EPA
3
PREPAREDNESS
I Quarterly Newsletter 2013
PRO
EPA Releases Update on Ongoing Hydraulic Fracturing
Study
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provided an update on its ongo-
ing national study currently underway to better understand any potential impacts
of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources. Results of the study, which
Congress requested EPA to complete, are expected to be released in a draft for
public and peer review in 2014. The update provided today outlines work cur-
rently underway, including the status of research projects that will inform the fi-
nal study. It is important to note that while this progress report outlines the
framework for the final study, it does not draw conclusions about the potential
impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources, which will be made
in the final study. As the administration and EPA have made clear, natural gas
has a central role to play in our energy future, and this important domestic fuel
source has extensive economic, energy security, and environmental benefits. The
study EPA is currently undertaking is part of EPA's focus to ensure that the Ad-
ministration continues to work to expand production of this important domestic
resource safely and responsibly.
Among the information released today are updates on 18 research projects and details on the
agency's research approach as well as next steps for these ongoing projects and analyses.
EPA has engaged stakeholders, including industry, to ensure that the study reflects current prac-
tices in hydraulic fracturing. EPA continues to request data and information from the public and
stakeholders and has put out a formal request for information which can be accessed through
the federal register at: https://www.federaireaister.aov/articles/2012/ll/09/2012-
27452/reauest-for-information-to-inform-hvdraulic-fracturina-research-related-to-drinkina-
water-resources
Contents:
Training & Exercises:
Pg2
Toxics Release Inven-
tory: Pg 3
Tier II Pg4
Sinclair Refinery
Penalty: Pg 4
Sundance & Box
Elder Contamination:
Pg5
Whitefish River
Cleanup: Pg 6
EPA also expects to release a draft report of results from the study in late 2014.
The study has been designated a Highly Influential Scientific Assessment, mean-
ing it will receive the highest level of peer review in accordance with EPA's peer
review handbook before it is finalized. The 2014 draft report will synthesize the
results from the ongoing projects together with the scientific literature to answer
the study's main research questions.
EPA's Science Advisory Board (SAB) is forming a panel of independent experts
which will review and provide their individual input on the ongoing study to EPA.
The SAB will provide an opportunity for the public to offer comments for consid-
eration by the individual panel members. For more information on the SAB proc-
ess, please visit:
http://vosemite.epa.aov/sab/sabpeoDle.nsf/WebCommittees/BQARD
More information: www.epa.aov/hfstudv
Partner Corner
More localized
info? Check out
these sites.
• Montana
• Wyoming
• North Dakota
• South Dakota
• Utah
• Colorado
• Denver
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Page 2
Training & Exercises
The Region 8 Preparedness Unit assists communities and facilities with emergency prepared-
ness and accident prevention. Our emergency preparedness activities focus on strengthening
the ability of EPA, local, state and other response organizations to respond effectively to fu-
ture chemical accidents. As part of EPA's comprehensive program for protecting the public
and the environment from hazardous materials spills, we offer a variety of training opportu-
nities. The courses we offer are designed for personnel who respond to emergencies or who
investigate and/or cleanup abandoned hazardous waste sites. We can host training in your
local jurisdiction and attendance is free!
Some of our most popular courses are listed here: CAMEO Training, 40 hr HAZWOPER Train-
ing, 8 hr HAZWOPER Refresher Training, Air Monitoring for Emergency Response, Environ-
mental Remediation Technologies, Overview of Environmental Geophysics, Radiation Safety
Overview, Basic Chemical Hazard Identification Course, Practical Hazardous Materials Instru-
mentation, Unknown Chemical Identification Course, Hazardous Materials Chemistry for Haz-
ardous Materials Specialists, Level A Sampling Exercise, Clandestine Chemical Safety Train-
ing.
You can also contact our training "dai-sensei" Mark Wullstein at 303-312-6152, or wull-
stein.mark@epa.aov. Call him, you'll be glad you did.
