BINATIONAL PREVENTION AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN BETWEEN IMPERIAL COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, AND THE CITY OF MEXICALI, BAJA CALIFORNIA May 24, 2005 IMPERIAL COUNTY – MEXICALI BINATIONAL PREVENTION AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN RECORD OF REVISIONS Date Section Page number Edited by TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION PAGE ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ...............................................................................................................v FOREWORD ................................................................................................................................. ix MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING..................................................................................1 PARTICIPATING AGENCIES.......................................................................................................5 INTRODUCTION .........................................................................................................................11 1.0 MEXICALI/IMPERIAL COUNTY BORDER REGION.................................................13 1.1 General Aspects of the Region ................................................................................... 13 1.1.1 Historical and Cultural Background ...........................................................13 1.1.2 Geographic Location...................................................................................15 1.1.3 Climate........................................................................................................15 1.1.4 Population ...................................................................................................15 1.1.5 Economy .....................................................................................................16 2.0 REGIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE...................................................................................19 2.1 Transportation............................................................................................................. 19 2.1.1 Roads...........................................................................................................19 2.1.2 Media ..........................................................................................................20 2.1.3 Railroads .....................................................................................................20 2.1.4 Airports .......................................................................................................21 2.1.5 Maritime Ports ............................................................................................21 2.2 Water, Sewage, and Energy........................................................................................ 22 2.2.1 Water...........................................................................................................22 2.2.2 Sewage ........................................................................................................23 2.2.3 Electricity/Natural Gas................................................................................24 3.0 LAWS AND REGULATIONS..........................................................................................25 3.1 Authority..................................................................................................................... 25 3.1.1 Laws and Statutes ....................................................................................... 25 3.1.1.1 United States Laws and Statutes...................................................... 25 3.1.1.2 Mexico Laws and Statutes ............................................................... 25 3.1.2 Regulations .................................................................................................. 25 3.1.2.1 United States Regulations............................................................. 25 3.1.2.2 Mexico Regulations ...................................................................... 26 3.1.3 Binational Agreements................................................................................. 26 3.2 Other Applicable Contingency Plans.......................................................................... 27 3.2.1 Binational Contingency Plans...................................................................... 27 Binational Prevention and Emergency Response Plan Between Imperial County, California and the City of Mexicali, Baja California May 24, 2005 i TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) SECTION PAGE 3.2.2 Mexico Contingency Plans .......................................................................... 27 3.2.2.1 Local and Regional Plans.............................................................. 27 3.2.2.2 State of Baja California Plans....................................................... 27 3.2.2.3 Federal Plans................................................................................. 27 3.2.3 United States Contingency Plans................................................................. 28 3.2.3.1 Local and Regional Plans.............................................................. 28 3.2.3.2 State of California Plans ............................................................... 28 3.2.3.3 Federal Plans................................................................................. 29 4.0 HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION........................................................................................31 4.1 Businesses Using, Handling or Storing Hazardous Materials (Facilities).................. 31 4.1.1 Hazards Analysis ......................................................................................... 31 4.2 Risks Associated with Transportation ....................................................................... 34 4.2.1 Roads............................................................................................................ 34 4.2.2 Railroads ...................................................................................................... 35 4.2.3 Other Means of Transport............................................................................ 36 4.3 Emergency Response Data ......................................................................................... 37 4.4 Ports of Entry ............................................................................................................. 38 4.5 Sensitive Populations and Vulnerable Areas .............................................................. 39 4.5.1 Sensitive Populations................................................................................... 39 4.5.2 Population Distribution................................................................................ 40 4.5.3 Sensitive Natural Resources ........................................................................ 41 4.6 Counterterrorism................................................................................................... 42 4.6.1 U.S. Response .............................................................................................. 42 4.6.2 Management of Domestic Incidents ............................................................ 43 4.6.3 Imperial County Response........................................................................... 43 5.0 ENVIRONMENTAL EMERGENCIES RESPONSE...................................................... 45 5.1 Local Emergency Response........................................................................................ 45 5.2 Declaration of Emergency .......................................................................................... 45 5.3 Levels of Mutual Aid Within Each Country............................................................... 47 5.4 Federal Response ........................................................................................................ 49 5.4.1 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency....................................................... 49 5.5 Joint Response Team .................................................................................................. 50 Binational Prevention and Emergency Response Plan Between Imperial County, California and the City of Mexicali, Baja California ii May 24, 2005 TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) SECTION PAGE 6.0 BINATIONAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE OPERATIONS..........................................53 6.1 Initiation of Action...................................................................................................... 53 6.1.1 Incident Command Authority ...................................................................... 53 6.2 Binational Notification Protocol................................................................................. 56 6.3 Binational Mutual Aid Request .................................................................................. 56 7.0 TRAINING AND EXERCISES .......................................................................................59 7.1 Training....................................................................................................................... 59 7.2 Exercises ..................................................................................................................... 59 APPENDICES Appendix A Sensitive Populations and Vulnerable Areas Appendix B Response Resources Appendix C Binational Emergency Notification Flow Chart Appendix D 24 Hour Emergency Notification Appendix E Local Emergency Notification Form Appendix F Incident Report Checklist Appendix G U.S. Customs and Border Protection Procedures for Cross Border Emergency Response LIST OF MAPS Map 1: Status of the U.S.-Mexico Sister