Description
Communities develop policies for managing hazardous materials during storage and transportation. If a spill occurs, they have regulations for how one must notify the authorities and policies on how to effectively respond to those notifications.
Strengths
Having stringent hazardous material storage requirements decreases the likelihood of spills occurring in the first place and having planned responses minimizes the impacts of a spill once it occurs.
Weaknesses
The system relies on the spiller to notify the authorities which is unlikely to have 100% compliance. The system requires two-pronged approach with good storage policies and a good spill response which creates more opportunities for failure.
Examples
Example 1: New York
Description: New York State’s Spill Guidance Manual explaining notification and storage requirements as well as response policies.
Example 2: Pennsylvania
Description: A guide for communities to develop response plans in the event of spills of hazardous materials.
Example 3: Ohio
Sample Contingency Plan (word doc)
Description: A sample EPA contingency plan that can be adapted for use by another facility.