IA DNR: Spill Response

The Omaha/Council Bluffs Sub-area Contingency Plan Committee (committee) began meeting in 1997 with the purpose of developing the Omaha/Council Bluffs Sub-area Contingency Plan (O/CB SACP). The purpose of the O/CB SACP is to facilitate a timely and effective cooperative response to a substantial discharge or threat of a discharge of an oil or hazardous substance by representatives of local, state and federal agencies in the Omaha/Council Bluffs geographic area. The O/CB SACP is a collaborative effort of three federal agencies, two states, six emergency management agencies, and two local response agencies.

For More Information contact: adam.broughton@dnr.state.ia.us

Quad Cities SAC

The Quad Cities Sub-area Contingency Plan Committee (committee) began meeting in 1997 with the purpose of developing the Quad Cities Sub-area Contingency Plan (QC SACP). The purpose of the QC SACP is to facilitate a timely and effective cooperative response to a substantial discharge or threat of a discharge of an oil or hazardous substance by representatives of local, state and federal agencies in the Quad City geographic area. The QC SACP is a collaborative effort of four federal agencies, two states, two emergency management agencies, and local response agencies.

For More Information contact: rodney.tucker@dnr.state.ia.us.

Siouxland SAC

The Siouxland Sub-area Contingency Plan Committee (committee) began meeting in 2003 with the purpose of developing the Siouxland Sub-area Contingency Plan (Siouxland SACP). The proposed purpose of the Siouxland SACP is to facilitate a timely and effective cooperative response to a substantial discharge or threat of a discharge of an oil or hazardous substance by representatives of local, state and federal agencies in the Siouxland geographic area. The geographic area included in the plan is currently being defined. The Siouxland SACP is a collaborative effort of three EPA Regions, four states, local emergency management agencies, and local response agencies.

For More Information contact: adam.broughton@dnr.state.ia.us.

UMRBA

The Upper Mississippi River Basin Association (UMRBA) is a regional interstate organization formed by the Governors of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin to help coordinate the states' river-related programs and policies and work with federal agencies that have river responsibilities.

Six federal agencies also participate in the UMRBA as advisory members including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Department of Agriculture (Natural Resources Conservation Service), Department of Homeland Security (Coast Guard and Federal Emergency Management Agency), Department of the Interior (Fish and Wildlife Service, Geological Survey), Department of Transportation (Maritime Administration), and Environmental Protection Agency.

The purpose of the Upper Mississippi River Basin Association is to facilitate dialogue and cooperative action regarding water and related land resource issues. More specifically, the Association aims to:

Serve as a regional interstate forum for the discussion, study, and evaluation of river-related issues of common concern to the states of the Upper Mississippi River Basin.
Facilitate and foster cooperative planning and coordinated management of the region's water and related land resources.
Create opportunities and means for the states and federal agencies responsible for management of water resources in the Upper Mississippi River Basin to exchange information.
Develop regional positions on river resource issues and serve as an advocate of the Basin states' collective interests before Congress and the federal agencies.

For More Information contact: rodney.tucker@dnr.state.ia.us.

State Hazard Mitigation Team

The State Hazard Mitigation Team is made up of representatives from federal agencies, state agencies, local government entities, and private sector groups with a direct or indirect involvement in disaster planning, disaster response, and post disaster recovery. The purpose of the team is to develop a new State Hazard Mitigation Plan. The goal of the plan is to identify hazards in the state, reduce the risk from identified hazards, and plan for the response to and recovery from a hazardous event. The development of the plan began with the identification and evaluation of hazards. The team is currently involved in the development of Hazard Mitigation Goals, Measures, and the identification and development of Funding Sources. For more information on the State Hazard Mitigation Team or the State Hazard Mitigation Plan please contact the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management at 515/281-3231.

For More Information contact: adam.broughton@dnr.state.ia.us.

Iowa Emergency Response Commission
The Iowa Emergency Response Commission (IERC) was created to implement the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA).

The governor appoints one member each to represent department of agriculture and land stewardship, department of employment services, department of justice, department of natural resources, department of public defense, department of public health, department of public safety, state department of transportation, fire service institute of Iowa State University of science and technology and the office of the governor and two members from private industry.

The IERC shall enter into agreements with the department of employment services, the department of natural resources and the department of public defense to carry out those duties allocated to those departments under Iowa Code chapter 30. http://www.iowaworkforce.org/labor/serc.htm

For More Information contact: kathy.lee@dnr.state.ia.us.

