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The City of New Orleans

Hazards

Hazardous Materials Spills/Contamination

Definition

Hazardous materials come in the form of explosives, flammable and combustible substances, poisons, and radioactive materials, airborne carcinogens, and industrial/petrochemical byproducts. These substances are most often released as a result of transportation accidents or because of chemical accidents in plants.

Hazardous materials in various forms can cause death, serious injury, long-lasting health impacts, and damage to buildings, homes, and other property. Many products containing hazardous chemicals are used and stored in homes routinely. These products are also shipped daily on the nation's highways, railroads, waterways, and pipelines. This section focuses on incidents that relate to sudden hazardous material releases that occur at facilities and along transportation routes.  

Location and Extent of the Hazardous Materials Spills/Contamination Hazard

New Orleans faces the threat of a hazardous material spill/accident from a variety of sources. The Parish has many facilities that use or store toxic chemicals.  A leak at one of these facilities could cause health problems for residents, property damage, and economic losses due to downtime at businesses that are evacuated.

New Orleans also faces threats from chemicals transported through the City on highways, railways, and waterways. Interstate 10, a major east-west corridor, runs through New Orleans.  Because of its proximity to several major ports (including Jacksonville, New Orleans, and Houston), I-10 serves as a major transportation route for many freight trucks. Six major freight rail companies operate in the New Orleans area, including Illinois Central, CSX, Norfolk Southern, Kansas City Southern, BNSF, and Union Pacific. Many toxic chemicals are transported by rail through New Orleans routinely. The area is also home to several of the nation’s largest petrochemical refineries, which process and ship vast quantities of hazardous materials on a daily basis.

New Orleans also has an extensive system of navigable waterways, including the Mississippi River and the Industrial Canal. Also, because of the many modes of transportation that can be found in New Orleans, there is reason to believe that chemicals are traveling on the City’s streets as part of the intermodal transportation of these products.

The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986 requires certain facilities, known as Tier II facilities, to submit reports detailing the type and amount of certain chemicals to the State Emergency Response Commission, the Local Emergency Planning Committee, and the local fire department.  Table 40 shows the location of TRI facilities in New Orleans. 

As of 1999, companies of all sizes that use certain flammable and toxic substances are required to submit a Risk Management Plan (RMP) to the EPA.  Each RMP must include a description of the “worst-case” scenario for the facility. Due to security concerns following September 11, 2001, these reports are not readily available. However, the extent of the damage from a chemical accident will depend on factors that cannot be predicted: the specific chemical involved in the accident, the amount of chemicals involved, and the meteorological conditions at the time of the accident. Furthermore, the effects of a chemical spill will vary depending on which chemical is involved and which environmental medium the chemical is emitted into (i.e., land, air, water, or underground injection).

Toxic Releases

The US EPA maintains the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) database. This contains information reported annually by some industry groups as well as federal facilities. Each year, companies across a wide range of industries (including chemical, mining, paper, oil, and gas industries) that produce more than 25,000 pounds or handle more than 10,000 pounds of a listed toxic chemical must report it to the TRI. As of 2018, New Orleans had the following four TRI facilities.

Table 40: TRI Facilities in New Orleans
Facility Address Chemical Released Total Onsite Releases Total Offsite Transfers
Us Gypsum Co 5701 Lewis Road, New Orleans, LA 70126 Lead Compounds 0 83
Air Products & Chemicals, Inc. 14700 Intracoastal Dr, New Orleans, LA 70129 Methanol 7,940 0

Source: EPA TRI Database, 2019

The vulnerability of New Orleans to chemical accidents along transportation routes is more difficult to gauge because hazardous chemicals are not located at a fixed site and because many different chemicals are transported through New Orleans. A recent study analyzed the potential effects of a chemical leak along the southern Mississippi River rail corridors using the Area Locations of Hazardous Atmospheres (ALOHA) model available from the EPA.  The researchers modeled two leaks from a railcar, a large breach, and a small hole for five different meteorological conditions.  Simulations were run on 46 “extremely hazardous substances,” as defined by the EPA that are transported along the Mississippi River corridor.  The researchers identified vulnerability zones for each chemical under each set of meteorological conditions.  A vulnerability zone is defined as the “total area where any time following an accident, the concentration of a given chemical meets or exceeds the level which is “Immediately Dangerous to Life and health.” The results of the model showed that 15 chemicals that are transported along rail lines in the region have vulnerability zones of less than one mile, six chemicals have vulnerability zones of between one mile and fewer than six miles, and five chemicals have vulnerability zones of six miles or more under some conditions.

Severity of the Hazardous Materials Spills/Contamination Hazard

The severity of a hazardous material release relates primarily to its impact on human safety and welfare and on the threat to the environment.

