Chemical Incident

What is a chemical incident?

A chemical incident is an event involving a chemical/toxic release. Although chemicals are a
daily part of life, in certain quantities, environments or combinations, elements can become
dangerous. Emergencies involving hazardous materials often result in both mandated and
spontaneous evacuations, due to the uncertainty surrounding the possible spread and
interactions of these substances. Chemical incidents can be intentional (terrorist bomb at
industrial site) or unintentional (technological failure or train wreck). Examples of events
precipitating chemical releases include:

Gas pipeline explosion or propane refinery fire

Factory/industrial center malfunction, explosion or fire
Freight train wreck
Truck accident
Bomb detonation at industrial site

What are its potential impacts and hazards?

In addition to environmental damage, human health can be threatened if
the materials released (through spills, fires, leaks etc.) are hazardous to
breathe in or consume (through water or particles on food). Emergencies
involving such materials can prompt both mandated and spontaneous
evacuations, and significant evacuation shadows. Evacuation shadows
occur when residents beyond a government-mandated evacuation zone
leave despite being in a designated-safe area. Toxic clouds or plumes
can travel miles and affect distant communities depending on the
consistency of materials and weather conditions. Initial inability among
public officials to identify and assess the danger of the event can elicit
fear among the public concerning these unfamiliar substances and
seemingly unstable conditions. This fear may lead to a large scale
evaluation, with residents leaving as they do not feel comfortable
sheltering in place, despite recommendations made by public officials.

Narrative of Scenario Depicted in Mapping Tool

The following is adapted from one of the National Planning Scenarios developed by the
Department of Homeland Security.

Around eight-thirty in the evening, city residents in X neighborhood, which borders the industrial
district, begin to flood the citys 911 system with complaints of burning skin and eyes, breathing
difficulties and the strong smell of chlorine. Shortly thereafter, officials make the connection
between these complaints and the report of an explosion at a bleach production plant in the

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industrial part of the city. Officials believe that the explosion occurred shortly after eight oclock
and already, there are several reported causalities at the plant resulting from the initial blast.

At the plant, immediately following the explosion in the bleach tank, personnel stationed near
the tank are told to evacuate and the citys emergency mangers are called to the plant, arriving
within 10 minutes. At first, it is unclear if the explosion is intentional. When the HazMat team
approaches the tank to investigate, they find an approximate one-foot-diameter hole in the side
of the tank, out of which flows liquefied chlorine, freezing all that it touches and generating a
large greenish-yellow vapor cloud. As the weather conditions are moderate (76 degrees,
Fahrenheit; low humidity; wind speed between 4 and 6 knots), release of all the chlorine from
the tank is predicted to occur in under an hour. As the HazMat responders return to report back
to the incident command, where the fire chief has arrived, several subsequent explosions kill on-
site HazMat team responders and it becomes evident that this is no accident. The fire chief
decides to withdraw the team. With no way of blocking the hole, the entire contents of the
chlorine tank, containing a little over 90,000 gallons of chlorine, are vaporized. The plume of
chlorine has dispersed over a large part of the city; with little wind, the cloud is fairly evenly
dispersed over the areas surrounding the plant.

By 11:00p.m., other as-yet unaffected areas of the city learn that

causalities have occurred due to vapor exposure in the neighborhoods
directly bordering the industrial district. Due to the late hour, most city
residents are already indoors and can shelter-in-place safely. While over
half of the city heeds official advisories to shelter-in-place, a steady trickle
of cars begins to head out of the city and on to major freeways. By the
following morning, forty percent of the city has self-evacuated, clogging
roads and delaying response resources.

Many surrounding communities and rural areas are unaware of the citys explosion until the
following morning. Towns awaken to find gas stations, grocery stores, hotels and restaurants
overrun with evacuees from the city. Hospitals are operating beyond capacity as evacuees
enter the emergency rooms, with severe respiratory distress and injuries from vehicular
accidents. Make-shift evacuee reception centers have been set up during the early hours of the
morning at many local community centers, but are quickly overwhelmed with arrivals. Although
officials report that the chlorine plume has dissipated after six hours and that it is safe to return
to the city, many of the evacuees remain in the surrounding communities overnight.

Long-term resettlement is unlikely in this scenario. Most of the people who were directly injured
by the chlorine release will recover within 2 weeks, apart from those individuals suffering severe
lung damage. Decontamination of the chlorine gas will be minor and main cleanup efforts will
revolve around the bleach plant itself and making repairs to the damaged chlorine tank.
Affected waterways will elicit concerns about water safety among the public, however, this likely
would not cause the majority of residents to settle elsewhere. Most evacuees will return to the
city within a couple days of the incident.

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Planning Considerations
General recommendations for planning for evacuees with immediate health needs:

Pre-deploy (or develop plan for rapid deployment of) medical supplies to reception sites.
Triage: As evacuees arrive in cars, staff/volunteers should quickly assess evacuees and
collect information on certain symptoms so that individuals can be directed to quarantine
sites, acute care facilities, etc.
o Health personnel will likely need to triage patients, screening and
decontaminating individuals, and treating and stabilizing those with
significant medical needs. Health concerns include: Respiratory
problems, in particular, severe respiratory distress requiring short- and
long-term treatment; Vehicular accident trauma and injuries caused by
mass panic
Food and water are always the most essential medical supplies.
When children need medical attention, keep parents with them to perform tasks such as
bathing, comforting, etc.
Triage at an alternate care site in order to ensure that the worried well do not block
those who need care.

General recommendations for planning for communications needs:

Ensure process is in place so that Public Information Officers (PIOs) will not distribute
press releases in isolation. They should communicate with others in the region to
ensure that a consistent, clear message is transmitted to citizens and evacuees across
counties.
Be prepared to set up mobile low-amp signage along the highways to information
evacuees/residents of latest developments (particularly, regarding when the chlorine
plume has dissipated and it might be safe for evacuees to return to their homes) and
guide them to reception points.

The above guidelines were adapted from the Western New York Public Health Alliance
Advanced Practice Centers Rural Preparedness Planning Guide: Planning for Population Surge
Following Urban Disasters. Visit the guide to learn more about planning tasks for before, after,
and during events that might prompt unexpected surges in population. The following sections
may also be particularly relevant in the face of chemical incidents:

Reception Sites
Facilitated Movement
Regional Coordination
Addressing Resident Concerns

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Additional Resources
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Chemical Emergencies. Link

Federal Emergency Management Agency. 2006. Hazardous Materials. Link

Minnesota Dept. of Health and Dept. of Public Safety. codeReady. Chemical Incident. Link

World Health Organization. The International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPSC). Link

U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board. CSB Recommendations. Link

U.S. Dept. of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. Hazmat
Safety Community. Link

Western New York Health Alliance, Inc.

P.O. Box 1648
Williamsville, NY 14231-1648
Phone (716) 631-2253
Fax (716) 633-4546
www.wnypha.org

NORC at the University of Chicago

4350 East-West Highway, Suite 800
Bethesda, MD 20814
Phone (301) 634-9300
Fax (301) 634-9301
www.norc.org

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