Regional Response Team

The Regional Response Team (RRT) is responsible for regional response, planning, training, and coordination within the region. EPA Region 7 RRT membership consists of a designated representative from each Federal agency participating in the National Response Team, with representatives from each of the four States: Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. A member of the Emergency Response & Homeland Security Unit is the state of Iowa's representative on the RRT.

RRTs provide a forum for federal agency field offices and state agencies to exchange information about their abilities to respond to on-scene coordinators' (OSCs') requests for assistance and provide technical advice, equipment, or manpower to assist with a response. Each RRT develops a Regional Contingency Plan to ensure that the roles of federal and state agencies during an actual incident are clear. Following an incident, the RRT reviews the OSC's reports to identify problems with the Region's response to the incident and improves the plan as necessary.

The RRTs identify available resources from each federal agency and state within their regions. Such resources include equipment, guidance, training, and technical expertise for dealing with chemical releases or oil spills. When there are too few resources in a region, the RRT can request assistance from federal or state authorities to ensure that sufficient resources will be available during an incident. This coordination by the RRTs assures that resources are used as wisely as possible, and that no Region is lacking what it needs to protect human health and the environment from the effects of a hazardous substance release or oil spill.

For More Information contact: kathy.lee@dnr.state.ia.us.

TRANSCAER

TRANSCAER® (Transportation Community Awareness Emergency Response) is a voluntary national outreach effort that focuses on assisting communities prepare for a possible hazardous material transportation incident. TRANSCAER® members consist of volunteer representatives from the chemical manufacturing, transportation, distributor, and emergency response industries, as well as the government.

TRANSCAER® divides the country into four regions, and then again into states. The State of Iowa is located in Region 3, which also includes 13 other states. Each region has a regional coordinator and each state has a state coordinator.

Each state coordinator works with communities within his or her state to help prepare them for a possible transportation hazardous materials incident. In many cases, there is a state TRANSCAER® Team. The make-up of the team varies with each state. The Team then creates a TRANSCAER® plan that best fits the needs of the state.

For More Information contact: rodney.tucker@dnr.state.ia.us.

Quad Cities Area Maritime Security Committee (AMSC)

In November 2002, the President signed into effect Public Law 107-295, the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 (MTSA). The Quad Cities AMSC is a collaborative maritime security planning effort among industry, government, and public stakeholders to more effectively deter, detect, prevent, and respond to threats at varying levels.

The AMSC brings appropriately experienced representatives from a variety of port interests together to continually access security risks and determine appropriate risk mitigation strategies for the port. Through this system, the committee will seek to improve the overall security of the marine transportation system in the Quad Cities zone, serve as part of the mechanism to communicate security threats and changes in Maritime Security (MARSEC) levels to port stakeholders, and create a single-forum link between national and international marine interests that acts collectively on behalf of those interests.

For More Information contact: rodney.tucker@dnr.state.ia.us.

Ad-hoc & Advisory Committees

Iowa Code of Regulations are developed, up-dated, and revised as the regulatory climate changes in Iowa. Periodically Emergency Response & Homeland Security Unit (unit) staff members are asked or volunteer to serve on advisory committees. Advisory Committees may be made up of IDNR employees in impacted departments, members of the regulated community, or interested members of the general public. The committees meet on a regular basis to draft new rules or up-date/revise existing rules. These drafts and up-dates are then presented to the Environmental Protection Commission to consider.

Current Advisory Committees unit members are serving on include:

Water Security Work Group - kathy.lee@dnr.state.ia.us

Iowa Excellence Team - rodney.tucker@dnr.state.ia.us

Environmental Health Emergency Response Plan - kathy.lee@dnr.state.ia.us

State Exercise Group - rodney.tucker@dnr.state.ia.us

2007 LEPC/TERC Conference Planning Committee - adam.broughton@dnr.state.ia.us

Water/Waste Water Security

The Water Security program at the DNR has been established to assist water supply and wastewater operators with completing security vulnerability assessments and emergency response plans. The program assists public water supply and waste water treatment facilities in water security preparedness. This assistance can include security vulnerability assessments, security measure development and implementation, security and response training, and incoming threat identification and evaluation.

For More Information contact: michael.anderson@dnr.state.ia.us.