Responders to emergencies involving hazardous materials will now be able to use a web-based data center to access instant information about facilities where hazardous chemicals are used or stored.
“Minutes matter in any emergency so having this information available at or even before an incident can save the lives of our professional and volunteer emergency responders”, said Tracy Stone-Manning, Director of the Department of Environmental Quality. “E-Plan will also enhance the safety of company employees and citizens near these facilities”.
The DEQ decided this year to begin using E-Plan for EPCRA (Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act) chemical storage reporting. E-Plan was developed and funded by EPA and Homeland Security at the University of Texas at Dallas. E-Plan is used by state agencies, local governments, and fire departments for emergency response at hazardous chemical facilities. The system is used for incident pre-planning, management of hazardous chemical site information and risk and vulnerability analysis.
E-Plan collects and makes available hazardous materials reports, called Tier II reports, filed by chemical plants, refineries, pipelines and hazardous material storage facilities easily available 24 hours a day. Montana and the EPA worked with E-Plan administrators to enter all facility data from 2012 annual reports so the data is up to date for 2013 annual reports. Almost 1,200 Montana facilities are entered into the system and are ready to be accessed by emergency responders.
“E-Plan is a step in the right direction”, said Patrick Lonergan, Gallatin County Emergency Manager, “The result will be a much more efficient process for both government and the companies filing reports.”
E-Plan also makes it easier for industry to file their required reports. Before E-Plan, companies were required to submit reports to individual states. The information was submitted by hard copy, email or faxes and then stored. Now companies can simply enter or upload their reports to E-Plan.
In addition to Tier II data, E-Plan makes available other important information instantly, such as: Maps of the area surrounding a fixed facility showing schools, hospitals, other Tier II reporting facilities, etc., Facility Emergency Response Plans, Facility diagrams and building floor plans, and Material Safety Data Sheets.
For more information about E-Plan, contact Bonnie Lovelace, DEQ Regulatory Affairs Manager at 406-444-1760 or visit the DEQ’s Tier II Reporting site at http://deq.mt.gov/Tier2.mcpx.
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