Technical Guidance for Hazards Analysis Emergency Planning for Extremely Hazardous Substances U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Federal Emergency Management Agency U.S. Department of Transportation December 1987 Preface This guide was developed by the U.S. Environ­ There are many definitions of “hazards analy­ mental Protection Agency in conjunction with the sis. ” In an effort to develop and maintain con­ Federal Emergency Management Agency sistency among Federal guidance documents, (FEMA) and the Department of Transportation this guide adopts the approach to community (DOT) . level hazards analysis adopted by 14 Federal agencies in NRT-1. NRT-1 defines “hazards analysis” as a three step process: hazards iden­ In November 1985, as part of its National Strat­ tification, vulnerability analysis, and risk analy­ egy for Toxic Air Pollutants, EPA published the sis, and provides general descriptions and spe­ Chemical Emergency Preparedness Program cific procedures for each. This guide provides a (CEPP) Interim Guidance and invited public re­ technical discussion of, and specific procedures view and comment. The Interim Guidance con­ for, a method that can be employed in conduct­ tained information on how to organize planning ing a hazards analysis that will allow planners to committees, write a plan, and conduct a haz­ consider the potential risks in their local commu­ ards analysis on a site-specific basis. In April nities. 1986, EPA began collaborating with FEMA and other Federal agency members of the National Although the use of this guide is not mandatory, Response Team (NRT) in the revision of FEMA’s it does have many advantages, some of which widely-distributed Planning Guide and Checklist are the following: for Hazardous Materials Contingency Plans (popularly known as “FEMA-10”). In October � It enables local planners to conduct a haz­ 1986, during the time that a revised FEMA-10 ards analysis, which is an essential step in was being prepared, the Superfund Amend­ the planning process, and thereby assists lo­ ments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA) cal planners in meeting planning require­ was enacted. Title Ill of SARA is also known as ments of SARA Title Ill; the Emergency Planning and Community Right- � It will facilitate community awareness of the to-Know Act. Section 303 of SARA required the potential risks of chemical releases while NRT to publish guidance to assist local emer­ helping the community to plan for, respond gency planning committees (LEPCs) with the de­ to, and reduce those risks. velopment and implementation of comprehen­ sive hazardous materials emergency response � It is consistent with NRT-1 mandated under plans. The Federal agencies revising FEMA-10 SARA and approved by 14 Federal agencies: prepared a document that included guidance for meeting the SARA Title Ill planning requirements. � It is consistent with training programs (e.g. The NRT published this document as the Hazard­ contingency planning) that are being con­ ous Materials Emergency Planning Guide ducted by the Emergency Management Insti­ (NRT-1) on March 17, 1987. tute in Emmitsburg, Maryland: � It can be used by software developers who This current guide supplements NRT-1 by pro­ want their products to be consistent with the viding technical assistance to LEPCs to assess planning requirements of Title Ill of SARA: the lethal hazards related to potential airborne and releases of extremely hazardous substances It will promote consistency among local (EHSs) as designated under Section 302 of Title emergency plans. Ill of SARA. Future revisions of this guidance (scheduled for publication in 1988) will consider Techniques presented in this guide and NRT-1 flammables, corrosives, explosives, and other will also be helpful to LEPCs during the annual hazards. Anyone using this guide also needs to review and updating of their plans, as required acquire and use NRT-1. by SARA Title Ill. 12/87 i Table of Contents PAGE PREFACE ............................................................ i 1. INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW ...................................... 1-1 1 .1 Purpose of this Guide . 1-1 1.2 Emergency Planning: the National Response Team Planning Guide . 1-1 1.3 Beginning to Plan ............................................ 1-3 1.4 Hazards Analysis ................................................. 1-3 A. Hazards identification . , . 1-4 B. Vulnerability analysis . 1-4 C. Risk analysis . 1-4 1.5 Background ...................................................... 1l- 5 1.5.1 EPA’s Chemical Emergency Preparedness Program ................. 1-5 1.5.2 Other Public and Private Sector Programs ......................... 1l-5 1.5.3 Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986 (Title Ill of SARA) ............................................. 