HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 06131989 - T.1 (2) T. 1
THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
Adopted this Order on June 13 , 1989 by the following vote:
AYES: Supervisors Powers, Fanden, Schroder, McPeak, and Torlakson
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
SUBJECT: Report on Hazardous Materials Response Study
Dr. William Walker orally reported that in response to the
Board' s request of April 25 , 1989, he had conducted an analysis of
emergency response capabilities with respect to hazardous materials
incidences in Contra Costa County, as well as a look at the disaster
response capability.
He reported on the history of the County' s response
capabilities, noting that at the present time the County has two vans
stationed at 1111 Ward Street,' Martinez, manned 24 hours a day; that
he and members of his staff have been meeting with the West County
Hazardous Materials Study Group on Incidences in West County, which
has been meeting since December of 1988; he gave a breakdown of the
number and kinds of incidences in the various parts of the County; he
noted that the Study Group has looked intensely at the possibility of
generating response capabilities within the Richmond Fire Department
and that the Health Department supports the proposed development of a
hazardous materials team within the Richmond Fire Department based in
the Hilltop Station. He noted that they are hoping for contributions
from industry for the purchase of the hazardous materials van in West
County.
Dr. Walker advised that from the analysis he concludes that
rescue and containment capability needs to be beefed up throughout the
County, and a determination made as to what should be the technical
capability of the fire department . to do on-scene product
identification.
Dr. Walker suggested that for East and Central County, the
best forum to address this issue is the Fire Chiefs Association. He
noted that after mid-July when the response crews from Ward Street in
Martinez are moved to Pacheco near the intersection of I-680 and
Highway 4, the response times should be improving significantly in
Central and East County.
Dr. Walker then addressed the County' s Disaster Response
Capability, the exercises that have been held, and the agencies
involved. He noted the need for involving the cities and private
industries in training for disaster responses, and for risk management
prevention plans and guidelines therefor. He noted that major
community concerns are the issues of evacuation, notification, and
what the community needs to know at the time of a hazardous release.
The Chair called upon members of the public who had
submitted a request to speak:
Henry Clark, 1019 Macdonald Avenue, Richmond, Director of
the West Contra Costa Toxics Coalition, discussed the April 10, 1989
Chevron fire and explosion, and the fire at the Safeway Warehouse. He
noted that the residents had serious problems with the response at
that time. He discussed the need for early warning systems in the
West County Area and expressed his concern that the next incident
could be even worse. He noted that one of the things to be learned
from past experience is that the public does need timely and credible
information about a hazardous material incident as it is happening. He
noted that emergency response is not enough, that the need is for
accident prevention and urged that an accident prevention program be
implemented at all sources of hazardous materials.
Michael Belliveau, 942 Market, #505, San Francisco, Citizens
for a Better Environment, advised that his organization has long been
interested in hazardous materials used in this County, and throughout
the state. He requested a deadline and support for requiring
prevention plans to be put in place.
Chairman Torlakson read a card from Rosella Moore, 227 So.
37th Street, Richmond, West County Toxics Coalition, expressing her
concern about the chemicals in the air.
Fannie Cotton, 412 Gertrude Avenue, Richmond, West County
Toxics Coalition, urged that Chevron tear down and reconstruct the
defective portion of its plant.
Chairman Torlakson inquired of Dr. Walker if the requests
for the prevention plans had gone out.
Dr. Walker explained that care must be taken that the
prevention plan program not become a paper exercise asking industry to
fill out a meaningless paper and sending it to the Health Department
for filing, but that it has to be something that makes good public
health sense for the community. He advised that the State was
developing guidelines for the prevention plans, but that those
guidelines are not out yet. He noted that some of the industries had
come out with plans, but that they were not very useful documents. He
commented that the Health Department has developed an outline that it
thinks will work and will make sure that it goes through a number of
drafts and that it makes sense, and then do it in a quality way. He
noted that having a one or two-month deadline for simply processing
paper would not fix the health hazards for the community.
Dr. Walker responded to Supervisor Fanden' s inquiry about a
satisfactory early warning system delineating the various types that
are under consideration.
Supervisor Powers commented on the need for detailed
information in a noticing system, not just that there is an emergency.
He commented on the lack of funding for proposed noticing systems, and
suggested looking at the special district augmentation fund.
Board members discussed the matter in some detail.
Good cause appearing therefore, IT IS BY THE BOARD ORDERED
THAT the oral report of Dr. Walker is ACKNOWLEDGED.
I.thereby certify that Ihle le a true and correct Copy of
an ectbn taken and entered an tM mhufte d the
Board of Sups Wwathe date dtn h
ATTESTED 1.9, /989 _
PHIL 13AT R.Clerk of the Board
Of and County AdmWdmtar
BY .Deputy
cc: County Administrator
Health Services Director
Office of Emergency Services