# Presentation: 443622

## Public Health and Environmental Emergency Response to the Graniteville, South Carolina Train Disaster

- South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control
- February 23, 2005

## In Memory

- Willie C. Shealey, Graniteville
- John Laird,       North Augusta
- Rusty Rushton, Warrenville
- Allen Frazier,   Ridge Spring

- Joseph Stone, Quebec
- Tony DeLoach, Graniteville
- Christopher Seeling, West Columbia
- Willie Tyler,      Aiken
- Steven Bagby, Augusta

**Notes:**
There were nine deaths including six workers from Avondale Mills, the train engineer, a truck driver and a local resident in his home. Autopsies performed the next day found all nine died from chlorine inhalation.

## Transportation Safety

- Transportation of hazardous materials is a national concern
- Advocate for improved railway safety
- Eliminate “dark track”
- Switch and signal technology
- Railroad crossing signals and barriers

## What Happened?

- At 2:39 AM, a 42 car Norfolk and Southern train derailed
- A tanker car containing chlorine was punctured, releasing approximately 60 tons  of  chlorine
- The chlorine was released in the immediate vicinity of Avondale Mills, the commercial district, and residential areas of Graniteville SC

**Notes:**
These are the facts as we understand them today.  At 2:39 AM on Thursday, January 6, 2005, a 42 car Norfolk Southern train wrecked in Graniteville. The rupture of a tanker car resulted in the release of approximately 60 tons of chlorine vapors in the vicinity of the Avondale textile mill complex, the commercial district and residential areas in Graniteville. 

## Slide 5

## Slide 6

**Notes:**
The immediate priority for the Graniteville-Vaucluse-Warrenville Fire Departments and Aiken County Sheriff’s Office was the protection of human life. Emergency responders in protective clothing assisted in evacuating individuals from the immediate area of the release. Nearby residents were instructed through emergency alert messages and news media reports to shelter in place: remain indoors, close windows and doors, and turn off heat and air conditioning units. 

## Slide 7

**Notes:**
First notification to DHEC came at 3:50 a.m. Fifteen minutes later, the first local response from DHEC’s Edisto Savannah Environmental Quality Control district, began. By 4:30 a.m., staff from DHEC’s Bureau of Land and  Waste Management’s Emergency Response Team and  the Commissioner’s Office Division of Media Relations were en route. A full response team arrived at 7:40 a.m. 

## Slide 8

**Notes:**
DHEC was heavily involved in the environmental emergency response, coordination of health and medical services, public information and risk communication activities. 

## Slide 9

**Notes:**
Environmental response activities included entry into the "hot zone" to evaluate the characteristics of the release and its hazards, to conduct plume modeling and  evacuation planning, to assess environmental impacts, and to monitor conditions in the area.  Air sampling continued throughout the event. DHEC staff monitored  and supervised the clean up of the crash site. 

## Slide 10

**Notes:**
This mass casualty event required decontamination, triage and treatment of large numbers of people coordinating emergency medical services, hospital care and disaster mortuary services. 

Decontamination sites were set up at USC Aiken at  approximately 6:55 AM, and at Midland Valley High  School.  DHEC personnel assisted EMS personnel with medical evaluation at the decontamination sites.

## Slide 11

**Notes:**
Shelters began opening during the morning at USC Aiken, Midland Valley High School, South Aiken High School,  First Baptist Church, and the May’s Community Center in Augusta.  DHEC provided nursing staff for Midland Valley, South Aiken and a Special Medical Needs Shelter. 

## Slide 12

**Notes:**
Norfolk Southern Railroad opened a family assistance center and provided money for food and shelter to residents who were forced to evacuate.

## Slide 13

**Notes:**
Throughout the event, public information and risk  communications played a key role.  Accurate information  was essential during the "sheltering in place" phase and  later when the evacuation order was given. Periodic news  media briefings were held to keep the public informed of  the events and activities. DHEC spokespersons  participated in tracking the events, preparing materials for the news media and public and in the news briefngs.

This incident exemplifies the importance of having the public information team at the table of the unified command. At the twice-a-day UC meetings, public information officers wrote detailed notes about each aspect of the of the operation, transcribing those notes for news conferences and media fact sheets. This constant flow of updated information accomplished several objectives:
        residents were evacuated safely
        residents’ need for information about the incident was met
        residents’ fears were countered with greater understanding of the threat involved
        residents returned to their homes knowing that everything possible was being done to protect their safety
        demands of local, state and national media were met.

## Slide 14

**Notes:**
As Graniteville residents were allowed to return to their homes, DHEC staff were posted in the neighborhoods as community information liaisons to provide information and answer questions.

DHEC staff participated in the process of inspecting  homes suspected of having exposure to chlorine vapors.

## After Action Analysis

- Key Issues
- Mobilizing Emergency Response
- Environmental Emergency Response
- Public Health and Medical Emergency Response
- Epidemiology
- Research

## Mobilizing Emergency Response

- Importance of rapid communication among response partners
- Getting alerts and information to the public
- Critical role of the media in getting information to the public

## Environmental Emergency Response

- Monitoring equipment must be able to evaluate high level concentrations of hazardous substances
- Sufficient personal protective equipment, air supplies and support are needed to sustain long periods of operations

## Public Health and Medical Emergency Response

- Importance of  regional cooperation among states: Georgia public health and medical services were outstanding
- Communication
- Hospital Bed Capacity website – could be valuable tool if consistently used

## Epidemiology 

- Cross-border partnerships with Georgia Public Health
- Symptoms and duration of exposure to proximity to the scene
- Model validation of chlorine dispersion based upon both clinical and environmental data

**Notes:**
Epidemiological
DHEC has begun epidemiological studies and a registry  created for follow up of long-term health and psychosocial consequences. At least 324 people were evaluated at local hospitals in Aiken, Columbia, West Columbia,  Barnwell, and in four hospitals in Augusta, GA. 

1.  Cross-border partnerships with Georgia Public Health to allow access to Augusta Hospitals for review of ER Logs and medical records,
2.  Relationship of symptom presentation and duration of exposure to proximity of event (e.g. geocoding),
3.  Model validation of chlorine dispersion based upon both clinical and environmental data from the event.

## Research

- Exploring partnerships with federal partners in long-term assessments of public health
- Outreach to local health care providers

**Notes:**
Research
1.  Exploring partnerships with federal partners in long-term assessments of public health impact (Respiratory, Ocular and Dermal Health Effects, Neurobehavioral),
2.  Outreach to local health care providers to identify their interest in involvement in providing care