Item 26 - Adoption of the City of Santa Ana Emergency Operations Plan

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City of Santa Ana Emergency Operations Plan Part I Basic Plan Hazardous Materials Release or Spill Virtually all sectors of the City and County economies are users of hazardous materials, which may be found at all stages of production, transportation, consumption and disposal. Federal and state laws permit the intentional release of some hazardous materials, typically in quantities, in a form, and/or in locations such that the risk to human health and the environment is thought to be acceptable. However, if improperly handled, stored, transported, or disposed of, these materials can pose substantial health and safety hazards and environmental threats. Santa Ana faces a potential for incidents from stationary hazardous materials users as well as transportation accidents, pipeline ruptures, illegal dumping or intentional acts of sabotage. Impacts on the environment, property or human health are dependent on the type, location and quantity of hazardous material released. The actual impact depends on where the episode occurs and on weather, geography, population, and other site -specific conditions that influence the behavior of the material in the environment, and these can vary greatly. Incidents may occur at fixed facilities where the opportunity for development of site - specific contingency plans is great. They may also occur at any place along road, rail or air transportation routes, and (in the case of rail or aircraft accidents or illegal dumping) may occur in unpredictable areas, relatively inaccessible by ground transportation. Hazardous material incidents often cause some type of transportation disruption within the vicinity of the incident and may require localized evacuation. Accidental hazardous materials releases occur many times during any given day. In an average year, the California State Warning Center receives approximately 11,000 reports on hazardous material incidents and potential hazardous material incidents. Of these incidents, most are minor but some do cause significant impacts such as injuries, evacuation, and the need for extensive cleanup. Fixed Sites - The Hazardous Material Disclosure and Business Emergency Plan programs require businesses that handle hazardous materials in quantities equal to or greater than 55 gallons of a liquid, 500 pounds of a solid, or 200 cubic feet of compressed gas, or extremely hazardous substances above a threshold planning quantity, to report this information to the local implementing agency called the Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA). The purpose of the programs is to prevent or minimize damage to public health and safety and the environment, from a release or threatened release of hazardous materials. These locally implemented programs also satisfy federal community right -to -know laws. The Orange County Health Care Agency serves as the Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA) for this geographic region. The City of Santa Ana has approximately 1,045 facilities listed under the CUPA for hazardous materials management. Most of these facilities are low -hazard businesses such as automotive repair, construction and light manufacturing. The exact location of what materials are in what locations is not included in this Plan, as it may be proprietary information for businesses, is likely to change frequently over time, and may represent a security risk to publish. Transportation Routes — Spills or release in transportation can result in the closure of freeways and surface streets, an extreme hazard to the public and to first responders, significant environmental damage and water supply contamination, and evacuation of large areas. Highways and freeways are the major transportation routes in Orange County for hazardous materials from suppliers to users to disposal sites. Over 250 miles of interstate highway, including the third busiest highway transportation corridor in the country (the 5 Freeway), and 719 miles of other major transportation routes run through Orange County. In addition to the roadway system, Orange County's major transportation routes include 117 miles of railways, with some passing through the City of Santa Ana. These routes are used daily to transport hazardous materials and transportation accidents from collisions or derailments can occur and may cause the release of hazardous materials. 110