June 1 marks the official start of the U.S. hurricane season and forecasters expect it will be a busy one. That is not the news that chemical facilities wanted to hear after suffering through hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. Many plants in the Gulf region have taken several steps to improve their ability to weather an intense storm based on lessons learned last fall. In the wake of Hurricane Preparedness Week (May 17-21, 2006) ChemAlliance contributor Cynthia Challener reviews some of the insights gained from last year's hurricane season, and highlights actions that chemical process facilities might consider in preparing for the upcoming hurricane season.
In an average hurricane season in the United States, typically less than ten named topical storms form, and three or fewer become intense hurricanes. According to William Gray, head of the Tropical Meteorology Project Center at Colorado State University, as many as 17 named tropical storms could be generated in the Atlantic basin this year, with a possible nine storms achieving hurricane status, and five of them being intense. The active season comes with as much as 20% of oil production in the Gulf still shut in due to damages caused by Katrina and Rita.
Considering these predictions, chemical plants large and small that are located in the Gulf region should be actively involved in preparing their facilities for the upcoming season. As Max Mayfield, Director of the National Hurricane Center said, "Preparation through education is less costly than learning through tragedy." Unfortunately, many in the Gulf region did experience catastrophic losses as a result of the hurricanes in 2005. They are now working diligently to educate others in the industry about the knowledge they have gained from that first hand experience.
The Louisiana Chemical Association (LCA) has taken the lead in developing a list of important issues that chemical plants should address when planning for that next hurricane. The group was very active during and immediately following both Katrina and Rita, providing assistance in whatever way possible to its member companies impacted by the storms. During the organization's Fall 2005 meeting, five member companies that were hard hit by the two hurricanes shared a list of lessons learned. This information was then circulated to a wider group of companies who had all been impacted, either directly with plant damage, or indirectly because of employee issues, lack of available fuel or feedstocks, or logistical or other problems. Comments were compiled and the list made public on LCA's website (www.lca.org).
Edward Flynn, Security, Safety & Health Affairs director with LCA first stresses a positive learning from the experiences with hurricanes Katrina and Rita. "Despite all of the destruction and the overwhelming personal losses suffered by many Gulf coast residents including employees of chemical plants, when these facilities were restarted, the environmental and safety systems worked. The fact that accidents and spills or incidents didn't happen was no accident at all." Also underscoring the effective safety practices of the industry is the fact that no major releases of highly hazardous, toxic or flammable chemicals occurred as a result of the storms. In fact, no hazardous chemical releases were found to pose human health impacts, according to James C. Belke, a chemical engineer with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) who implements the Agency's Risk Management Program (RMP) rule. "The well designed, robust nature of today's facilities played a large role in reducing the likelihood of a release. The fact that companies followed safe shutdown procedures and left their plants in stable conditions further reduced the risk," he notes.
There is still room for improvement, though, in what actions should be taken just prior to landfall of a major hurricane, according to the results compiled by the LCA. "One lesson learned is that it is critical for chemical facilities to better coordinate with state and local emergency preparedness and civil defense agencies when decisions are made that can significantly impact plant operations. Industry needs to know when local and state government authorities issue mandatory evacuation orders in particular," Flynn explains. "Plant shutdown sequence and timing can be dramatically affected by the call for mandatory evacuation, as most utilities are shutdown as part of this process. Chemical facilities need to be aware of this impending action so they can follow the appropriate shutdown procedures for the given situation."
The onus is also on chemical companies to make certain state and local authorities are aware of the interrelationships between individual plant sites and how plant closures can affect the economy and the ability of the country to meet the basic needs of its citizens. "There are only limited resources available for infrastructure restoration. The authorities must balance the needs of private industry and the public sector when establishing priorities for restoring power, for example," Mr. Belke comments. He adds that manufacturing facilities, because many are so interdependent, must work closely together and communicate regularly once the storm has passed. "Last year, some plants, although they had power, were still not able to start up because they lacked the raw materials provided by a neighboring facility, which was not yet repaired. In other cases, plants had to delay startups because their customer was not yet operating and they didn't have a place to ship their product," he explains.
