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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 09131994 - 1.15 (2) p 1.149 through 1.158 THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Adopted this Order on September 13, 1994, by the following vote: AYES: Supervisors Smith, Bishop, DeSaulnier, Torlakson and Powers NOES: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SUBJECT: CORRESPONDENCE Item No. 1.149 LETTER dated August 19, 1994, from R. Moazzami, M.D., 242 Marshall Drive, Walnut Creek 94598, requesting that consideration be given to redrawing property lines because of the absence of responsibility for the maintenance of open space in the vicinity of Marshall Drive. ***REFERRED TO FIRE CHIEF, CONTRA COSTA COUNTY FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT 1.150 LETTER dated August 22, 1994,from Donna Burke,Director of Public Affairs, Pacific Bell, 2600 Camino Ramon, Room 1E106, San Ramon 94583, advising of the policy and cost for including "shelter-in-place" guidelines in the Customer Guide Section of the Pacific Bell Directory. ***REFERRED TO COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR AND HEALTH SERVICES DIRECTOR 1.151 LETTER dated August 29, 1994,from J.Motely,Chairman,Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission, State Department of Parks and Recreation, P. O. Box 942896, Sacramento 94296, urging the County to inventory its roads and if appropriate,to make claim to the Federal Bureau of Land Management(BLM)or U. S. Department of Forestry because of improper land confiscation by the BLM. ***REFERRED TO PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR 1.152 LETTER dated August 8, 1994,from I. Listrom,P.O. Box 39,Clayton 94517, submitting a petition requesting the Board to assign a task force composed of Foster Parents, Social Service and Public Health representatives to address the needs of a high risk group of children in foster care. ***REFERRED TO SOCIAL SERVICE DIRECTOR 1.153 LETTER dated August 31, 1994, from L. Kaufman, Chief, Facility Permitting Branch, Hazardous Waste Management Program, State Department of Toxic Substances Control, 700 Heinz Avenue, Suite 200,Berkeley 94710,requesting the Board to authorize the County Community Development Department to assist with the preparation of an Environmental Impact Report for the closure plan for the hazardous waste management facility at the West Contra Costa Sanitary Landfill. ***REFERRED TO COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR AND. COUNTY COUNSEL 1.154 LETTER dated August 30, 1994, from J. Browne, District Director, State Department of Transportation, P.O. Box 23660, Oakland 94623, advising that the Governor and Legislature has provided additional funding from the sale of short term bonds for the completion of the 1-680/24 Interchange project. ***ACKNOWLEDGED RECEIPT D.M.Burke _ 3.600-Camino Ramon,Room 1E106 PACIFICI"IBELL Area Manager San Ramon,California 94583 A Pacific Telesis•Company Public Affairs (510)823-1241 AlameclaXontra,Costa Counties REC �� � August 22, 1994 2 61994 CLERK BOARD CONT cOSTA CO UPERV{SORB The Honorable Tom Powers Chairman Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors 651 Pine St., Room 106 Martinez, Ca 94553 Dear Supervisor Powers: We appreciate the high regard that the County has placed on the Pacific Bell directory, and the Board's interest in including "shelter-in-place" guidelines in the Customer Guide section. The guidelines used for placement of information such as what you are requesting are quite specific: Pacific Bell will consider, as a public service, publishing information in its Customer Guide section pertaining to natural disasters and first aid safety of concern throughout the state. The information in the Guide is consistent statewide, so that the public knows where to turn regardless of where they are in the state at any given moment. We are one of only a few telephone companies in the nation that publish survival tips. The content in this section of the book is reviewed by representatives in the medical and emergency sectors who are more familiar with the appropriate wording. A disclaimer on Page B-2 makes reference to these independent experts. They conduct an annual review of the material. As Mary Ellen Watson of the Customer Guide staff shared with Mr. Tarver, Pacific Bell believes the potential for chemical-related emergencies is a concern to residents statewide. Such disasters are man-made, however, and we oIsrRiioN believe it would be inappropriate to use telephone ratepayer money to support all —!�'lioard Members County Administrator _e'Heaith Services ­L'160mmunity Development _ Public works —County Counsei or part of shelter-in-place guidelines in our directories. We would, however, allow our Guide to be considered as one means of statewide outreach for shelter- in-place guidelines provided the funding for publication is provided by those companies primarily responsible for the potential hazard (or their industry associations). As we indicated to Mr. Tovar last year, we should be able to only assess the cost of one side of a page ($55,000) annually for the designated shelter-in-place guidelines if there is flexibility as to when the statewide publication cycle would commence. Tom, this summary reaffirms what Mr. Tarver was advised last year. Please call me on 510-823-1241 if you would like to discuss this further. A"44U Donna Burke, Director, Public Affairs cc: Richard Andrews, Director, State Office of Emergency Services Phil Batchelor, Contra Costa County Administrator Gary Brown, Director, Contra Costa Office of Emergency Services Mark Finucane, Director, Contra Costa Health Services Department John Lucas, Director, Pacific Bell Customer Guide George Malouf, California CAER Committee Chair Harley Thompson, Richmond Fire Department Mayors County Supervisors AUG 25 '94 11:510M CORPORATE COM/PIONEERS SF P.2 PUBLICATION: SAN RAMON VALLEY TIMES DATE: AUGUST 19, 1994 PAGE: 3A Contra o stir in_ U,.S,. toxic accidents Anti-pollution group 0 HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL RELEASES urges more prevention For U.S. counties, 1988-92 wiuatio, total evacuation By WILLY MORRIS County,state accidents or death staff writer 1. Harris, Texas 1,398 65 Contra Costa County tanked 11th in the nation for 2. Log Angeles 1,204 112 ' chemical accidents from 1988 to 1992, accordtn to a 3. Jefferson,Texas 586 10 report released Thursday by a Boston anti-pollution group. 