Environment Agency Incident Management

Transcription

1 Environment Agency Incident Management Jenny Thomas Groundwater Quality Technical Specialist, Thames 8 th June 2010 EDF Energy EA Joint FFC Workshop, Bidder Street, London

2 Grateful thanks to Steve Wenham, Technical Advisor Operational Partnerships for his input to this presentation

3 Presentation summary The incident management process Incident classification Incident response Enforcement Incident data summary

4 Incident Management and response Stand-by and call out system National Incident Communication Service (NICC) Base Controller (office hours)/ Duty Officer (out of hours) usually Area, sometimes Region Site Controller -

5 Six stages of the Incident Management Process Record on NIRS; NICC refer an incident to Base Controller who: Assesses information and determine response Plans Response Takes action Co-ordinates post-incident activities Reviews

6 Site controller Provides on-site response Investigates incident, recommends and manages remediation and enforcement Co-ordinates activities in the field Involved in post incident follow-up

7 INCIDENT CLASSIFICATION Category 1- most serious and damaging Category 2 significant damage and impact Category 3 pollution confirmed local impact Category 4 event reported but no damage can be confirmed

8 Incident Management and response Response times Category 1 Category 2 Category 3 Category 4 2hrs (office hours) 4hrs (out of office hours) As category 1 incidents Attendance based on risk and other criteria No attendance

9 Incident response Incident response for oil leaks and spills may require first aid equipment EA Officers may use our in-house flood defence workforce for basic containment and remediation A typical oil spill - inflatable booms used with back-up oilabsorbent booms

10 Oil leaks into ground EA officers do not carry equipment for dealing with leakage to ground Our in-house work-force do not provide specialist clean-up expertise We would expect the land owner or site operator to engage a suitable clean-up contractor

11 Fluid Filled cable leaks into ground Require prompt action Risk to groundwater, particularly abstractors Conduits, drains and pathways to watercourses Conservation areas and SSSIs

12 Fluid Filled cable leaks The Agency may engage specialist contractors in the event of a significant incident in order to forestall pollution We will always seek to recover costs of investigating and mitigating pollution (Section 161 of Water Resources Act 1991; Environmental Protection Act 1990) Groundwater and contaminated land are extremely costly to remediate

13 Enforcement and Prosecution Policy Proportionality Consistency Transparency Targeting

14 Prosecution where Incidents have or could have significant effect on the environment Operations without a permit Excessive or persistent breaches of regulatory requirements Failure to comply with formal remedial requirements Failure to supply information without excuse, or supplying false or misleading information

15 Further Prosecution considerations Environmental impact and clean-up costs Incident foreseeable? Intent and attitude of offender History of offending Deterrent effect of a prosecution Public interest Personal circumstances of the offender

16 Gas-Fired Nuclear Oil-Fired Other Power Ge neration/supply So urce Renewab le Coal-Fired Electricity Su pply and Distribu tion Power Generation by sector 2009 No of incidents

17 Total Annual Incidents in the Power Generation and Supply No of incidents Year

18 Distribution Sector Number of Incidents Year

19 Incidents by pollutant type 2008 & 2009 Chemically Contaminated Run-Off Construction and Demolition Materials and Wastes Crude Sewage Diesel Gas and Fuel Oils Hydraulic Oils Hydrocarbons Insulating and Cable Oils Lubricating Oils Not Identified Other Other Oil or Fuel Smoke Soils and Clay Pollutant No of incidents

20 Thank you