Emergency Management Conference
The Colorado Emergency Management Association (CEMA) has scheduled an Emergency
Management Conference in Loveland, CO on February 26-28. Registration for that confer-
ence is now available. For more information, registration, and agenda go to
http://www.cemacolorado.com/
Region 8 Training and Exercises
Region 8 creates a Training and Exercise Plan (TEP) annually discussing our latest priorities
and methodologies in addressing those regional training and exercise (T&E) priorities. A
schedule listing our regional trainings and exercises is developed for each year showing the
type of T&E, location, time, sponsor, participants and regional priorities being addressed
(see attached T&E Schedule).
We are always looking to assist and participate in exercises with regard to our responsibili-
ties - chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or explosive (CBRNE) events as well as other
hazardous materials incidents.
Please contact Luke Chavez (chavez.luke@epa.gov, 320-312-6512) - Exercise Coordinator if
you have any questions regarding EPA Region 8 T&E or have an exercise that we may assist
you in. Planning and Exercise Schedule
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Page 3
Toxics Release Inventory
TRI is a database containing data on disposal or other releases of over 650 toxic chemicals
from thousands of U.S. facilities and information about how facilities manage those chemicals
through recycling, energy recovery, and treatment. One of TRI's primary purposes is to inform
communities about toxic chemical releases to the environment.
Did you know that TRI collects information on the actions businesses have taken to prevent pol-
lution and reduce the amount of toxic chemicals entering the environment? Now you can use
TRI's new pollution prevention search tool to see which industrial facilities reported the largest
reductions and what measures were most effective. To learn more about TRI's P2 information,
visit the new TRI P2 weboaae.
The 2011 TRI dataset that EPA will use to construct the 2011 TRI National Analysis
report is now available. The National Analysis is planned for publication in December.
http://iaspub.epa.gov/triexplorer/tri release.chemical
Grant Funding Opportunity Announced
A request for proposals titled "Increasing Community Awareness and Use of Environmental In-
formation through Education and Outreach" is now available. This announcement, which is also
posted on Grants .gov, solicits proposals that will increase awareness, understanding and use of
the Toxics Release Inventory data and other related toxic chemical information to new audi-
ences and through new avenues. The deadline for proposals is March 1, 2013.
Announcing the TRI University Engagement
Initiative
The EPA's TRI Program has launched a new initiative focused on developing sustained, mutu-
ally-beneficial relationships with colleges and universities. Beginning this fall, we'll be looking
for colleges and universities to collaborate with us on a variety of exciting projects related to
using, understanding and increasing awareness of TRI in academic communities. In the mean-
time, we encourage you to learn more about the TRI University Engagement Initiative, look at
the results from our two pilot projects and watch the website for announcements about the up-
coming fall application period.
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Page 4
Newest Version of Tier II
The newest version of Tier2 Submit is available for Reporting Year (RY)
2012, which can be used to report EPCRA Tier II chemical inventory data by
the March 1, 2013, deadline for RY 2012. Your state may have specific
reporting requirements; therefore, you should first check with your state.
You can confirm state requirements, download the correct version of Tier2
Submit for your system if your state accepts it, and obtain the Facility
Submission Guide at the following URL:
www.eDa.aov/emeraencies/content/eDcra/tier2.htm
EPA has developed frequently asked questions that provide general guidance
about the use of Tier2 Submit. The FAQs are available at the following URL:
www.eDa.aov/emeraencies/content/eDcra/tier2submitfaa.htm
For questions regarding Tier II Reporting, please contact the TRI, EPCRA,
RMP & Oil Information Center at:
(800) 424-9346 -- Toll Free
(703) 412-9810 — Metropolitan DC area and international calls
(800) 553-7672 - Toll Free TDD
(703) 412-3323 — Metropolitan DC area and international TDD
To speak with an Information Specialist, please call between 10:00 AM and
5:00 PM (Eastern Time), Monday through Friday.
