Hazardous Material

Introduction

The Contingency Plan for Hazardous Material/Hazardous Waste Emergencies contains procedures designed to minimize, effectively, hazards to human health and the environment in the event of a fire, explosion, or any unplanned, sudden or non-sudden, release of a hazardous material or waste into the air, soil, or surface water surrounding Mississippi College. The contingency plan contains information required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for a Contingency Plan and Emergency Procedures for Generators of Hazardous Waste codified in Subpart D of Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 265.

General Information

This contingency plan is for buildings containing hazardous material/hazardous waste on the Mississippi College campus located at the intersection of U.S. Highway 80 and Springridge Road in Clinton, Mississippi, less than one quarter mile from Interstate 20, a major east/west interstate highway.

Delivery Address: 
Mississippi College
200 South Capitol Street
Clinton, MS 39058

Mississippi College, a Southern Baptist owned and operated liberal arts college, grants degrees at the bachelor and masters level in various areas including chemistry, biology, nursing, art, and many others. This contingency plan covers the entire Mississippi College, Clinton campus.

Emergency Coordinator

As described under “Personnel”, the Environmental Safety Officer serves as the Emergency Coordinator for the campus. The Environmental Safety officer must be thoroughly familiar with the Emergency Contingency plan and the resources available in the event of a hazardous material/hazardous waste emergency. In the event of a major catastrophe involving the release of hazardous material such a fire, explosion, or tornado, the Environmental Safety Coordinator or an alternate will respond and commit any resources necessary to protect human health and the environment.

Implementation

The Emergency Contingency plan should be activated in the event of fire, explosion, or other catastrophic event (major spill, earthquake, tornado) that could compromise the integrity of any hazardous material/hazardous waste storage area on the Mississippi College campus.

Emergency Procedures

The employee discovering a threatening situation involving hazardous material or hazardous waste should follow these procedures:

1. Evacuate personnel from the immediate area utilizing the fire evacuation routes. Verbal warnings should be used as individual(s) exit the immediate area to obtain off-campus assistance. Fire alarms should be used to evacuate personnel from buildings, when appropriate. The closed air recirculating system utilized in many modern buildings may quickly circulate toxic fumes to other rooms or floors possibly threatening unsuspecting personnel; so, upon discovering a fire or release of toxic vapors, buildings should be evacuated.
2. If injuries are present render first aid as necessary.
3. Notify Campus Security (601.925.3204) and Clinton Fire Department (911 or 924-5643) giving the following information:
   1. Type and location of emergency, including extent of any injuries
   2. If a hazardous material spill is involved, the name of the material and approximate amount released
   3. Any additional information known about the material such as state of matter (solid, liquid, or gas) or associated hazards (flammable or poison, etc.)
4. Upon notification of a hazardous material emergency, Campus Security should do the following:
   1. Verify notification of Fire Department.
   2. If hazardous material/hazardous waste is involved, notify the Emergency Coordinator (Environmental Safety Officer) immediately.
   3. Respond to the scene of the emergency, secure the area, and render aid as necessary to protect human health and the environment.
5. Until the arrival of the Emergency Coordinator and professional assistance, on-site personnel should follow this list of priorities:
   1. Protect human health and safety by securing the area and rendering first aid.
   2. Protect the environment by containing spillage to the immediate area, specifically restrict entry into ditches, storm sewers, and other bodies of surface water, but do not expose oneself to undue risk.
   3. Protect physical assets such as buildings, vehicles or other personal property.
6. The Clinton Fire Department has the manpower and resources to handle most hazardous material situations involving fires and can contact other hazardous material personnel, if necessary, to control a serious spill situation. The decision to call in additional manpower is the responsibility of the fire department.
7. Upon arrival at the scene, the Environmental Safety Officer should aid fire fighting personnel with the location, identity, and amounts of hazardous waste/hazardous material storage at and near the sight of the emergency.
8. Assess the potential hazards to human health and the environment including the potential generation of gases, the potential for spread by water run-off, methods for preventing the spread and hazards that might lead to the need for evacuation of surrounding areas. The use of observation, Environmental Safety inventory, and other records may be helpful in this assessment. If, through the above assessment the Environmental Safety Officer believes hazardous material/hazardous waste has been released into the environment, the following should be done:
   1. Notify Mississippi Emergency Management Agency at 1-800-222-6362.
   2. Notify the National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802.
   3. This information should be included in the report of the incident:
      • Name and telephone number of reporter
      • Name and address of facility
      • Time and type of incident
      • Name and quantity of material(s) involved, to the extent known
      • Extent of injuries, if any
      • Hazards to human health and the environment outside college property
   4. Begin immediately for the clean up providing for the treatment, storage, disposal of recovered hazardous waste and hazardous waste contaminated resulting from the emergency.
   5. Within 15 days following the emergency incident, submit a report to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Regional Administrator. The report must include the following:
      • Name, address, and telephone number of owner/operator
      • Name, address, and telephone number of the facility
      • Date, time, and type of incident
      • Name and quantity of material involved
      • An assessment of actual or potential hazards to human health and the environment, where this is applicable
      • Estimated quantity and disposition of recovered material that resulted from the incident

Identification and Assessment of Hazardous Material

The Environmental Safety Officer, using the Environmental Safety inventory and required labeling, can assist fire fighting personnel with the location of major areas of hazardous material/hazardous waste storage, including the identification of any potential dangers. If the emergency involves a spill or release of material, the Environmental Safety Coordinator should provide fire-fighters with any information available about the location, amounts stored, potential hazards, and chemical properties of the material from the Material Safety Data Sheets or other sources.

