Developing
Watershed Plans to Restore and
Protect Our Waters (and
Supplemental Documents)
http: //www. epa.gov/polluted
-runoff-nonpoint-source-
pollution/handbook-
developing-watershed-
plans-restore-and-protect
Create and implement plans for protection or remediation
of watersheds
Sea Level Rise Coastal Property
Model
http: //ofmpub. epa.gov/sor_i
nternet/registry/systmreg/res
ourcedetail/general/de scripti
on/description.do?infoResou
rcePkId= 11967
Estimate the response to and economic impacts of sea
level rise and storm surge on coastal properties in the
lower 48 states
Visual Plumes
http: //www. epa.gov/exposur
e-assessment-models/visual-
plumes
Simulate surface water movement and evaluate impact of
discharge flows on water quality
Water Erosion Prediction
Project Climate Assessment
Tool (WEPPCAT)
http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/gl
obal/recordisplay.cfm?deid=
153583
Evaluate the effectiveness of different strategies for
managing impacts of climate change on erosion and
sediment loading to streams
Watershed Management
Optimization Support Tool
(WMOST)
http: //www2. epa.gov/exposu
re-assessment-
models/wmost-10-
download-page
Evaluate the environmental and economic costs, benefits,
trade-offs and co-benefits of various watershed planning
and management options (prior to or following an event,
e.g. flood or drought)
Watershed Plan Builder
http: //j ava. epa.gov/wsplanne
r/#
Create plans for recovering and restoring polluted or
impaired watersheds
25
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United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
PRESORTED STANDARD
POSTAGE & FEES PAID
EPA
PERMIT NO. G-35
Office of Research and Development (8101R)
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