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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 10-25-2004-2ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: October 25, 2004 Action Agenda Item No. SUBJECT: Orange County Hazard Mitigation Plan -Decision DEPARTMENT: Planning and Inspections PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No ATTACHMENT(S): Draft Resolution of Adoption Revised Pages 14 -16 of the Plan New Appendix G of the Plan INFORMATION CONTACT: Craig N, Benedict, ext 2592 TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough 732-8181 Chapel Hill 968-4501 Durham 688-7331 Mebane 336-227-2031 PURPOSE: To consider adoption of the Orange County Hazard Mitigation Plan. BACKGROUND: At the October 19, 2004 BOCC meeting, the BOCC asked for some modifications to the proposed Hazard Mitigation Plan. Revisions have been incorporated on page 15 addressing chemical storage sites and an Appendix has been added regarding Nuclear Hazards (Appendix G). In June 2001, the North Carolina General Assembly passed Senate Bill 300: An Act to Amend the Laws Regarding Emergency Management as recommended by the Legislative Disaster Response and Recovery Commission, Among other provisions, the bill requires that local governments have an approved hazard mitigation plan which includes a community assessment and mitigation strategy in order to receive state public assistance funds. Participating municipalities would be part of the county-wide plan to aid in coordination and consistency, The required focus of the plan is natural hazards as opposed to technological, civil, or political hazards (i.e.: hazardous materials events, riots, or terrorism). FEMA has mandated that several natural hazards must be addressed in local plans. The proposed multi-jurisdictional plan addresses all of the required hazards and some non-required hazards. Nan-required hazards addressed in the plan include Chemical Spills, Plane Crash, and Nuclear Hazards. The towns of Carrboro and Hillsborough decided to participate with Orange County to produce a multi-jurisdictional hazard mitigation plan. The Town of Chapel Hill opted to produce its own, separate plan. Staff from the participating municipalities and Orange County Planning and Inspections and Emergency Management Departments (the "Hazard Mitigation Team") met on numerous occasions to develop the draft plan. In 2002, the draft plan was twice brought before the Board of County Commissioners -- once for public hearing and once for adoption. Subsequently, the State did not accept the plan because it was waiting for further guidance from FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) regarding Federal Requirements for hazard mitigation plans. In early 2004, the State received new information from FEMA and developed more specific requirements for local governments to follow in compiling their hazard mitigation plans, The State imposed a deadline of November 1, 2004 for local governments to submit adopted plans, The State also asked local governments to submit draft plans for adequacy review prior to asking local governing bodies to adopt the plans. The Hazard Mitigation team, comprised of the staff mentioned above, has worked closely with the State reviewers to produce a plan that has been preliminarily approved by the State, pending adoption by the local governing bodies of Orange County and the Towns of Carrboro and Hillsborough. Although the format of the revised plan is similar to the plan approved by the BOCC in 2002, new material has been added in response to the expanded State requirements, The following list outlines the major changes from the 2002 version: • Introduction: Public Involvement and National Flood Program and National Community Rating System sections were added. • Hazard Identification and Analysis: This section was almost completely rewritten and detailed histories and analyses of the various types of hazards were added. • Vulnerability Assessment: Property valuation information, a Hazard Vulnerability Summary table, a Critical Facilities assessment, and a general population analysis were added. • Mitigation Strategies: This section was expanded to better address concerns raised by the State, • Adoption: This section was expanded to include additional narrative on the adoption process. • Implementation and Future Review: This section was rewritten and expanded to address State comments. • Appendix A (Maps): Additional maps were added, • Appendix B (Orange County efforts currently underway that affect natural hazard mitigation): This section was expanded, • Appendix F was added to better document the opportunity for public participation in the plan formulation process. • Appendix G (Nuclear Hazards) was added at the request of the BOCC on October 19, 2004. FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no direct financial impact associated with the approval of the Hazard Mitigation Plan. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Administration recommends that the Board of County Commissioners adopt the Orange County Hazard Mitigation Plan and direct staff to submit it to the State in compliance with the November 1, 2004 deadline. ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS A RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE ORANGE COUNTY HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN WHEREAS, the North Carolina General Assembly passed Senate Bill 300 "An Act to Amend the Laws Regarding Emergency Management as Recommended by the Legislative Disaster Response Commission"in .June of 2001 that among other provisions requires local governments to have a hazard mitigation plan approved prior to November 1, 2004 in order to receive state public assistance funds; and WHEREAS, in October of 2000 the President of the United States signed into law the "Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000" (PL 106-390) to amend the "Rohert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and EmergengyAct of 1988"which among other provisions requires local governments to adopt a mitigation plan in order to be eligible far hazard mitigation funding; and WHEREAS, the North Carolina Division of Emergency Management is assisting local governments in the formulation of hazard mitigation plans; and WHEREAS, the