4. Calcasieu, I.e. _ 533 0 The National Environmental Law Center included 5. San Diego 345 19 the rankings in the report,which recommends that fed- eral, state and local anti-pollution laws put more em- S. Ascension, La. 343 9 phasis on preventing chemical accidents than on re- 7. Cook, 111. 342 24, sponding to them. "The more we got into it.the more we realized there a. Brazoria, Texas 339 4 was this gaping hole where they're not doing enough 9. Ibenrilie, La. 337 2 about accident prevention," said Hillel Gray,one of the report's authors. 10. East Baton Rouge, La. 332 3 The report says that more than 34,000 chemical 41. Contra Costa 304 16 spills occurred throughout the United States from 1988 to 1992. Almost 2,200 of them caused injuries, evacua- 12. Orange, Calif. 303 18 tions or deaths. One hundred ten people were killed and 3,902 injured. 13. Galveston, Texas 300 3 With 304 accidents, Contra Costa County was third 14. Hutchinson, Texas 288 2 among California counties,behind Los Angeles and San - Diego. Alameda County ranked 17th and Santa Clara 15. Wayne, Mich. 286 , 14 County 19th in the nation. 16. Jefferson, Ky. 285 15 California recorded the largest number of chemical accidents of any state,followed by Texas,Louisiana and 17. Alameda 274 23 Pennsylvania, 16. Philadelphia, Pa. 265 16 The results were no surprise, said Randy Sawyer, an engineer for Contra Costa County's Risk Management 19. Santa Clara 253 29, and Prevention Program. The county has the state's 20. Hancock, Ky. 250 0 heaviest concentration of chemical plants and oil reffn- National Environmental Law Center eries. he said. The California statistics may be inflated by the state's tough environmental regulations,which make induction and elimination of toxic-chemical use, and im- dustry representatives more likely to report even small prove public access to information about chemical dan- chemical releases that pose little threat to people or the gens. The information should include models of•how 11 environment, Sawyer said, worst-case accidents could affect nearby communities, '-We want them to report," he said. "If.something the report says. happens,we want to be'notified." I I The report says President Clinton should quickly ap- Only a handful of Contra Costa accidents were large point members to the Chemical Safety and Hazard 1n- releases,but among them was the 1.5 million pounds of vestiQation Board.The federal Clean Air I►Jt created the spent sulfuric acid released at the Rhone-Poulenc Salic board, but it has languished under the past two admin- Chemicals Plant in Martinez during a 1992 fire that killed one worker. More than half the accidents in Con- tstranons, the report says. .Tim Makrie, a spokesman for the EPA!s Emergency tra Costa involved chemical releases of 100 pounds or Response Division, said he had not read the full report less, according to reports filed with the EPA. and could not comment in detail.'But he said EPA chief Gray said the figures are based on preliminary re- Carol. Browner and President Clinton are very con. ports. The figures have never been verified and esti- earned about the risks of chemical accidents. mates of the magnitude of individual releases may have The EPA has begun implementing many reeommen- risen since the original reports were filed, he said.- dations of the report, Makris said. Some, such as pro- Dow Chemical.In Pittsburg had almost one-third of viding more information to local communities,were in. Contra Costa's accidents. corpprated in rules years-ago, he said. Dow spokesman Scott Anderson said the plant had a Tile report's recommend,adons are similar to sugges- high total beeause.it tells regulators about releases that tions made by environmentalists and government offt- are smaller than the required reporting levels. Some of rials after lest year's acid leak at the General Chemical the reported chlorine releases involved less than at Corp,plant in Richmond.The accident,which occurred pound of the toxic gas,he said. after the Doves releases have injured no neighbors, although covered by the report, sent more than Do 1 g � 24'000 people to medical facilities. some plant workers have been sent to the hospital with Assemblyman Bob Campbell, D-Martinez. said breathing problems,Anderson said. Thursday the report confirms I agree industry and government need to redouble what everyone knew Con- their efforts to prevent spills.We have a ways to go,"he about the concentration of hazardous rdous materials in Con- said. "Where I disagree is that we need to eliminate all tra Costa County. chemicals,We need to focus on the substances that are abusive to human health and the environment." Staff writer Denis Cuff and Gannett News Service con- The report recommends that regulators promote re- tributed to this story.