Emergency Response Experience –Utah LaboratorySanwat Chaudhuri, Ph.D.

Unified State Laboratories: Public Health

Utah Department of Health

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Background

• Utah Unified State Lab– Chemical & Environmental– Microbiology– Forensic Toxicology– Laboratory Operations

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Chemical & Environmental Services

• State Principal Environmental lab– monthly mtgs with DEQ-Programs– monthly mtg with PWSs

• Level 2 CDC Chem lab– monthly mtgs with BT program staff– monthly updates of LHDs– annual mtgs with Hazmat

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Examples of Emergency Responses • Mountain dell reservoir contamination ‘ Dec 2001

• Roper Rail-car spill March 2005

• Red Butte Spill ‘June 2010

• Others

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• Mountain Dell Reservoir

• December 27(Thursday)- right before the winter Olympics• Helicopter carrying moose crashed into the frozen

reservoir- full tank of gas• 3 dead• PWS contacted LAB within couple of hours• initial results before the end of day (LAB Response time <6

h, total from incident 8h)• mostly phthalates• start cleanup

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FAA Report

Date: 27-DEC-2001

Time: 12:41

TType : Hughes 369E

Location: Mountain Dell Reservoir, Utah

Fatalities3/occupants :3

Helicopter Crash Kills Three In Moose-Trapping Operation

All animal captures by helicopter suspended

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News ReportThe helicopter had been contracted by the State of Utah to relocate moose from Parleys

Canyon to an area 5 miles east, where they would be less hazardous to traffic on Interstate Highway 80.

Witnesses said it appeared the helicopter initially struck the lower of the two static wires, nosed over, and fell in a near-inverted attitude to the surface of the frozen reservoir. It broke through the ice, sank, and then floated back to the surface. The tail rotor and aft portion of the tail boom remained entangled in the wires. Rescuers were able to attach a line and winch the helicopter ashore.

According to a PacifiCorp spokesman, there was a total of five cables: two static cables on top and three phase (transmission) cables below. … each carrying 80,000 volts phase-to-ground, and 138,000 volts phase-to-phase.

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• Roper Rail Car incident

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News Report: Utah Chemical Spill Forces Evacuations

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Associated Press March 8th, 2005 SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- A railcar that leaked hazardous chemicals and temporarily forced thousands of people from their homes was hauling a dangerous cocktail of corrosive acids that it was not designed to carry, authorities said Monday.

Sunday's spill caused a cloud of orange fumes above a several-block area of South Salt Lake, forced the evacuation of 6,000 people and shut down several roads and highways in the area, including a stretch of Interstate 15. By midmorning Monday, evacuees were allowed home and the roads were reopened.

Roper Rail Car incident

• Large rail tank car full of mixed acid wastes

• Misdirected en route to Ohio• Leak noticed early am March 6’

05• Tank rapidly deteriorated• Estimated 6,000 gallons of acid

spilled• Forced closure of roads

evacuation neighborhood• FBI, Hazmat, LHD onsite

• 3 DW wells in area of spill• Drainage ditch next to site, water

was possibly contaminated• Spill area was difficult to access• Gov appears at local news 10 pm,

March 6• Lab contacted 11pm same day

(>12 hrs after incident)

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Sample info• 2 samples• no field sheet/test information• no chain of custody• 2 samples/ same site but

differently packaged• no field test data• Sloppy labelling

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Laboratory Test• 3 Staff worked all night

• Confirmed results before 6 am ( <6 hours from receipt of sample)

• 24 h from incident• Roads re-open • Residents went back home

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Lessons learnt

• How to Reduce Delays– Request assistance from

Utah State Lab immediately– field screen info to lab– Identify & sample all

potentially contaminated sites

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Lessons learnt

• Improve Notification system– Clarify responsibilities for

interagency notifications– Create redundancies in

call-down list to ensure all relevant agencies are notified

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Utah Red Butte Oil Spill

• Saturday June 12, 2010 a caller notified DERR that a Chevron pipe has ruptured at Red Butte Gardens

• Approx 33,000 gallons of crude oil into the creek and overflowing into Liberty park lake

• EPA was on-site working with SLC to contain spill• State Lab contacted on Sunday pm • (state lab contact not updated) • Water samples from lake received on Monday am to assess

the extent of contamination• Lab results presented at 7 pm Town Hall meeting • Additional samples from various location sent to labs to

determine effects on aquatic life

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Other Responses

• Benzene in drinking water : 2010• Mercury in HAB : Jan 2012

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Lessons learnt common to all

– contact lab immediately– Communicate with lab about TAT– Communicate with lab re reporting format– And reporting mechanism– Strengthen sampling protocols – Update your contact info– Increase training with other agencies– Improve interagency communications– Use lessons learned to improve policies

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Questions ?

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