EPA fines Sinclair $378,000 for violations at
Rawlins refinery
Casper Star-Tribune - (Wyoming)
Sinclair Oil will pay a $378,000 fine under a settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) stemming from a 2010 inspection of the company's troubled oil refinery near
Rawlins, Wyoming, the agency announced October 11. EPA said the inspection showed Sinclair
did not properly implement its risk management plan, a key requirement for the facility, which
deals with a large range of toxic substances and hazardous gases .
Under the terms of the deal, Sinclair will also update operating procedures for its process
equipment, provide additional training to workers, improve maintenance of equipment, and
perform integrity tests on pressure vessels and piping that will reduce the possibility of an acci-
dental release of hazardous chemicals from the refinery, per EPA. Source: http://trib.com/
business/enerav/epafines-sinclair-for-violations-atrawlins-refinerv/article ab4bb5bl-7acd-5ca6
-bllc-32b025aad098.html
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Page 5
Emergency Response
Gasoline Leak Contaminates Sundance and Box Elder Creeks
EPA, Chippewa Cree, Coast Guard Collaborate on Solution
The lingering smell of gasoline near a busy intersection on the Rocky Boy Reservation in north
central Montana has finally dissipated thanks to collaborative work between the Chippewa Cree
Tribe, the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Records since 2010 from the Pastime Gas station indicate that
more than 70,000 gallons of 88-octane gasoline were unaccounted
for and are presumed part of a major discharge from the facility.
In May 2012, witnesses reported gasoline bubbling up from be-
neath one of the station's service pumps and a steady sheen ema-
nating from the banks of Sundance Creek which flows within 150'
of the gas station and feeds Box Elder Creek, a Missouri River
tributary, just downstream.
Excavation above Sundance Creek
The Chippewa Cree Tribal Water Resource Department reported the
incident to the National Response Center and EPA On-Scene Coordinator (OSC) Martin McComb
was dispatched to the site on May 22. There he discovered significant subsurface contamination
throughout the property, in particular, beneath the service station. OSC McComb determined
that the primary path of the discharge was subsurface and, most likely, flowed downward from
the leaky service pump, underneath the gas station convenience store, and towards the slope
to Sundance Creek.
To stabilize the situation the Tribe closed the gas station, the primary source of fuel on the res-
ervation, removed both the service pumps and the gasoline that remained in storage, and dis-
connected all utilities to the building. Excavation behind the service station and along Sundance
Creek revealed a 4-foot thick layer of contaminated soil sitting directly atop the water table. A
former landfill, three miles north of the gas station, was used to land-farm the excavated con-
taminated soils and is now being regularly tilled to dissipate volatile organic compounds.
AN excavated areas were backfilled and stabilized with erosion netting and rip rap. A real-time
air monitoring network was established during the response action on the perimeters of both
the gas station and the land farm using EPA's Viper system. GeoProbe and hand-augured bor-
ing cores from an adjacent wetland revealed that contamination did not appear to extend to the
opposite side of Sundance Creek.
In a November report to the U.S. Coast Guard, who is funding the response action, OSC
McComb said the disturbed soils were reseeded and a final pollution report is planned to be is-
sued after evaluating how the system responds to wet conditions during the spring.
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Page 6
Pueblo, CO Emergency Services Center Groundbreaking
December 12, 2012: Pueblo County Sheriff Kirk M. Taylor along with several VIP's will
break ground on the site of the new Pueblo County Sheriff's Office Emergency Services
Center at 1:00 PM on Wednesday December 12, 2012. Along with conference and office
space, the building will house the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office Communications Center,
the Pueblo County Emergency Operations Center, and the Pueblo Community Joint Infor-
mation Center.
Sheriff Taylor will be inviting Emergency Services Bureau Chief Mark A. Mears, FEMA
CSEPP Section Chief Doug Becvar, Colorado CSEPP Program Manager Bruce E. Holloman,
Commissioners' Anthony Nunez, John Cordova, and Jeff Chostner, Pueblo Chemical Depot
Commander Lt. Col Timothy Greenhaw, Pueblo CSEPP Coordinator Carl Ballinger, along
with representatives from HW Houston, and HGF Architects to "grab a shovel" and share in
the groundbreaking activity.
