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State Emergency Response Commission
for
Hazardous Materials
Courtyard by Marriott
3435 North Atlantic Avenue
Cocoa Beach , Florida 32931
January 11, 2008
The State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) for Hazardous Materials met January 11, 2008 in Cocoa Beach , Florida . Those members present were:
Craig Fugate, Acting Chairman
Nancy Stephens
Michael Murphy
Ozzie Morris
Richard Ward
Cindy Gennell
Richard Smith
George Danz
Tom Mason
John Sherry
Michael Jacobs
Mark Tumlin
John DeIorio
Gary Weiss
Also, in attendance was Ms. Allison Odyssey representing Space Florida , and Mr. Phil Wieczynski with the Florida Department Environmental Protection.
Ms. Jennifer Hobbs introduced Mr. Skip Beeler, the Mayor of Cocoa Beach. Mr. Beeler welcomed the members and guests to Cocoa Beach .
Mr. Fugate called the meeting to order with the Pledge of Allegiance. Mr. Fugate then addressed the first item on the agenda, the approval of the October 5, 2007 meeting minutes. A motion was made to approve the minutes as presented, seconded and passed unanimously.
The second item on the agenda was the approval of the new member and alternate member appointments to the Local Emergency Planning Committees. Mr. Tim Date referred the Commission to Memorandum # 01-08 and all related materials. He stated that all nominees met the Commission's guidelines and approval was recommended. A motion was made that all nominations be approved; the motion was seconded and passed unanimously.
The third item on the agenda was the Hazardous Materials Awareness Week Proclamation/ Resolution. Mr. Date referred the Commission to Memorandum #02-08 and recommended the SERC designate January 20 through January 26, 2008 as Hazardous Materials Awareness Week. A motion was made to designate January 20 through January 26, 2008 as Hazardous Materials Awareness Week, seconded and passed unanimously.
The next agenda item was the consideration of SERC meeting dates for Fiscal Year 2008-2009. Mr. Date referred the members to the memorandum on page 16 containing proposed dates. A motion was made to approve the dates as recommended. The motion was seconded and approved unanimously.
Next, Mr. Donald Kunish gave a presentation on the E-Plan Program. Mr. Kunish noted that E-Plan is an information system that first responders and emergency planners may use in emergencies. E-Plan is used for emergency contact and hazardous materials information that is accessible through the internet. The goal is to supply available facility and hazardous materials data to emergency responders. E-Plan contains Tier II data, Risk Management Planning information, and chemical hazards data. The system is designed to accommodate facility response plans, LEPC plans, and area contingency plans. There was discussion regarding the security of the system.
Ms. Nancy Stephens recommended a working group be established with industry and Division of Emergency Management staff participation to develop recommendations on E-Plan policies and procedures to be brought before the SERC for consideration at the next meeting. A motion was made to approve the working group and to develop E-Plan policies and procedures. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously.
Next was the presentation of the Thomas Yatabe SERC awards. Mr. Fugate and Mr. Byron Underwood presented an award to the following recipients who were present: Mr. Richard Rhea, Mr. Cliff Chapman, Mr. Kevin Ford, Ms. Kimberly Loewen, Battalion Chief Dan Bartle,
Mr. Tommy Brown representing Tampa Bay Water, Mr. Wayne P. Sallade', Mr. Charles Christopher, and Ms. Eve Rainey. Award recipients Mr. Randy McDaniel, Mr. Patrick Ross and Mr. Don Perdue were unable to attend the meeting.
Next on the agenda was and Update by the Training Task Force (TTF). Mr. Doug Wolfe stated that the TTF approved a motion to begin posting the SERC approved model procedures for hazardous materials responders on the Homeland Security Information Network (HSIN).
Mr. Wolfe encouraged everyone to apply for access to the HSIN portal through their Regional Domestic Security Task Force in order to gain access to those documents.
Mr. Wolfe mentioned that changes would be necessary to the SERC approved Public Sector Training Guidelines developed in the late 1990s due to revisions in the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 472 guidelines. Mr. Wolf stated that NFPA 472 addresses national performance competency standards for hazardous materials responders. He noted that Awareness level training and Technician level training competencies would be minimally affected and the biggest changes would occur in Operations level training. Mr. Wolfe said the TTF will be working with SERC staff to identify funding sources to pay for work on the revisions.
