HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 06192001 - C.141 TO:
BOARD(.)F SUPERVISORS =-
FROM: William walker,NI.D.,Ilealth Ser i cc r Contra
a': - .�
's Costa
DATE: June 19,2001 Count
SUBJECT: inherently Saler Systems
SPECIFIC:REQIJEST(S)Olt RECONINIENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOMMENDATION: Approve the attached letter to Governor- Gray Davis on Inherently Safer Systems and
autl)oiize Supervisor Uilkema, as the Chair of the Board of Supervisors, to send the attached letter to Governor Gray
Davis requesting action by his Office of Emergency Services.
BACKGROUND: The Board of Supervisors passed Resolution No. 2001/122, on March 20, 2001. Resolution
2001/122 stated that the County is to work with members of it's state legislative delegation to introduce legislation to
establish a statewide study of the public policy considerations associated with implementation of Inherently Safer
Systems in all industries and that the Study be conducted by the Governor's Office of Emergency Services. The
earliest that any legislation, if passed, Could take effect is January 1, 2002. Then it would require the Governor's
Office of Emergency Services to design the study, implement the study, and then interpret the results of the study.
The attached letter-requesting that the Governor direct his Office of Emergency Services to conduct the survey would
eliminate the need to have legislation passed and the Governor's Office of Emergency Services could start as soon Lis
their schedule would allow them.
Taking action on this Board Order would be in lieu of working with the County's state legislative delegation to
introduce legislation to establish ct statewide study of the public policy considerations associated with implementation
on Inherently Safer Systems in all industries.
FISCAL IMPACT: NONE
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE:
RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
APPROVE OTHER
9,4"
ACTION OF BOARD O une j19, 2001 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED x — OTHER
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
)V i HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
X UNANIMOUS (ABSENT
AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN
AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD
ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN.
Contact Person:
CC: Health Services Administration ATTESTED June 2001
Sara Hoffman,County Administrator's Office JOHN SW ET N,CLERK O HE BOARD OF
SUP RV O AND COUN ADMINI7,Za
BYDEPUTY
_The Board of SupervisorsContra John Sweeten
Clerk of the Board
and
County Administration Building Costa County Administrator
`651 Pine Street, Room 106 (925)335-1900
Martinez, California 94553-1293 County
John Gioia, 1st District
r: r
Gayle B.Uilkema,2nd District
Donna Gerber,3rd District
Mark DeSaulnier,4th District � � \
Federal D.Glover,5th District
tTl Cou
June 19, 2001
Governor Gray Davis
State Capital Building
Sacramento, CA 9581.4
Dear Governor Davis:
SUBJECT: INHERENTLY SAFER SYSTEMS
Contra Costa County has implemented an ordinance (County Ordinance Code Chapter
450-8 Risk Management) to improve the safety of petroleum refineries and chemical
plants within the county. The ordinance, known as the Industrial Safety Ordinance,
requires the regulated facilities to consider Human Factors, perform Root Cause Analyses
for Major Chemical Accidents or Releases, and to consider-implementing Inherently
Safer Systems'. We believe that by implementing the ordinance the industries in Contra
Costa County will operate safer with fewer accidents. We also believe that California has
mLt11y industries that (Hight benefit from a statewide study of the implementation of
Inherently Safer Systems.
California has enacted regulations, under the Governor's Office of Emergency Services
(OES), a comprehensive accidental chemical release prevention program (CCR Title 19,
Division 2, Chapter 4.5, California Accidental Release Prevention Program). OES plays a
vital role in reviewing complex issues relative to the prevention of accidental chemical
releases and OES possesses the technical knowledve to review Inherently Safer Systems.
Contra Costa County's Board of Supervisors passed resolution 2001/122 (enclosed)
requesting the members of its state legislative delegation to introduce legislation to
establish a statewide study of the public policy considerations associated with
implementation of Inherently Safer Systems in all industries and that the Study be
conducted by OES. We also acknowledge that the soonest that such legislation would go
into effect is January 1, 2002. In lieu of legislation, the Board of Supervisors
I Industrial Safety Ordilsance defuses Inherently Safer Sti-stems as Inherently Design Strategies as discussed in
the 1996 Center for Chemical Process Safety PUTAICltloll inherently Safer Chemical Processes and means
Feasible alrernative equipment,processes,materials,lay-outs,and procedures meant to eliminate,eninimize,or
reduce the risk of a \4ajor Chemical Accident or Release by modifying a process rather than adding external
layers of protection. Examples include,but arc not limited to,substitution of materials wrath lower vapor
pressure,IO\ver flammability,or lower toxicity;isolation of hazardous processes;and use of processes,which
Operate:It lover tenlperatureS alld/or pressures. x=150-8.014(g) Contra Costa County Ordinance Code
Letter to Governor Gray Davis -2- lune 19,2001
respectfully requests that you direct your Office of Emergency Services to perform
the statewide study of the public policy considerations associated with
implementation of Inherently Safer Systems in all industries. By doing so, the design
and then the implementation of the statewide study could start sooner than January 1,
2002.
Please contact Supervisor Mark DeSaulnier (925) 646-5763 or Supervisor John Gioia
(510) 374-3231 on your decision pertaining to this request.
Respectfully,
Gay, e Uilkema, Chair
Enclosure (1)
cc: Dallas Jones, Director of OES