For nearly two decades the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office Communications Center, Emer-
gency Management officials, and the policy makers in Pueblo County have trained for,
planned for, and responded to disasters by heading into the basement of the Pueblo
County Judicial Building. Previously jail space, the current facility has limited physical room
and technology restrictions that prohibited growth and impeded functionality.
Sheriff Taylor is happy to see the project move from a proposal on paper to reality. "It has
taken two years to find the ideal location, ensure the funding is in place, work with envi-
ronmental & historical entities, and design the right type of space. Now we have done that
and we are excited about the opportunities this new building will bring to the Sheriff's Of-
fice, our local response agencies, and the region. We certainly would like to thank our
CSEPP partners at the state and federal level for making this possible. "
Source: www.sheriff.co.Dueblo.co.us/?pio=1173
Holly Refining to pay $115K penalty and improve risk management
at Woods Cross, Utah refinery
Contacts: David Cobb, 303-312-6592; Matthew Allen, 303-312-6085
(Denver, CO., Dec 20, 2012) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today an-
nounced a settlement with Dallas-based Holly Refining and Marketing Company (Holly), resolv-
ing alleged Clean Air Act violations at the company's refinery in Woods Cross, Utah. The com-
pany has agreed to pay civil penalties of $115,000 for violations of risk management program
requirements associated with the storage and use of flammable substances and hazardous
chemicals.
An EPA inspection of the Woods Cross refinery in 2011 revealed issues with the facility's man-
agement of flammable substances and the maintenance program associated with a propane
storage unit. Holly has agreed to move forward with the planned closure of the frozen-earth
storage unit and correct other risk management program violations.
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Page 7
Holly Refining to pay $115K penalty and improve risk management
at Woods Cross, Utah refinery (Cont.)
"Companies using chemicals and substances which pose a potential danger to their employees
and the public are responsible for having a robust risk management program in place," said
Mike Gaydosh, director of EPA's enforcement program in Denver. "Failure to do so places the
environment, employees, and the nearby community at risk."
The penalty was assessed under Section 112(r) of the federal Clean Air Act, which requires the
development of Risk Management Plans for all public and private facilities that manufacture,
process, use, store, or otherwise handle flammable substances and toxic chemicals.
EPA enforces risk management requirements of the Clean Air Act with a goal of preventing acci-
dental chemical releases and minimizing the impact of releases or other accidents that may oc-
cur. Facilities are subject to these regulations because they store the flammable or highly toxic
chemicals above regulatory thresholds.
Risk Management Plans help companies, industries, and municipalities operate responsibly, as-
sist emergency responders by providing vital information necessary to address accidents and
other incidents, protect the environment by preventing and minimizing damage from accidental
releases, and keep communities safer.
For more information on the Clean Air Act and risk management requirements: http://
www.epa.gov/oem/content/rmp/caa fags.htm
Emergency Response Notification System (ERNS) Database Sup-
port Reports Summary for Fiscal Year 2012
This Report Summary identifies the number of spill reports, by month, day of week, state,
cause, source, medium, and material.
The Emergency Response Notification System (ERNS) database is the storehouse for all spill re-
ports received by the National Response Center (NRC). The NRC is operated by the U.S. Coast
Guard, who acts as the EPA's agent to receive and enter the initial spill report data into the
NRC. The NRC spill reports are composed of unverified data, which are gathered and reported
by the public, industries, regulatory agencies, and anonymous reporting parties (i.e., primarily
untrained observers). NRC reports are checked for obvious NRC duty officer data entry errors;
the NRC spill reports are then transferred into the ERNS database. The ERNS database identi-
fies what types of spills and releases have occurred in EPA Region 8. For further information on
hese charts, contact: Joe Byron, EPA Region8 at Byron.joseph@epa.gov (303) 312-6239.