Orange County Planning Department and Emergency Management Services have worked closely with representatives from the Towns of Carrboro and Hillsborough to develop amulti-jurisdictional hazard mitigation plan; and WHEREAS, the North Carolina Division of Emergency Management has conducted a review of the Hazard Mitigation Plan; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Commissioners of Orange County hereby adopt the "Orange County Hazard Mitigation Plan" as approved by the North Carolina Division of Emergency Management. This, the 25th day of October, 2004. Barry Jacobs, Chair Orange County Board of Commissioners ATTEST: Donna Baker Clerk to the Board COUNTY SEAL y As the Hazard History table at the end of'this section shows, a number of thunderstorm/high wind storm events and thunderstorm related events (hail and lightning) have been reported in Orange County. Severe Winter Storm Severe winter weather is typically associated with much colder climates; however, winter storms involving extremely cold temperatures, ice storms, and/or heavy snow have occurred in Orange County. The impact of a winter storm in Orange County can be significant. Although equipment such as snow plows is available in the region, winter storms can produce an accumulation of snow and ice on trees and utility lines resulting in loss of electricity and blocked transportation routes. Frequently, loss of electric power means loss of heat for residential customers, which poses an immediate threat to human life, As the Hazard History table at the end of this section indicates, ice storms, heavy snow, and extreme cold has impacted Orange County several times from 1956 to 2004. Wildfire Wildfires occur in North Carolina during the dry spring and summer months of the year, The potential for wildfires depends upon recent climate conditions, surface fuel characteristics, and fire behavior, Wildfires can destroy precious natural resources and forestry essential to the survival of wildlife.. Increased development in Orange County in recent years has increased the potential impact of wildfires as structures that locate neaz vulnerable woodlands become vulnerable themselves. Because wind fuels wildfires, structures in close proximity to potential wildfire fuels are at risk of damage as wind direction and velocity change. The frequency and extent of wildfires in Orange County has historically been quite low, Chemical Spills A chemical spill or HAZMAT (Hazardous material) spill is an accidental and unwanted release of a hazardous chemical from its container. Chemical spills can occur at chemical storage sites or while chemicals are in transit via roadways or railways, Approximately 6,774 HAZMAT events occur each year nationwide. On average, there will be 991 events, Trucks aze responsible for most of the remainder of events, The average distance for trip lengths for gasoline transport is 28 miles; 260 miles is the average trip length for chemical trucks. Even though trucks account for most accidents, it is railway transport that has the greatest potential for concern in many areas. Collisions and derailments can cause very large spills as it is rare that a single car will be damaged, Extremely 14 5 hazardous substances, as defined by the EPA, can pose as serious threat, whether by rail or other ground transportation. HAZMAT spills occur at fixed sites each year. Natural disasters, such as floods and earthquakes can cause HAZMAT releases or disturb old HAZMAT release sites (Superfund sites). These same disasters can make it difficult to contain these events once they occur. Also, natural disasters can limit access to the spill, waterlines for fire suppression maybe broken, and response personnel and resources maybe limited.. Flooding and high winds can quickly spread the contaminant, threatening agriculture, water supply and air, HAZMAT releases pose short and long term tlueats to people, wildlife, vegetation, and the environment. HAZMAT materials can be absorbed through inhalation, ingestion, or direct contact with the skin. Orange County Emergency Management maintains an inventory of chemical storage sites within the county and has developed plans to rapidly notify the public of situations involving those sites and have personnel and equipment to effectively respond to incidents involving those sites. Orange County Emergency Management, and the fire deparhnents that serve those sites maintain contact with the site owners and exchange information as necessazy to provide for the safety of the public and those that may have to respond to an incident at those locations. River Basins Dam Failure There are approximately 80,000 darns listed in the National Inventory of Dams. This number includes impoundment structures greater than or equal to 25 feet in height or impounding 50 acre-feet (an acre-foot equals water 1 foot deep across one acre of land) or more of water, or structures above 6 feet in height whose failure would potentially cause damage downstream. Nine thousand dams nationwide have been designated as high hazard dams. For purposes of this report, dams meeting these criteria, shall be termed regulated dams. The high hazard designation does not indicate the inherent stability or instability of a dam but instead measures the potential threat posed to downstream populations in the event of a dam failure, 13ackgt•otttad htformation on I)ants Dams provide alife-sustaining resource to people in all regions of the United States. Unlike most infr'astr'ucture, dam owners are solely responsible for the safety and the liability of the dam and for financing upkeep, upgrade and repair. While most infrastructure facilities (roads, bridges, sewer systems, etc.) are owned by public entities, the majority of dams in the United States are privately owned. Across the nation, about 15 58% of dams are privately owned, 1 C% are owned by local govermnents, 4% by states, and the rest by the federal govenunent and public utilities Manmade dams are classified according to the type of construction material used, the methods used in construction, the slope orcross-section of the dam, the way the dam resists the forces of water pressure, the means used for controlling seepage and, occasionally, according to the purpose of the dam, The materials used for' construction of