SPU Spill Response & Multi-Jurisdictional Coordination

SPUs Response Area• 89.9 Square Miles of City – 170 Storm Drain Outfalls – 38 Miles of Creeks – Nearly 100 miles of shoreline

SPUs Response Area• 162.5 Square Miles of Watershed – 3 Large Reservoirs, 3 Major Dams & Fish

Hatchery

Staffing & Equipment• 15 Spill Responders• 2 Response Vehicles • Emergency Response Trailer

– Absorbents, Boom, Tools & What-not

• 16’ Aluminum Response Boat• Contractor & Budget Authority

Annual Response Activities• 140 Spill Responses• 320 Non Spill Surface Water

Quality Investigations • Over 1000, Business –

Audits & Inspections• Enforcement

(26 NOVs 14K)

`

22%

19%

17%

9%

8%

6%

6%

4%4% 3%

1%

Spill Cause

Accidental Spill Unknown Leaking Vehicle Motor Veh Accident Other Construction ProjectIllegal Business Activity Illegal Dumping False Call Natural Condition Private Sewage

Non MVA Accidents

Unknown

Leaking Vehicles

MVA

Training

• 40 Hr HAZWOPER• 24 Hr Specialized ER• 16 HR ER Boat Ops. (ECY)

Interagency Cooperation

• Typical Response Partners – WA Ecology – Seattle Transportation – Seattle Fire – Seattle Police – Seattle Harbor Patrol – King County Industrial Waste– King County Metro Transit – King County Surface Water – EPA

Interagency Cooperation

• Starts With Referrals for incidents that:– Unknown origin on water in the area of outfalls– Inland and threatening drains or surface waters – May affect Seattle Resources

• Method – ERTS – Dispatch Calls for Spills – NRC Reports – State EOC (after hours)

Interagency Cooperation

• Minor Incidents– SPU response as primary regulatory agency– Communication with Ecology Responders

Interagency Cooperation

• Moderate Spills – SPU may respond as initial agency and

communicate back with en route Ecology Responders

– SPU may coordinate contractor resources depending on affected area.

– No predetermined roles but usually arranged in first few minutes of response utilizing ICS

– Coordinated Public Information

Interagency Cooperation • Major/Large Spills – SPU will take an investigative, response, unified

command and public information role as needed

Continued Coordination

• Multi jurisdictional training • Increase of local spill response programs• Post incident review and procedural updates • Staff and Stakeholder input

Questions