GRAPH 1 SPILL REPORTS BY MONTH FISCAL YEAR 2012
80
g to
©
& 60
il 1111111111
Month
¦ Tolal Spill
Reports by
Month
i
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Page 8
Emergency Response Notification System (ERNS) Database Sup-
port Reports Summary for Fiscal Year 2012 (Cont.)
GRAPH 2 SPILL REPORTS BY DAY OF WEEK FISCAL YEAR 2012
M 140
® 1 20
g-1-0
^ 100
£ 80 |
53 60
l«L
3 20
£ o
Dill
¦ Total
Reports
1 i 1
^ J?
y
/
Day o1
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Page 9
Emergency Response Notification System (ERNS) Database Sup-
port Reports Summary for Fiscal Year 2012 (Cont.)
GRAPH 5 SPILL REPORTS BY SOURCE FISCAL YEAR 2012
300
250
Bl
56
200
C
V
¦2 150
S
z 100
H 50
• Total
Reports
III
Aircraft Continuous Fixed
Mobile Pipeline Railroad Storage
Tank
Source
Vessel Unknown
GRAPH 6 SPILL REPORTS BY MEDIUM FISCAL YEAR 2012
i nn ,
V)
um
O.
o
^ lOO
¦ Total
Reports
£ ->so
•4-
o
o; 200
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=
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m :
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Air
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Medium
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Other
GRAPH 7 OIL SPILLS REPORTS BY MONTH FISCAL YEAR 2012
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Page 8
X
Preparedness Unit Mission Statement:
We will increase EPA Region 8 preparedness through:
• Planning, Training, Exercising, and developing outreach relations with federal agencies,
states, tribes, local organizations and the regulated community.
• Assisting in the development of EPA Region 8 preparedness planning and response capa-
bilities through the RSC, IMT, RRT, OP A, RMP, etc.
• Working with facilities to reduce accidents and spills through education, inspections and
enforcement. To view our programs, or contact a member of our team:
(Click here for Org Chart)
Acronym List
IMT Incident Management Team
OPA Oil Pollution Act
RRT Regional Response Team
RSC Response Support Corps
SPCC Spill Prevention, Control, and Countenneasures
Report oil or
chemical spills ai
8QEM24-8802
Mors
1 (800) 424-8802
National
Response
Center
www.nrc.uscg. m
Risk Management Program (RMP)
Bradley Miller-Coordinator303-312-6483Smiller.bradley@epa.goy
Need More info on the Risk Management Program (RMP)?
RMP Reporting Center
The Reporting Center can answer questions about software or installation problems. The RMP Reporting
Center is available from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, for questions on the Risk
Management Plan program: (703) 227-7650 (phone) RMPRC@epacdx.net (e-mail)
Chemical Emergency Preparedness & Prevention Office (CEPPO)
http://www.epa.gov/emergencies/index.htm
Compliance and Enforcement: http://www.epa.gov/compliance/index.html
Compliance Assistance: http://www.epa.gov/compliance/assistance/index.html
Call our hotline, the Superfund. TRI. EPCRA, RMP. and Oil Information Center (800) 424-9346 or (703) 412-9810 TDD (800)
553-7672 or (703) 412-3323 Mon-Thurs 10:00 am to 3:00 pin ET (except Federal Holidays) or see
www.epa.gov/superfimd/contacts/mfocenter/index.htm.
You can also call or write to:
U.S. EPA Region 8
1595 Wynkoop Street (8EPR-ER)
Denver, CO 80202-1129
800-227-8917
CO, MT, ND. SD, UT, and WY
To report an oil or chemical spill, call the National Response Center at (800) 424-8802.
This newsletter provides information on the EPA Risk Management Program, EPCRA, SPCC/FRP (Facility Response Plan) and
other issues relating to Accidental Release Prevention Requirements. The information should be used as a ref erence tool, not as
a definitive source of compliance information. Compliance regulations are published in 40 CFR Part 68 for CAA section 112(r)
Risk Management Program, 40 CFR Part 355/370for EPCRA, and 40 CFR Part 112.2 for SPCC/FRP.
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