Washington Administrative Code › Title 173 - Ecology, Department of (See also Titles 197, 317, 372, and 508) › Chapter 173-303 - Dangerous waste regulations › Section 173-303-350 - Contingency plan and emergency procedures

Current through Register Vol. 24-14, July 15, 2024
(1) Purpose. The purpose of this section and
			 WAC
			 173-303-360 is to
			 lessen the potential impact on the public health and the environment in the
			 event of any emergency event, including, but not limited to, a fire, natural
			 disaster, explosion, or unplanned sudden or nonsudden release of dangerous
			 waste, hazardous substance, or dangerous waste constituents to air, soil,
			 surface water, or groundwater by a facility. A contingency plan must be
			 developed to lessen the potential impacts of such emergency event, and the plan
			 must be implemented immediately whenever such an emergency event
			 occurs.
(2) Contingency plan. Each
			 owner or operator must have a contingency plan at their facility for use in
			 emergencies or any sudden or nonsudden releases which threaten human health and
			 the environment. If the owner or operator has already prepared a spill
			 prevention control and counter-measures (SPCC) plan in accordance with Part 112
			 of Title 40 C.F.R., or some other emergency or contingency plan, they need only
			 amend that plan to incorporate dangerous waste management provisions that are
			 sufficient to comply with the requirements of this section and WAC
			 173-303-360. The
			 owner or operator may develop one contingency plan that meets all regulatory
			 requirements. Ecology recommends that the plan be based on the National
			 Response Team's Integrated Contingency Plan Guidance ("One Plan"). When
			 modifications are made to nondangerous waste (non-Hazardous Waste Management
			 Act or non-dangerous waste regulation) provisions in an integrated contingency
			 plan, the changes do not trigger the need for a dangerous waste permit
			 modification.
(3) The contingency
			 plan must contain the following:
(a) A
			 description of the actions which facility personnel must take to comply with
			 this section and WAC
			 173-303-360;
(b) A description of the actions which will
			 be taken in the event that a dangerous waste shipment, which is damaged or
			 otherwise presents a hazard to the public health and the environment, arrives
			 at the facility, and is not acceptable to the owner or operator, but cannot be
			 transported, pursuant to the requirements of WAC
			 173-303-370(6),
			 Manifest system, reasons for not accepting dangerous waste shipments;
(c) A description of the arrangements agreed
			 to by local police departments, fire departments, hospitals, contractors, and
			 state and local emergency response teams to coordinate emergency services as
			 required in WAC
			 173-303-340(4);
(d) A current list of names, addresses, and
			 phone numbers (office and home) of all persons qualified to act as the
			 emergency coordinator required under WAC
			 173-303-360(1).
			 Where more than one person is listed, one must be named as primary emergency
			 coordinator, and others must be listed in the order in which they will assume
			 responsibility as alternates. For new facilities only, this list may be
			 provided to the department at the time of facility certification (as required
			 by WAC
			 173-303-810(14)(a)(i)), rather than as part of the permit application;
(e) A list of all emergency equipment at the
			 facility (such as fire extinguishing systems, spill control equipment,
			 communications and alarm systems, and decontamination equipment), where this
			 equipment is required. This list must be kept up to date. In addition, the plan
			 must include the location and a physical description of each item on the list,
			 and a brief outline of its capabilities; and
(f) An evacuation plan for facility personnel
			 where there is a possibility that evacuation could be necessary. This plan must
			 describe the signal(s) to be used to begin evacuation, evacuation routes, and
			 alternate evacuation routes.