dams include earth, rock, tailings from mining or milling, concrete, masonry, steel, timber, miscellaneous materials (such as plastic or rubber) and any combination of these materials.. Embankment dams, the most common type of dam, are usually constructed ofnatural soil or rock or waste materials obtained from mining or milling operations, An embankment dam is termed an "earthfill" or "rockfill" dam depending on whether it is comprised of compacted earth or mostly compacted rock. The ability of an embankment dam to resist water pressure is primarily a result of the mass, weight, type and strength of the materials from which the dam is made. Overtopping of an embankment dam is very undesirable since embanlanent materials may be eroded away. Water normally passes through the main spillway or outlet works; it should pass over an auxiliary spillway only during periods of high reservoir levels and high water inflow, All embankment and most concrete dams have some seepage; however, it is important to conhol the seepage to prevent internal erosion and instability. Proper dam construction, maintenance, and monitoring of seepage provide this control. Intentional release of water is confined to water releases through outlet works and spillways, A dam typically has a principal or mechanical spillway and a drawdown facility, Additionally, some dams are equipped with auxiliary spillways to manage extreme floods.. Spillways ensure that the reservoir does not overtop the dam. Outlet works maybe provided so that water can be drawn continuously, or as needed, from the reservoir. Outlets also provide a way to draw down the reservoir for repair or safety concerns.. Water withdrawn may be discharged into the river below the dam, run through generators to provide hydroelectric power, or used for irrigation. Dam outlets usually consist of pipes, box culverts or tunnels with intake inverts near minimum reservoir level.. Such outlets are provided with gates or valves to regulate the flow rate,. Dazz: Classificatiozzs Dams are classified in one of three categories: Dam Hazard Classification Hazard Description of Quantitative Classification Potential Damage Guidelines 16 Appendix G: Nuclear Hazards The hazard mitigation planning guidance does not require local,jurisdictions to specifically address response to a nuclear incident within this plan, however Orange County has taken measures to prepare for such an event.. Orange County Emergency Management, in conjunction with other local, state, and federal agencies, has developed a comprehensive multi-hazard plan to deal with any emergency that may befall our county. The multi-hazard plan is a separate document from this plan and was revised in 200.3, One of the potential hazazds facing the county is a nucleaz/radiological materials incident that can be brought about by both intentional and unintentional causes, There are three scenarios involving nuclear or radiological material release that could affect the county. The three scenarios are: 1, Incident at Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant 2, Detonation or activation of a nuclear or radiological weapon 3, Spillage or loss of containment of radiological material Orange County is located within the 50 mile "ingestion pathway" of the Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant. This means that the possibility exists for contamination of water, food stuffs, land, and infrastructure in the event of a catastrophic release of nuclear material from the plant. Both intentional and unintentional causes could effect such a catastrophic release, It should be noted that Orange County is not in danger of any blast effects from an explosion at the plant. Intentional detonation or activation of a nuclear weapon remains a concern, The range of effects to the county vary widely depending on the device utilized. Devices range from simple radiological material dispersal, use of a high explosive to disperse material, detonation of an improvised fissionable weapon, or detonation of a militazy grade f ssionable nuclear weapon. The first two types of devices would primarily cause contamination and would not result in immediate death due to radiation exposure. The latter two would result in widespread casualties and contamination over a wide area, Intentional or unintentional spillage or loss of containment of radiological material is the most likely possibility of radiological material to be unnaturally released within our county.. Possible methods for this include transportation accidents involving rail or road based vehicles, malfunction of the containment system of devices that utilize radiological materials such as x-ray machines, and breach of containment of airborne or spacebom nuclear powered devices. Orange County has taken apro-active stance in approaching the threat by introducing many studies and programs that have improved our response.. lrr May 2002, Orange County hosted a symposium on the tlueat of nuclear terrorism within the area, focusing on spent fuel rod storage at Shearon Harris Nuclear Power plant. Outcomes from this symposium lead to a federally financed study on evacuation methods, routes, and timelines for evacuation orders. The symposium also offered guidance for the revision of the County's multi-hazard plan. The Multi-hazard plan was revised in February 2003 to add responsibilities for county depaztments to respond to the various impacts of terrorism. Since this symposium, County personnel have participated in two exercises involving radiological material. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill held the first tabletop exercise with a dirty bomb scenario at the Dean Smith Center on June 18`h, 2002. Triangle J Council of Government hosted a tabletop exercise with a similar scenario later that year. Orange County Emergency Management and law enforcement depaztments completed a US. Depaztment of Homeland Security terrorism assessment tool in 2003 that identified: - critical taz'gets - necessary equipment for' effective response - potential threat elements The Multi-hazard plan addresses the three nuclear/radiological scenarios listed above and assigns certain county staff with emergency responsibilities to respond and carry out duties related to a terrorist attack including a nuclear incident.