Emergency Response Experience
–Utah Laboratory
Sanwat Chaudhuri, Ph.D.
Unified State Laboratories: Public
Health
Utah Department of Health
3/21/2016
1
Background
• Utah Unified State Lab
– Chemical & Environmental
– Microbiology
– Forensic Toxicology
– Laboratory Operations
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Chemical & Environmental Services
• State Principal Environmental lab
– monthly mtgs with DEQ-Programs
– monthly mtg with PWSs
• Level 2 CDC Chem lab
– monthly mtgs with BT program staff
– monthly updates of LHDs
– annual mtgs with Hazmat
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Examples of Emergency Responses
• Mountain dell reservoir contamination ‘ Dec 2001
• Roper Rail-car spill March 2005
• Red Butte Spill ‘June 2010
• Others
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• Mountain Dell Reservoir
• December 27(Thursday)- right before the winter Olympics
• Helicopter carrying moose crashed into the frozen
reservoir- full tank of gas
• 3 dead
• PWS contacted LAB within couple of hours
• initial results before the end of day (LAB Response time <6
h, total from incident 8h)
• mostly phthalates
• start cleanup
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FAA Report
Date:
27-DEC-2001
Time:
12:41
T
Type :
Hughes 369E
Location:
Mountain Dell Reservoir, Utah
3/occupants :3
Fatalities
Helicopter Crash Kills Three In MooseTrapping Operation
All animal captures by helicopter
suspended
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News Report
The helicopter had been contracted by the State of Utah to relocate moose from Parleys
Canyon to an area 5 miles east, where they would be less hazardous to traffic on Interstate
Highway 80.
Witnesses said it appeared the helicopter initially struck the lower of the two static wires,
nosed over, and fell in a near-inverted attitude to the surface of the frozen reservoir. It broke
through the ice, sank, and then floated back to the surface. The tail rotor and aft portion of
the tail boom remained entangled in the wires. Rescuers were able to attach a line and winch
the helicopter ashore.
According to a PacifiCorp spokesman, there was a total of five cables: two static cables on top
and three phase (transmission) cables below. … each carrying 80,000 volts phase-to-ground,
and 138,000 volts phase-to-phase.
•
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• Roper Rail Car incident
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News Report: Utah Chemical Spill Forces Evacuations
Associated Press
March 8th, 2005
 SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- A railcar that leaked hazardous
chemicals and temporarily forced thousands of people
from their homes was hauling a dangerous cocktail of
corrosive acids that it was not designed to carry,
authorities said Monday.
 Sunday's spill caused a cloud of orange fumes above
a several-block area of South Salt Lake, forced the
evacuation of 6,000 people and shut down several
roads and highways in the area, including a stretch of
Interstate 15. By midmorning Monday, evacuees were
allowed home and the roads were reopened.
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Roper Rail Car incident
• Large rail tank car full of mixed
acid wastes
• Misdirected en route to Ohio
• Leak noticed early am March 6’
05
• Tank rapidly deteriorated
• Estimated 6,000 gallons of acid
spilled
• Forced closure of roads
evacuation neighborhood
• FBI, Hazmat, LHD onsite
3/21/2016
• 3 DW wells in area of spill
• Drainage ditch next to site, water
was possibly contaminated
• Spill area was difficult to access
• Gov appears at local news 10 pm,
March 6
• Lab contacted 11pm same day
(>12 hrs after incident)
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Sample info
•
•
•
•
2 samples
no field sheet/test information
no chain of custody
2 samples/ same site but
differently packaged
• no field test data
• Sloppy labelling
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Laboratory Test
• 3 Staff worked all night
• Confirmed results before 6 am (
<6 hours from receipt of sample)
• 24 h from incident
• Roads re-open
• Residents went back home
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Lessons learnt
• How to Reduce Delays
– Request assistance from
Utah State Lab immediately
– field screen info to lab
– Identify & sample all
potentially contaminated
sites
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Lessons learnt
• Improve Notification
system
– Clarify responsibilities for
interagency notifications
– Create redundancies in
call-down list to ensure all
relevant agencies are
notified
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Utah Red Butte Oil Spill
• Saturday June 12, 2010 a caller notified DERR that a Chevron
pipe has ruptured at Red Butte Gardens
• Approx 33,000 gallons of crude oil into the creek and
overflowing into Liberty park lake
• EPA was on-site working with SLC to contain spill
• State Lab contacted on Sunday pm
• (state lab contact not updated)
• Water samples from lake received on Monday am to assess
the extent of contamination
• Lab results presented at 7 pm Town Hall meeting
• Additional samples from various location sent to labs to
determine effects on aquatic life
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Other Responses
• Benzene in drinking water : 2010
• Mercury in HAB : Jan 2012
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Lessons learnt common to all
– contact lab immediately
– Communicate with lab about TAT
– Communicate with lab re reporting format
– And reporting mechanism
– Strengthen sampling protocols
– Update your contact info
– Increase training with other agencies
– Improve interagency communications
– Use lessons learned to improve policies
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Questions ?
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