Hazardous Materials

Hazardous materials are materials, which, because of their chemical, physical, or biological nature, pose a potential risk to life, health, or property when released. A release may occur by spilling, leaking, emitting toxic vapors, or any other process that enables the material to escape its container, enter the environment, and create a potential hazard. The hazard can be explosive, flammable, combustible, corrosive, reactive, poisonous, toxic, biological agent, and radioactive. 

In the State of Washington, we use a multi-functional approach when dealing with hazardous materials incidents.  Agencies such as the State Emergency Management Division, Department of Ecology, Washington State Patrol, and most importantly, local hazmat response organizations all contribute significantly, from initial notification, to spills or emissions response, to incident command, and to actual on-scene response.

The State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) oversees substantial portions of the hazardous materials program.  Mandated by federal law, the SERC is charged with establishing Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPC) whose role is to ensure adequate planning measures are in place to prevent, mitigate, and respond to hazardous materials incidents within their jurisdictions. Washington State has 43 LEPC's.  These LEPCs, in concert with their respective local emergency management offices, conduct hazard identification, vulnerability analysis, and risk assessment activities for their jurisdictions. Federal and state statutes require LEPC's to develop and maintain emergency response plans based on the volumes and types of substances found in, or transported through, their districts.  Based on the provisions of the Emergency Planning Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), LEPCs are charged with the key responsibility of ensuring accurate chemical/toxic substance reporting within their jurisdictions.

 

Hazard Identification and Vulnerability Assessment

Hazardous material incidents are intentional and/or unintentional releases of a material, that because of their chemical, physical, or biological nature, pose a potential risk to life, health, environment, or property. Each incident's impact and resulting response depends on a multitude of interrelated variables that range from the quantity and specific characteristic of the material to the conditions of the release and area/population centers involved. Releases may be small and easily handled with local response resources or rise to catastrophic levels with long-term consequences that require representatives of federal, state, and local governments to be present at the scene, with each level consisting of personnel from between five and fifteen different agencies.

The Washington State Hazardous Materials Program consists of several agencies, each responsible for specific elements of the program. A number of strategies have evolved to limit risk, respond to, and recover from hazardous materials releases, intentional discharges, illegal disposals, or system failures. A comprehensive system of laws, regulations, and resources are in place to provide for technical assistance, environmental compliance, and emergency management.

Washington State has 43 Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPC). These LEPC's, in concert with their respective local emergency management offices, conduct hazard identification, vulnerability analysis, and risk assessment activities for their jurisdictions. Federal and state statutes require LEPC's to develop and maintain emergency response plans based on the volumes and types of substances found in, or transported through, their districts.