Mr. Wolfe mentioned that the TTF is working to develop a standard training curriculum for the hazardous materials toxicology medics in Florida . Many organizations have adopted different training programs and the TTF would like to standardize training in line with the NFPA guidelines. The TTF plans to conduct a conference call for input from stakeholders and to work towards completing the project.
Mr. Wolfe reported that the TTF is seeking to contact Liquefied Petroleum and Natural Gas companies about developing standards for training or certification of facility response personnel. Mr. Wolfe noted that many of the Liquefied Petroleum and Natural Gas response crews do not have adequate training and equipment. The goal of the TTF is to work with and encourage the companies to develop standardized training guidelines and adopt training standards for credentialing of contractors and company response personnel.
In closing, Mr. Wolfe stated that a final draft of the TTF's Governance Policies was included in the SERC meeting package to be considered for approval. However, Mr. Wolfe said the TTF wants to table that action to get clarification from legal counsel on how the Sunshine Law applies to appointment of members and how it applies if TTF members are working together on a project outside of the normal meetings venue. Mr. Wolfe also noted that a recommendation was made that the TTF be established through legislation and that decision would be left up to the SERC.
Ms. Nancy Stephens thanked the TTF for including membership for a private industry representative on the TTF in the draft policies. Ms. Stephens inquired as to how the formal appointment of the member representing private industry will be handled. Mr. Fugate said that would depend on whether the TTF is considered to be part of the SERC and subject to the Sunshine Law requirements. Mr. Fugate noted that if the TTF is subject to Sunshine Law, then the appointment would have to be handled in a formal manner or if the TTF is considered to be an Ad Hoc advisory committee and not subject to Sunshine Law, then the appointment could be handled through a less formal process.
Ms. Leslie Anderson-Adams pointed out that another option to the TTF being established through legislative action is that the TTF could be formalized by the SERC reauthorizing the TTF on an annual basis per the requirements of Chapter 20, Florida Statutes. Mr. Wolfe stated the TTF would prefer to conduct business under the aforementioned option. It was also noted that the TTF could be formalized through Executive Order. It was decided that the TTF will work with legal counsel to determine the best option for the TTF to conduct business and present a recommendation to the SERC for consideration at the April meeting.
Mr. Date presented the Financial Status Report on the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) and the Risk Management Planning (RMP) Programs for the current fiscal year. Mr. Date referred everyone to Memorandum #06-08 and the accompanying Tables 1-3 which outline revenues and expenditures. Mr. Date noted the stated revenues and expenditures are in line with previous years and the programs are in good shape financially.
Next, Mr. Date referred to Memorandum #07-08 and the Hazardous Materials Incidents Reports. Mr. Date noted that Table 1 reflects the spills that are potentially subject to Section 304; Table 2 identifies hazardous materials incidents with reported evacuations, injuries or deaths; Graph I identifies the total number of hazardous materials incidents reported to the State Warning Point and compares petroleum related incidents to non-petroleum incidents; and Graph II compares incidents at fixed facilities compared to transportation related incidents.
Next on the agenda, Mr. Date referred everyone to Memorandum #08-08, an update of Staff Activities. In addition, Mr. Date provided information on the Inaugural U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's, Region IV, Chemical Emergency Conference, held November 14 – 16, 2007 in Tampa , Florida .
The next item on the agenda was a report on Local Emergency Planning Committee activities. Mr. George Danz informed the Commission that the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) chairs and staff contacts were provided a report on Training Task Force activities. Mr. Danz referred everyone to the “Hazmatters” for each District's report on recent activities and he noted that Hazardous Materials Awareness Week activities were discussed. Finally, Mr. Danz reported that there were no recommendations to be brought forward to the State Emergency Response Commission.
Under Other Business, Chief Mike Linkins thanked everyone for their assistance on the response to the Interstate 4 disaster and Ms. Kate Boer thanked Ms. Jennifer Hobbs for the Space Center tour.
The last item of business was the scheduling of the next SERC meeting, which will be held on Friday, April 4, 2008, in Tallahassee , Florida .
There being no further business or discussion, a motion to adjourn the meeting was made, seconded and passed unanimously.
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