THE NEW NORMAL: THE DIRECT AND INDIRECT IMPACTS OF OIL DRILLING AND PRODUCTION ON THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FUNCTION IN NORTH DAKOTA Image: nd.gov Carol L. Cwiak Noah Avon Colton Kellen Paul C. Mott Olivia M. Niday Katherine M. Schulz James G. Sink Thomas B. Webb, Jr. January 2015 The NDSU team would like to thank and acknowledge the emergency managers and key partners in North Dakota who added to the richness of this report by participating in this study. Although many of the impacts on emergency management can be drawn from a variety of statistics and conclusions that have been covered in other articles and reports addressing general oil impacts, the voices of the those impacted breathed life and humanity into this examination of North Dakota’s new normal. Oil Impacts on the Emergency Management Function in North Dakota 1 January 2015 Table of Contents Acknowledgements .......................................................................................... 1 Executive Summary ........................................................................................ 3 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 5 Methodology ...................................................................................................... 7 Structural Framing of the Report .............................................................. 11 Emergency Management Function ............................................................ 13 Oil Drilling and Production ........................................................................ 15 Direct and Indirect Impacts ........................................................................ 19 Socioeconomic Impacts ............................................................................. 20 Transportation Impacts ............................................................................ 28 Public Health Impacts ............................................................................... 32 Fire and EMS Impacts ............................................................................... 40 Law Enforcement Impacts ........................................................................ 44 Discussion ........................................................................................................ 46 Direct Impacts ............................................................................................. 47 Indirect Impacts ......................................................................................... 59 Recommendations ......................................................................................... 71 Direct Impact Recommendations ........................................................... 86 Indirect Impact Recommendations ........................................................ 94 Conclusion ....................................................................................................... 98 Endnotes .......................................................................................................... 99 Appendix A: Study Survey ........................................................................ 121 Appendix B: Participant Narrative Comments .................................... 126 Appendix C: Full-sized Images ........................................................... 154 Oil Impacts on the Emergency Management Function in North Dakota 2 January 2015 Executive Summary The study addressed in this report examined the type, and extent, of direct and indirect impacts of oil drilling and production on the emergency management function in North Dakota. The impacts addressed herein are tied to both the hazards that oil-related activities introduce and rapid growth issues that have strained community and state resources. Central to this study are the firsthand accounts of emergency management and partner agency personnel at the local and state level regarding the impacts that could result in an inability to fulfill the emergency management mission. Such impacts could result in the function being compromised to the extent that it is unable to perform at the capacity necessary to protect the safety and security of North Dakota communities. The North Dakota State University research team’s goal was to produce a report that advanced understanding, sharpened focus, and offered significant recommendations to legislators, policy makers, and community planners regarding the changes and challenges oil drilling and production have brought to the emergency management landscape. The team took a two- pronged approach to accomplish its directive. The first prong involved objective assessment of existing articles, reports, data and industry projections from distinct topical areas (i.e., oil, socioeconomic, transportation, public health, fire, emergency medical services, and law enforcement) to help better understand and frame the impacts from an emergency management perspective. The second prong sought to engage the thoughts, observations, and opinions of emergency management and partner agency personnel in order to tell the story of impacts and potential solutions from their perspective. The study participants’ comments about direct and indirect impacts, as well as their recommendations for solutions, grounded the study with a firsthand view of the current state of the emergency management function in North Dakota. From study participants’ comments, six themes regarding direct impacts and four themes regarding indirect impacts were identified. The direct impact themes identified: the need for additional equipment, personnel, and funding to address the increased workload and changing responsibilities; the need for additional planning, training, and exercising in regard to oil transport, drilling, and production issues that could require an emergency response; the shortage and burnout of first responders, particularly within volunteer departments; the increased likelihood of not Oil Impacts on the Emergency Management Function in North Dakota 3 January 2015 only more events, but also more severe events based on increased population and traffic; concerns regarding community compositions that are not versed in local hazards and are difficult to access and warn; and, the delays caused in emergency response due to rail and transportation corridor blockage or congestion. The indirect impact themes identified: the growing population is pressing the limits of schools, housing, healthcare, social services, daycare, and existing retail and service industries; recruiting and retaining workers for non-oil jobs and volunteer responder services is difficult because of wage inflation, lack of affordable housing, crime, and quality of life concerns; the social safety net is being taxed and the needs are exceeding the available resources; and, the road conditions – to include the quality, safety, and amount of traffic - have become an area of critical concern. The work conducted in the first prong of the study coupled with study participants’ comments regarding impacts and recommendations helped frame the report’s 21 recommendations. The recommendations, focus on solutions grounded in additional personnel, equipment, resources, planning, training, and exercise needs for emergency management and partner agency organizations; an examination of existing volunteer response structures, staffing, and the potential need for incentives and subsidization; traffic, accident, and life span studies that inform the usage and responsibility for roads, highways, thoroughfares, and rail; a study of criminal activity that informs the law enforcement agenda and identifies needs for additional personnel and equipment; outreach to vulnerable populations via industry partners and educational campaigns; support of community-based solutions to address rapid growth challenges; tax reductions, credits, and incentives to encourage the growth and development of businesses and institutions in communities; wage and cost-of-living studies that inform wage increases that help mitigate inflation and better inform low income baselines; examination of essential personnel housing options; and, a statewide strategy for addressing homelessness. Each recommendation offered, while independent, also serves as a significant part of an overall strategy to ensure that the emergency management function can perform at the level necessary to meet its mission. As such, these recommendations are intended to provide Governor Dalrymple, state legislators, and community leaders with an action plan for ensuring the safety and security of the citizens of North Dakota. Absent immediate and thoughtful actions to abate the impacts identified in this study, the emergency management function in North Dakota will remain comprised and subject to partial or complete failure. Oil Impacts on the Emergency Management Function in North Dakota 4 January 2015 Introduction There can be no debate that the face of North Dakota has changed – both to longtime residents and outside observers. North Dakota’s agrarian identity and friendly, unassuming demeanor have been pushed aside to make way for a new identity that has emerged as oil drilling and production have heated up over the past five years. As news of the prosperity of the Bakken oil boom has spread, thousands have moved to the state to share in the opportunities that North Dakota oil offers. The state has become a mecca for big money and big dreams. Unfortunately, North Dakota has also become a case study for what can