1l-6 A. Identifying the Extremely Hazardous Substances that Trigger the Planning Process ........................................... 1- 6 B. Planning Structure and Process .................................. 1-6 C. Other Title Ill Information for Planners ............................. 1-8 1.6 Contents of this Guide .............................................. 1-8 2. HAZARDS ANALYSIS: AN OVERVIEW .................................. 2-1 2.1 Hazards Identification .............................................. 2-1 2.1.1 Identification of Hazardous Chemicals ............................ 2-2 2.1.2 Procedures for Hazards Identification ............................. 2-2 2.1.3 Summary of Useful Information Resulting from Hazards Identification ... 2-6 Table of Contents (Continued) PAGE 2.2 Vulnerability Analysis for Airborne Extremely Hazardous Substances . 2-7 2.2.1 General Description of Estimation of Vulnerable Zones .............. 2-7 2.2.2 Variables in Estimating Size of Vulnerable Zones ................... 2-9 A. Quantity and Rate of Release to Air ............................... 2-9 B. Meteorological Conditions ....................................... 2-9 C. Surrounding Topography ........................................ 2-13 D. Levels of Concern ............................................. 2-13 2.2.3 The Relationship of Estimated Vulnerable Zones to Actual Releases . 2-13 2.2.4 Application of Estimated Vulnerable Zones to Hazards Analysis for Extremely Hazardous Substances . 2-17 2.2.5 Evacuation Considerations for Airborne Releases of Extremely Hazardous Substances . 2-18 2.3 Risk Analysis . 2-21 2.3.1 Overall Approach to Risk Analysis: Ranking of Hazards . 2-21 2.3.2 Types of Information Required for Risk Analysis . 2-22 2.3.3 Limiting the Collection of Information . 2-25 2.3.4 Assembly of the Information Obtained from the Hazards Analysis . 2-25 2.3.5 Relative Ranking of Risk . 2-28 3. STEP-BY-STEP PROCEDURES FOR CONDUCTING A HAZARDS ANALYSIS OF EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES . 3-1 3.1 Initial Screening to Set Priorities Among Sites . , . 3-1 3.1.1 Hazards Identification .......................................... 3-1 3.1.2 Estimate Vulnerable Zones for Screening Purposes ................. 3-2 A. Gases . 3-3 B. Liquids . 3-3 C. Solids . 3-4 Worked Examples for Initial Screening . 3-5 3.1.3 Risk Analysis for Initial Screening of Reporting Facilities . 3-7 Table of Contents (Continued) PAGE 3.2 Reevaluation: Planning for Facilities by Priority . 3-7 3.2.1 Hazards Identification .......................................... 3-7 3.2.2 Reevaluation of the Vulnerable Zones ............................ 3-7 A. Gases ........................................................ 3-8 B. Liquids ........................................................ 3-8 C. Solids ........................................................ 3-8 3.2.3 Risk Analysis ................................................. 3-10 4. USING THE RESULTS OF A HAZARDS ANALYSIS ........................ 4-l 4.1 What the Plan Must Contain ........................................ 4-l 4.2 Planning Information Provided by the Hazards Analysis .................. 4-2 4.3 Case Studies from Hazards Analysis ................................. 4-3 4.4 Plan Reviews in the Context of Local Resource Needs .................. 4-7 4.5 Use of Computerized Systems in Planning ........................ 4-8 APPENDICES APPENDIX A: ACRONYMS AND GLOSSARY OF TERMS . A-1 ACRONYMS ...............................,...................... A-1 GLOSSARY OF TERMS. .................................... A-4 APPENDIX B: THE CRITERIA USED TO IDENTIFY EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES . B-1 APPENDIX C: THE LIST OF EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES . C-1 APPENDIX D: ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON LEVELS OF CONCERN . D-1 APPENDIX E: SAMPLE PROFILE . E-1 APPENDIX F: FIRE AND REACTIVITY HAZARDS . F-1 APPENDIX G: EQUATIONS USED FOR THE ESTIMATION OF VULNERABLE ZONES ....................................................... ........................ G-1 List of Exhibits PAGE EXHIBITS 1-1 Overview of Planning Process ..................................... 1-2 1-2 Title Ill Information from Facilities Provided in Support of Plan Development ............................................ 1-7 1-3 Title Ill Planning Steps ............................................ 1-9 2-1 Types of Facilities Where Certain Extremely Hazardous Substances Might Be Found in Quantities Greater than Their TPQs ................. 2-5 2-2 Information from Hazards Identification ............................. 2-8 2-3 The Movement Downwind of a Plume of Airborne Extremely Hazardous Substances Following an Accidental Release ......................... 2-10 2-4 Vulnerability Zones for a Hypothetical Community Resulting from Airborne Releases of