Control Procedures

Since hazardous waste at Mississippi college is generated and stored in small quantities, leakage into the environment is easily preventable using secondary containment to control leakage and spillage during storage and transfer. Of more concern is the human exposure that exists in case of fire, weather damage to buildings (i.e. tornado) or carelessness during the addition or transfer of waste. Fire control equipment (fire extinguishers, fire hoses, etc.) are available to personnel in areas used for waste storage. Smothering or other-wise extinguishing of small fires, or the quick, efficient clean up of spilled material will reduce the risk of fire and other exposure.

Use of secondary containment of appropriate non-reactive material, when handling and transporting waste, will greatly reduce the risk of a release from spillage, leakage and breakage and will provide easy transfer to another container, if necessary. All work with the material that potentially produces highly toxic fumes or gases Should take place in a fume hood or with the availability of respirator protection.

Prevention of Recurrence or Spread of Fire, Explosion or Release

Upon discovering an emergency situation (such as a spill of material) an employee should shutdown all operations. to the extent feasible without due risk to life and limb. This may include turning off equipment to prevent explosion or fire from sparks, closing doors to prevent spread of fire or vapors, or moving damaged containers to a secure area (i.e. fume hood) to reduce human exposure.

Storage and Treatment of Released Material

Upon containment of a hazardous waste/hazardous material spill, all contaminated disposable clean-up material should be treated as hazardous waste and handled with due care. Small scale spills are satellite accumulation sites and should be handled by the waste generator with all equipment and containers cleaned, and material utilized returned to pre-spill readiness. In the event of a major catastrophe, the Environmental Safety officer should supervise the collection, separating, packaging, and temporary storage of collected waste. New containers may be secured for storage of waste until disposal by an EPA. licensed Treatment, Storage, and Disposal company takes place. All applicable storage time requirements must be observed.

Incompatible Wastes

Following the appropriate packaging, labeling, and handling requirements during the cleanup of spills and releases should insure that incompatible wastes will not be mixed. In the event of fire or weather damage, the cleanup may involve repackaging material that has become contaminated. Personnel should use due care, such as the wearing of protective clothing, careful observation, and chemical analysis to insure separating of incompatible mate-rial. Haphazard collection of material after a major catastrophe (fire or tornado) should be avoided.

Post Emergency Equipment Maintenance

In the event of a small scale spill within a satellite accumulation location, the person responsible for the original generation and in control of the area should preform any necessary decontamination of equipment and replacement of supplies (absorbent material, etc.). In the event of a major disaster, the Environmental Safety Officer following the cleanup should insure decontamination of equipment, buildings, and grounds of the campus and surrounding areas and the replacement of emergency supplies at all satellite generation sites before the generation of waste material may resume.

Container Spills and Leakage

Upon discovery of a spill or leakage of hazardous material/waste, cleanup should begin immediately. If a container is leaking, material should be transferred to a second clean, secure container and the damaged container discarded. For spills of hazardous material/waste, appropriate absorbent material (cloth towels, vermiculite, sand, lime, sodium bicarbonate, or hydro-chloric acid) should be utilized to contain and or neutralize the spill and the resulting material packaged, collected, and labeled for disposal as hazardous waste, if necessary.

List of Emergency Equipment

Telephones are provided in all academic and administrative departments for access during working hours. Telephone numbers of the Emergency Coordinator (Environmental Safety Officer), Campus, Security, Clinton Fire Department, Clinton Police Department, and UMC Poison Control Center shall be prominently displayed in appropriate places. These numbers shall be posted near all departmental telephones, and over the light switch in all laboratories and other areas which utilize hazardous materials and/or generate hazardous wastes. Fire extinguishers and hoses are located as required by local fire codes in all buildings adjacent to satellite hazardous waste accumulation areas and in hallways to be utilized when appropriate to extinguish small fires.

Cooperation Agreements

Mississippi College relies exclusively upon the City of Clinton to provide fire fighting and emergency medical services. The Environmental Safety Office will maintain current inventories, including location of hazardous materials/hazardous wastes and other dangers associated with materials located on the campus to aid the fire department in performing its duty. A formal cooperative agreement should be formulated between the area hospitals and the local emergency services agencies for providing information about material stored on the campus as required by law.

Evacuation Plan

Evacuation of any building due to hazardous material/hazardous waste emergency will utilize the existing fire escape exits and alternates. Verbal warnings will be given to persons nearby and the fire alarm system will be used to evacuate personnel from other floors, if necessary.

Required Reports

Following the implementation of the contingency plan, the Environmental Safety officer will submit a written report as required in 40 CFR 265.56 (j).