Emergency Procedures

Section 724 Section 724.156  Emergency Procedures a)         Whenever there is an imminent or actual emergency situation, the emergency coordinator (or the designee when the emergency coordinator is on call) must immediately do the following: 1)         He or she must activate internal facility alarms or communication systems, where applicable, to notify all facility personnel; and 2)         He or she must 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.  The emergency coordinator may do this by observation or review of facility records or manifests and, if necessary, by chemical analysis. c)         Concurrently, the emergency coordinator must assess possible hazards to human health or the environment that may result from the release, fire, or explosion.  This assessment must consider both direct and indirect effects of the release, fire, or explosion (e.g., the effects of any toxic, irritating, or asphyxiating gases that are generated, or the effects of any hazardous surface water run-off from water or chemical agents used to control fire and heat-induced explosions). d)         If the emergency coordinator determines that the facility has had a release, fire, or explosion that could threaten human health or the environment outside the facility, the emergency coordinator must report the findings as follows: 1)         If the assessment indicates that evacuation of local areas may be advisable, the emergency coordinator must immediately notify appropriate local authorities.  The emergency coordinator must be available to help appropriate officials decide whether local areas should be evacuated; and 2)         The emergency coordinator must immediately notify either the government official designated as the on-scene coordinator for that geographical area or the National Response Center (using their 24-hour toll free number 800-424-8802). The report must include the following: A)        The name and telephone number of the reporter; B)        The name and address of the facility; C)        The time and type of incident (e.g., release, fire); D)        The name and quantity of materials involved, to the extent known; E)        The extent of injuries, if any; and F)         The possible hazards to human health or the environment outside the facility. e)         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 hazardous waste at the facility.  These measures must include, where applicable, stopping processes and operations, collecting and containing release waste, and removing or isolating containers. f)         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. g)         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. BOARD NOTE:  Unless the owner or operator can demonstrate, in accordance with 35 Ill. Adm. Code 721.103(d) or (e), that the recovered material is not a hazardous waste, the owner or operator becomes a generator of hazardous waste and must manage it in accordance with all applicable requirements of 35 Ill. Adm. Code 722, 723, and 724. h)         The emergency coordinator must ensure that the following is true in the affected areas of the facility: 1)         No waste that may be incompatible with the released material is treated, stored, or disposed of until cleanup procedures are completed; and 2)         All emergency equipment listed in the contingency plan is cleaned and fit for its intended use before operations are resumed. i)          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 15 days after the incident, the owner or operator must submit a written report on the incident to the Agency.  The report must include the following: 1)         The name, address, and telephone number of the owner or operator; 2)         The name, address, and telephone number of the facility; 3)         The date, time, and type of incident (e.g., fire, explosion); 4)         The name and quantity of materials involved; 5)         The extent of injuries, if any; 6)         An assessment of actual or potential hazards to human health or the environment, where this is applicable; and 7)         The estimated quantity and disposition of recovered material that resulted from the incident.