WAC 173-303-360   Emergencies.  (1) Emergency coordinator. At all times, there must be at least one employee either on the facility premises or on call (that is, available to respond to an emergency by reaching the facility within a short period of time) with the responsibility for coordinating all emergency response measures. This emergency coordinator must be thoroughly familiar with all aspects of the facility's contingency plan, required by WAC 173-303-350(2), all operations and activities at the facility, the location and properties of all wastes handled, the location of all records within the facility, and the facility layout. In addition, this person must have the authority to commit the resources needed to carry out the contingency plan.

     (2) Emergency procedures. The following procedures must be implemented in the event of an emergency.

     (a) Whenever there is an imminent or actual emergency situation, the emergency coordinator (or his designee when the emergency coordinator is on call) must immediately:

     (i) Activate internal facility alarms or communication systems, where applicable, to notify all facility personnel; and

     (ii) Notify appropriate state or local agencies with designated response roles if their help is needed.

     (b) Whenever there is a release, fire, or explosion, the emergency coordinator must immediately identify the character, exact source, amount, and areal extent of any released materials.

     (c) Concurrently, the emergency coordinator must assess possible hazards to human health and the environment (considering direct, indirect, immediate, and long-term effects) that may result from the release, fire, or explosion.

     (d) If the emergency coordinator determines that the facility has had a release, fire, or explosion which could threaten human health or the environment, he must report his findings as follows:

     (i) If his assessment indicates that evacuation of local areas may be advisable, he must immediately notify appropriate local authorities. He must be available to help appropriate officials decide whether local areas should be evacuated; and

     (ii) He must immediately notify the department and either the government official designated as the on-scene coordinator, or the National Response Center (using their 24-hour toll free number (800) 424-8802).

     (e) His assessment report must include:

     (i) Name and telephone number of reporter;

     (ii) Name and address of facility;

     (iii) Time and type of incident (e.g., release, fire);

     (iv) Name and quantity of material(s) involved, to the extent known;

     (v) The extent of injuries, if any; and

     (vi) The possible hazards to human health or the environment outside the facility.

     (f) During an emergency, the emergency coordinator must take all reasonable measures necessary to ensure that fires, explosions, and releases do not occur, recur, or spread to other dangerous waste at the facility. These measures must include, where applicable, stopping processes and operations, collecting and containing released waste, and removing or isolating containers.

     (g) If the facility stops operations in response to a fire, explosion, or release, the emergency coordinator must monitor for leaks, pressure buildup, gas generation, or ruptures in valves, pipes, or other equipment, wherever this is appropriate.

     (h) Immediately after an emergency, the emergency coordinator must provide for treating, storing, or disposing of recovered waste, contaminated soil or surface water, or any other material that results from a release, fire, or explosion at the facility.

     (i) The emergency coordinator must ensure that, in the affected area(s) of the facility:

     (i) No waste that may be incompatible with the released material is treated, stored, or disposed of until cleanup procedures are completed; and

     (ii) All emergency equipment listed in the contingency plan is cleaned and fit for its intended use before operations are resumed.

     (j) The owner or operator must notify the department, and appropriate local authorities, that the facility is in compliance with (i) of this subsection before operations are resumed in the affected area(s) of the facility.

     (k) The owner or operator must note in the operating record the time, date, and details of any incident that requires implementing the contingency plan. Within fifteen days after the incident, he must submit a written report on the incident to the department. The report must include:

     (i) Name, address, and telephone number of the owner or operator;

     (ii) Name, address, and telephone number of the facility;

     (iii) Date, time, and type of incident (e.g., fire, explosion);

     (iv) Name and quantity of material(s) involved;

     (v) The extent of injuries, if any;

     (vi) An assessment of actual or potential hazards to human health or the environment, where this is applicable;

     (vii) Estimated quantity and disposition of recovered material that resulted from the incident;

     (viii) Cause of incident; and

     (ix) Description of corrective action taken to prevent reoccurrence of the incident.



[Statutory Authority: Chapters 70.105, 70.105D, 15.54 RCW and RCW 70.105.007. 00-11-040 (Order 99-01), § 173-303-360, filed 5/10/00, effective 6/10/00. Statutory Authority: Chapters 70.105 and 70.105D RCW. 95-22-008 (Order 94-30), § 173-303-360, filed 10/19/95, effective 11/19/95. Statutory Authority: Chapters 70.105 and 70.105D RCW, 40 CFR Part 271.3 and RCRA § 3006 (42 U.S.C. 3251). 91-07-005 (Order 90-42), § 173-303-360, filed 3/7/91, effective 4/7/91. Statutory Authority: Chapter 70.105 RCW. 87-14-029 (Order DE-87-4), § 173-303-360, filed 6/26/87; 86-12-057 (Order DE-85-10), § 173-303-360, filed 6/3/86; 84-09-088 (Order DE 83-36), § 173-303-360, filed 4/18/84. Statutory Authority: RCW 70.95.260 and chapter 70.105 RCW. 82-05-023 (Order DE 81-33), § 173-303-360, filed 2/10/82. Formerly chapter 173-302 WAC.]