Identification of essential documentation and materials that need to be removed from the plant site to a remote location should be done well in advance of any storm. Preferably this information should be gathered together in one location for easy accessibility. Documentation of environmental performance during and following a hurricane is also important. Obtaining pre-storm waivers for the period of operation just prior to, during, and immediately following the storm event can help plants with emergency procedures and better understand what to expect from emergency orders from regulatory agencies .
Gaining access to the plant once the storm passes can be difficult. After hurricanes Katrina and Rita, some facilities could only be reached via helicopter. Establishing a lease before the start of the season should be considered, based on LCA's data. Retaining an asbestos abatement firm to help with remediation of damaged cooling towers and other asbestos-containing equipment is another suggestion. Those plants that put ride out teams in place might reassess the makeup of the groups. "Companies found they needed more skilled craftsmen such as electricians, maintenance staff, and operators to get plants up and running again. Including at least one EMT was also recommended," notes Mr. Flynn.
Underlying all of these operational concerns is a larger issue that
affected all activities during and in the aftermath of the two
devastating hurricanes in 2005. Communication -- between plants and their
corporate headquarters, employees and their companies, customers and
suppliers, emergency responders, and state, local and federal agencies --
was significantly hampered. "The entire communication infrastructure was
compromised during hurricane Katrina. Landlines were knocked out and
cell phone coverage was spotty. E-mail was of course no good. Text
messaging worked until batteries ran down, and satellite access was
functional but often co-opted for military of other priority government
use," Flynn says.
Some companies were not able to contact their ride-out teams to
determine the status of the situation and determine whether or not the
teams should be removed as conditions deteriorated. Locating rail cars
containing reactive materials or requiring refrigeration, for example,
was also difficult. Working with railroads as well as public sector
agencies such as the Coast Guard and Louisiana State Police was
essential to avert potential haz-mat issues.
Suggestions for overcoming communication problems include issuing wallet-sized cards with a 1-800 number located at a distant company site that employees would know to call once the storm passes. Many companies are considering the purchase of large numbers of cell phones with area codes in a location far from the Gulf. Companies should note, though, that the Department of Homeland Security may investigate this type of purchase and should be prepared to explain their reason for taking such action. Other companies are providing laptops for all key personnel, issuing public e-mail accounts for top management, and providing Internet voice cards as well.
Surprising to many, amateur ham radio operators provided tremendous assistance to chemical companies and many others during and after the storms passed last year. "These HAM radio operators were the unsung heroes of these events," states Mr. Flynn. "They relayed messages between many different groups, and made a big impact on recovery and repair efforts." Many facilities are adding "hams" to their communication systems.
Once the storm passed, companies often found that their contact information for local emergency response groups and other important agencies were out of date. If they managed to have a means of communication, they often couldn't reach people because of incorrect information. This information must be regularly updated, and backup contacts should be available for key state and local emergency response units.
Communication with suppliers and customers also became an issue once facilities were able to startup again. Plants that are sole suppliers of specialty materials were at times under pressure to safely begin producing again. "These companies in particular must have good communication links with their suppliers and contractors to ensure that everyone feels the same level of urgency. The best approach is to establish this point in advance of the storm," notes Mr. Flynn.
The overall lesson learned with regard to communication is that multiple means of staying in contact are absolutely necessary. Plants must have several communication systems available. Ideally, each facility should create a mobile emergency operations center that can be moved away from the path of a hurricane.
A second issue for chemical plants facing a new hurricane to consider -- and one that is equally as important as communication -- is preparation for employee support following a major storm. In the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, many employees and essential contractors of chemical facilities had their homes destroyed. Companies responded by providing temporary housing, basic amenities, and medical services for those without a place to live. For those whose homes were still habitable, assistance with roof repairs, fuel for travel, and other necessities were also provided. Most companies continued to pay base salaries, and made arrangements to get paper payroll checks delivered to their employees. Many offered help centers and/or relied on employee assistance programs to provide mental health support services.
