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    Ulster County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Response

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    Daily Freeman
    The Ulster County Executive responded to concerns from supervisors and mayors about updating the county's hazard mitigation plan in response to a recent train derailment. The letter clarifies that the existing plan addresses natural disasters, not transportation incidents, but that the county has well-established hazardous material response plans and conducts regular training. The County Executive invites local officials to an educational roundtable and will coordinate a letter to federal regulators calling for stronger safety standards to prevent future derailments.

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    Ulster County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Response

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    Daily Freeman
    934 views3 pages
    The Ulster County Executive responded to concerns from supervisors and mayors about updating the county's hazard mitigation plan in response to a recent train derailment. The letter clarifies that the existing plan addresses natural disasters, not transportation incidents, but that the county has well-established hazardous material response plans and conducts regular training. The County Executive invites local officials to an educational roundtable and will coordinate a letter to federal regulators calling for stronger safety standards to prevent future derailments.

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    Ulster County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Response

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    The Ulster County Executive responded to concerns from supervisors and mayors about updating the county's hazard mitigation plan in response to a recent train derailment. The letter clarifies that the existing plan addresses natural disasters, not transportation incidents, but that the county has well-established hazardous material response plans and conducts regular training. The County Executive invites local officials to an educational roundtable and will coordinate a letter to federal regulators calling for stronger safety standards to prevent future derailments.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    934 views3 pages

    Ulster County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Response

    Uploaded by

    Daily Freeman
    The Ulster County Executive responded to concerns from supervisors and mayors about updating the county's hazard mitigation plan in response to a recent train derailment. The letter clarifies that the existing plan addresses natural disasters, not transportation incidents, but that the county has well-established hazardous material response plans and conducts regular training. The County Executive invites local officials to an educational roundtable and will coordinate a letter to federal regulators calling for stronger safety standards to prevent future derailments.

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    of 3

    ULSTER COUNTY EXECUTIVE

    244 Fair St., P.O. Box 1800, Kingston, New York 12402
    Telephone: 845-340-3800
    Fax: 845-334-5724

    JEN METZGER JOHANNA CONTRERAS


    County Executive Deputy County Executive

    CHRISTOPHER KELLY AMANDA LAVALLE


    Deputy County Executive Deputy County Executive
    Chief of Staff

    February 27, 2023

    Dear Supervisors and Mayors,

    I write in response to your letter dated February 21, 2023, regarding the Ulster County
    Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan, and your request that this plan be updated and
    communicated to the public in response to the recent train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.

    The health and safety of Ulster County residents is my first priority, and I understand
    your concerns and the concerns of the public to make sure that we are well-prepared to respond
    to a human-made disaster of this kind. I will do everything possible within the purview of my
    office and the County to protect our communities. This includes demanding regulatory action at
    the federal level to improve rail safety and prevent such a catastrophe from happening in the first
    place. At the local level, the County has plans in place to respond to these types of emergencies
    and stands ready to implement them.

    As a clarification, the multi-jurisdictional plan referenced in your letter and the associated
    request for hazardous materials locations is a plan created for natural disasters and not for
    derailment or transportation incidents. The inventorying of hazardous materials within each
    municipality is to ensure that we have a clear picture of how those areas would be impacted
    during a natural disaster. For example, in an area prone to flooding during hurricane events, it is
    vital that we know what materials are in that zone and have the potential for additional impacts,
    environmental or otherwise, so that protective measures can be taken in advance of a natural
    disaster. With regard to rail shipments of hazardous materials, we are requesting that federal
    authorities notify the County government when such materials are scheduled to be transported
    through our communities.

    The Ulster County Department of Emergency Services has a well-established hazardous


    material response plan in place in conjunction with local first responders. The response
    procedure involves determining objectives and response strategies, ensuring joint planning and
    application of tactical activities, and undertaking integrated planning and application of
    operational requirements, including emergency protective measures, containment, safety and
    security, and public information. Emergency service personnel at all levels are called upon to
    assist in the response operation, including industry representatives, private contractors, volunteer
    organizations, and State and Federal partners, such as the NYS Department of Environmental
    Conservation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

    Further, in response to Executive Order 125 issued by the State in 2014 regarding crude
    oil movement across New York State, Ulster County created Geographic Response Plans
    (GRPs). GRPs are map-based, location-specific incident plans that provide guidance to first
    responders to maintain situational awareness during the initial stages of incidents involving the
    transportation of crude oil and other hazardous substances. These are reviewed on a yearly basis
    with local first responders, with the most recent review at the beginning of this month.

    I would also like to highlight the work of the County Hazmat Response Team, in which
    Ulster County coordinates with the City of Kingston Fire Department to provide hazardous
    materials response throughout Ulster County. The team is composed of highly trained hazardous
    materials technicians and advanced hazardous materials technicians and is at the ready 24/7 to
    respond to incidents throughout the County as part of a shared services agreement between the
    County and the City of Kingston.

    Finally, it is important to note that while the Ohio derailment disaster has elevated public
    awareness of the dangers of train derailments involving hazardous materials, Ulster County has
    been preparing for such incidents for some time. The Ulster County Department of Emergency
    Services hosted an AWR 147 Rail Car Incident Response Training the first week of February
    2023, and I am pleased to report two 8-hour trainings were held, one each in the Town of Ulster
    and the Town of Marlborough, and were well-attended by over 60 first responders from
    municipalities across the county. This awareness-level course is designed to increase the
    knowledge of first responders in recognizing and characterizing the different types of rail cars,
    potential leaks, and courses of action to be taken based on initial site assessment.

    I appreciate your desire to have a greater understanding of the plans that have been
    created by and with your first responders and fire chiefs. To that end, I invite you to join us for
    an educational round table forum with representatives of your respective Fire Departments in
    jurisdictions with rail corridors in the municipality. We will be reaching out with details about
    this forum soon.

    The Ohio train derailment points to the need for federal regulators to double down on
    regulatory efforts to prevent these types of accidents from happening in the first place by holding
    companies to stronger standards when it comes to train equipment and maintenance, as well as
    track repair in Ulster County and elsewhere, among other preventive actions. We are preparing a
    letter to the National Transportation Security Board, Federal Railway Administration, Pipeline
    and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, and our Congressional representatives urging
    that tougher regulatory standards be put in place to prevent disasters like this from occurring in
    the future, and we will invite you to sign on to this letter.
    I look forward to our continued work together to protect the health and safety of our
    Ulster County residents. We will be reaching out to you soon about the time and location of the
    educational roundtable. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call
    me.

    Sincerely,

    Jen Metzger
    Ulster County Executive

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