Section 4: Oil and Hazardous Material Spills
Policy
Department personnel may only participate in containment, clean up, or neutralization of material that has been determined to be non-hazardous to their health or safety. For more information about TxDOT's hazardous material cleanup policy, including notification requirements, see the
Occupational Safety Manual
, Chapter 5,
.Abandoned Hazardous Materials
If hazardous materials are abandoned on TxDOT's right of way,
and the responsible party cannot be identified, it becomes TxDOT's
responsibility to ensure proper disposal. It is recommended that
a blanket purchase order for containment, material identification,
and material disposal be developed. A blanket purchase order could
also be used in non-emergency situations. Contact the Environmental
Division for assistance with abandoned hazardous materials found
on the right of way. In some cases, the TCEQ may elect to use their
own hazardous material contract. For additional assistance, contact
the TxDOT Emergency Management Coordinator.
Responsibility:
TxDOT personnel should
follow standard safety procedures and report pertinent information
to their supervisor immediately. TxDOT supervisors should contact
the district hazardous materials coordinator and local law enforcement
officials if needed. hazardous materials coordinators should oversee
removal and disposal when the responsible party cannot be identified. TxDOT
personnel likely to encounter abandoned hazardous materials require
Hazard Materials Awareness (SFH430) Training.Process:
- Waste is discovered by TxDOT personnel or is reported to TxDOT.
- Restrict access to material. Keep the public away from any hazard, and provide traffic control.
- Survey the scene from a safe distance. Access the integrity of the container(s);
- the existence or possibility of runoff
- presence of any dead animals are nearby
- the distressed nature of surrounding vegetation
- evaluate any markings on containers
- assess the physical characteristics of material
- If determined an emergency, due to location, material characteristics, etc., proceed directly to contract for containment, material identification and material disposal.
- Determine responsible party.
- evaluate labeling on container(s) from a safe distance to determine whether a potential responsible party can be identified
- contact party to pick up and properly dispose of container(s)
- if responsible party cannot be identified, contact TCEQ regional office for possible assistance in identifying the responsible party
Reference:
, §§224.031 and 224.032
State of Texas Emergency Management Plan
Contracting:
Contracting for cleanup,
testing, and disposal is to be handled by:- Third party—trucking company or manufacturer
- TCEQ—should they assume responsibility for the clean-up
- District—Contact Environmental Division for assistance, if the responsible party is not taking appropriate actions or if TCEQ has not assumed responsibility for the clean-up.
Hazardous Substance Spill Contingency Plan
The TCEQ is the lead agency in hazardous material spill response.
Emergencies involving spillage, release, and/or abandonment of known
or suspected toxic/hazardous materials are the prime responsibility
of the TCEQ. (Ref. Texas Water Code) It is important for department
employees to remember that only trained personnel should ever approach
a fire or spill.
Department personnel are specifically
prohibited from handling, cleaning up, or otherwise coming in contact
with toxic/hazardous materials at accident scenes or abandonment
sites on the department's right of way
. Doing so may
adversely affect the health and/or safety of department personnel.