Preventing Stormwater Pollution at Your Public Works Facility
Script for Module 3: Spill Prevention & response
Slide 1: Welcome back to our training sessions
Slide 2: We’ve gone over the concept of watershed, and why there is concern over runoff. Then we looked at what a SWPPP is. For exercise, we’ve looked at how runoff flows from our facility, and how our outdoor activities may put pollutants into the flow path
Slide 3: The remaining modules are about practices to reduce the chances of those pollutants getting picked up by runoff. Today we’ll look at spill prevention & response. This is a general overview of what might spill, preventing spills, and responding to spills
Slide 4: So what pollutants might we be dealing with? If we look at one of RIDOT’s Inventory of Materials with Potential Storm Water Contact (from a SWPPP), we see materials such as petroleum products. These are nasty enough to be covered under other regulations.
Slide 5: The Oil Pollution Control Regulations, for instance, require a facility with above ground storage tanks to prepare a spill confinement and control plan. The State regulations have not yet been updated to meet the new federal requirements, which add more detail to the contents of a spill plan.
Slide 6: RI’s rules and regulations for underground storage were revised last year. Rule 8 (Operation & Maintenance) includes leak detection and confinement, while Rule 12 covers spill response.
Those who handle petroleum products should be getting additional training on oil spill prevention and response.
Slide 7: The garage probably has other chemicals that can end up outdoors as well. Many of these are also toxic, although in general the amounts that are likely to spill outdoors would be small.
Slide 8: Dumpsters can be breeding grounds for bacteria, especially if they attract wildlife. Leaks or spills can end up in the local stream, wetlands and other natural areas where they can cause problems.
Slide 9: Then, there are the basic materials you need to perform your job of road maintenance. Granted, spillage of these materials is not as big of a problem as storage, but we all need to remember that these are not benign materials. Cleaning these materials out of our catch basins and wetlands can be costly as well as bad for the environment.
The only items on this list that may not be a problem are the bricks and cinderblocks. You’d have to have quite the storm to move them, but just imagine…
Slide 10: Any and all of this stuff can exacerbate the problems we face with keeping our drinking water clean and our fish edible
Slide 11: The biggest problem with our garages is that they concentrate materials – we need to work on keeping the stuff on site. Preventing and cleaning up spills is a small, inexpensive step that we can start taking now while we figure out how best to address some of our more serious runoff problems
Slide 12: So what are some general concepts to keep in mind for preventing spills? The first is the “duh” solution – don’t use so much of the nastier stuff to begin with. Facilities in the reservoir watersheds are to be commended for switching from salt, which is sodium chloride, to calcium chloride – more expensive, but better for our drinking water
Slide 13: There are a number of potential leaks that you can prevent from becoming problems with a little foresight. For example, don’t put your salt/sand pile right next to that flow path you identified
Slide 14: Somebody might want to move this dumpster out of the obvious flow path
Slide 15: Repairing leaky equipment right next to a storm drain catch basin isn’t such a great idea, either
Slide 16: Build berms, dikes or dead end sumps around storage areas to confine any leaks that might occur. Spill/leak protection and containment BMPs are required for petroleum products, along with frequent monitoring and inspection.
Slide 17: It might be a good idea to make the dike tall enough and strong enough to actually hold the material back.
Slide 18: Put drip pans under idle equipment, or drain them – indoors or in a bermed area! (And don’t forget to label those waste containers!)
Slide 19: Store materials indoors, or put a roof over them, or make sure they at least have a tarp over them overnight or during wet weather. Label all containers, and check them often for leaks, dents or bulges
Slide 20: Finally, keep in mind that spill prevention begins with each one of us paying attention, following procedures (and bringing the need for modification to your supervisor’s attention), as well as making sure that a properly-trained person is overseeing the handling of the materials.
Slide 21: And make sure those delivering materials are also aware of your procedures – language like this should be in contracts and posted next to the delivery site.
Slide 22: Before you have to respond to a spill, you should know what to do, especially if hazardous materials are involved. A written plan for the facility is required under the oil pollution control regulations.
Slide 23: Every employee should become familiar with our response plan, which is (point to readily-accessible Spill Response Plan; indicate its normal location at your facility). This will tell you who to notify, where the spill response kit is, and how to report the spill.
Slide 24: Locate the appropriate spill response equipment at all potential spill areas. That could include personal protective equipment, materials to absorb the spill, brooms & shovels for dry cleanup, as well as drain covers, sand bags and temporary berms to redirect the flow of liquid.
Slide 25: IF there is a spill, contact (insert name) immediately. If a UST (Underground Storage Tank) releases, that needs to be immediately reported to the Director of RIDEM, the local fire official and, if applicable, the public water supplier. Any hazardous release or potential release should be reported to the DEM Hotline at 222-3070.
Slide 26: Contain the spill as close to its source as possible, by using an absorbent, or placing sandbags or containment booms in front of the spill. They’ve done a pretty good job here, throwing down something that might be absorbing the spill, but…
Slide 27: They forgot to protect the storm drain!
Slide 28: Always use dry cleanup methods, using kitty litter, sand or other acceptable absorbents on liquids first.
Slide 29: And once you’ve cleaned up, don’t forget to put the waste materials into the proper container with a clear label.
Slide 30: And that wraps up the training module on spill prevention.
Slide 31: Time now for another exciting exercise!
Module 3: Spill Prevention and Response
Script 1