Plants need to be prepared to establish a secure temporary housing area and provide food, water, laundry, and other services. They should also arrange for supplies in advance of a storm and have some located both on and off-site. Some, if not all, of these supplies may be diverted by government authorities, and firms should plan for this situation as well. As much of this planning and arranging should be done well in advance of the first storm of the season.
Inside the facility, many plants that were flooded are still dealing with damaged systems. Because secondary containment systems are designed to prevent releases of materials, they also prevented release of the corrosive sea water after the flood waters receded. Mr. Belke points out that "For facilities flooded by seawater, many pipes, vessels, and electrical systems have been damaged, and companies will be spending a long time and significant expense to repair or replace them. For the future, companies prone to storm flooding should design secondary containment systems with a dewatering capability."
Some companies are investing heavily in new physical barriers for the protection of their plants. DuPont is building a $15-20 million 10-foot high steel wall on top of the existing 20-foot earthen levee at its DeLisle, Mississippi plant. The height of the original levee was based on the storm surge caused by hurricane Camille in 1969. The record storm surge caused by Katrina has led the company to take further measures.
Outside of the facility, plants should anticipate that railways, highways and perhaps community services such as hospitals may not recover as quickly as the facility itself. Preparations should be made to provide these services for some time after the storm event. With regard to key resources, some facilities are investigating the feasibility of having a second pipeline supplier. Establishing valid travel passes for essential personnel should also be considered. Some employees must cross from parish to parish or county to county and otherwise may have difficulty getting through police or military check points or roadblocks. Finding skilled labor remains a challenge today for many plants hit by the hurricanes last year. Identifying and/or working to create a strong pool of skilled future employees should be a top priority for all chemical facilities, according to the LCA.
Here again, communication is a key factor. Working closely with government representatives and agencies at all levels is also imperative. Although the local, state, and federal authorities received much bad press from the media, many chemical facility managers feel that local emergency response organizations and people involved in recovery efforts were heroes, according to Mr. Flynn. "A lot of people in industry have been complimentary to local, state, and federal officials," adds Mr. Belke. "The typical barriers between public and private groups disappeared while everyone was working together to solve problems."
The Federal government has also been more proactive in preparing for the upcoming hurricane season. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced April 26, 2006 pre-designated teams with responsibility for coordinating the Federal government's role in support of state and local governments as they prepare and ultimately respond to major natural disasters during the hurricane season. According to Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, the state and local officials will be able to plan, train, and exercise with the Federal teams in advance of any actual storms.
DHS is also working closely with state and local officials to take additional steps in preparation for the upcoming hurricane season. The agency will be conducting five regional Hurricane Preparedness Exercises in the Gulf before June 1; reviewing preparedness plans to identify deficiencies and ensure evacuation plans are current; and reorganizing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to create an improved logistics system, enhance customer service, establish strong lines of communication, and expedite debris removal.
Whether you work for a small chemical company plant site or at a large facility of a major chemical corporation, the hurricane season begins June 1 and everybody needs to take heed. Preparation, preparation, preparation. That is the key to successfully weathering an intense storm. Plan ahead, think of as many different likely scenarios as possible, determine the best response approach, and plan accordingly. "The best approach is to plan for the worst and wish for the best," says Mr. Flynn. We will all be hoping that the predictions about the 2006 hurricane season are wrong and that the Gulf region enjoys a respite from the cataclysmic storms experienced last year.
Contacts
Edward Flynn, Director, Louisiana Chemical Association, 225-376-7644
Belke, James C., 202-564-8023 , Chemical Engineer with EPA
About the Author
Cynthia A. Challener (challener@vtlink.net) is Principal Consultant at C&M Consulting
(www.candmconsult.com). C & M Consulting offers technical writing, editing and research services to the chemical and allied industries. Services include the development of marketing brochures, technical bulletins, presentations, and feature articles. In addition to her work for ChemAlliance, Dr. Challener has provided services to a wide variety of chemical industry clients, including Chemical Market Reporter, ACS, and SOCMA.