The Threat to Human Safety and Welfare

  • Poisoning of water or food sources and/or supply
  • Introduction and dispersion of airborne toxins and irritants
  • Presence of toxic fumes or explosive conditions
  • Damage to personal property
  • Need for the evacuation of people
  • Interference with public or commercial transportation

The Threat to the Environment

  • Injury or loss of animals or plants or habitats that are of economic or ecological importance, such as commercial, recreational, or subsistence fisheries (marine plants, crustaceans, shellfish, aquaculture facilities) or livestock; seal haul-outs; and marine bird rookeries
  • Direct damage and contamination of private property
  • Impact on recreational areas such as public beaches
  • Impact to ecological reserves, forests, parks, and archaeological and cultural sites

One method of classifying incident severity is by ranking from 1 to 4, with a Level 1 incident considered minor, a Level 2 moderate, a Level 3 major, and a Level 4 severe. Thresholds depend on the type of incident and hazards. Incidents categorized as minor or moderate are often associated with known hazardous materials and limited in the area impacted. Incidents categorized as major or severe are typically associated with a fire, explosion, or toxic cloud that impacts a large area, possibly disrupting essential services. Events of this magnitude present an immediate danger to the public, potentially causing deaths and injuries and may require the evacuation of large numbers of the population. Emergency response by local agencies will require assistance from outside resources to adequately respond to the incident.

Occurrences of the Hazardous Materials Spills/Contamination Hazard

Like most cities its size, New Orleans has a history of small chemical spills and accidents. The New Orleans Fire Department (NOFD) HazMat unit responds to all hazardous materials calls, whether from a fixed-site or on a transportation route. Table 41 details the number of fixed site and transportation incidents responded to by the New Orleans Fire Department between 2015 and 2019.

Table 41: Number of Transportation & Fixed Site Incidents Per Year in Orleans Parish, 2015-2019
HazMat Category 2015-2019
Fixed Sites 4,214
Transportation 667
Grand Total 427

Source: New Orleans Fire Department HazMat Unit

The data in Table 42 below breaks down hazardous materials incidents in Orleans Parish by Transportation category. 

Table 42: Number of Transportation Incidents Per Year in New Orleans, 2015-2019
Incident Type 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Total
Highway 146 111 77 47 46 427
Railroad 22 16 12 0 10 60
Wharf/Vessel           0
Airport/Aircraft 40 28 49 27 36 180
Grand Total 208 155 138 74 92 667

Source: New Orleans Fire Department HazMat Unit

 

Table 43: Number of Fixed Site Incidents per Year in New Orleans, 2015-2019
Incident Type 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Total
Explosions (no fire), other            
Hazardous Condition, other 192 167 119 0 2 480
Flammable gas or liquid condition, other 36 31 21 23 21 132
Gasoline or other flammable liquid spill 189 151 191 108 141 780
Gas leak (natural gas or LPG) 268 266 264 226 263 1287
Oil or other combustible liquid spill 245 236 197 151 137 966
Toxic condition, other 1 0 3 4 12 20
Chemical hazard (no spill or leak) 7 1 8 4 5 25
Chemical spill or leak 10 15 10 5 12 52
Carbon monoxide incident 27 40 24 15 24 130
Radioactive condition, other 0 0 1 0 0 1
Radiation leak, radioactive material 0 0 1 0 0 1
Biological hazard, confirmed or suspected 16 9 43 68 73 209
Incident Type 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Total
Building or structure weakened or collapsed 20 22 17 23 18 100
Explosive, bomb removal 2 2 2 1 0 7
Hazmat release investigation with no hazmat 0 0 0 0 2 2
Bomb scare, no bomb 5 6 5 5 1 22
Fumigations            
Grand Total 1018 946 906 633 711 4214

Source: New Orleans Fire Department HazMat Unit

The statistical probability of a hazmat spill or contamination annually somewhere in New Orleans is 100%. However, the extent and severity are highly variable, and as a practical matter, impossible to predict except very generally. Although not included in the HazMat data reported in the tables above, the City of New Orleans has experienced at least one major chemical spill. In 1987, a railcar filled with butadiene spilled, ignited, and exploded in a Gentilly neighborhood.  A total of 19,000 residents were evacuated from their homes for 3 days as the fire burned. No one was killed in the incident, but many residents complained of respiratory ailments and other health problems.

Spills and Contamination Related to Hurricane Katrina

As previously described in detail within several of the hazard sections (Flood, Hurricanes and Tropical Storms, Storm Surge, Levee Failure), in addition to the direct structural damages from Katrina’s floodwater, contamination was a significant problem after the event.  Floodwater within the City of New Orleans and surrounding areas was contaminated from a variety of sources, including leaking oil and gas from automobiles, rotting animal carcasses, leaking appliances, raw sewage, and household and commercial chemicals.

Throughout the flooded areas of New Orleans, contamination occurred from the flooding of potential sources of toxic chemicals such as hydrocarbon fuel storage, distribution facilities, and commercial chemical storage.

Contamination was also caused when floods affected several extensive chemical and petroleum production facilities operating in and around New Orleans and old contaminated sites that have undergone or were currently undergoing remediation at the time of the disaster.

The July 2006 Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf Coast, Mitigation Assessment Team (MAT) Report (FEMA 549) studied the effects of long-term flood impacts on contamination. Through the study of floodwater, sediment, and air samples, the Mitigation Assessment Team made detailed their findings in chapter eight of the report. A link to this full chapter is included in the footnote below.[1]

In addition to the possible contamination from the fixed sites described above, a study completed in 2009 by the University of Texas titled Hurricane Katrina: Environmental and Engineering Concerns identified numerous possible contaminants released into the floodwater of Katrina.

Hundreds of commercial establishments, such as service stations, pest control businesses, and dry cleaners, use potentially hazardous chemicals that may have been released into the environment by the floodwater. The potential sources of toxins and environmental contaminants included metal-contaminated soils typical of old urban areas and construction lumber preserved with creosote, pentachlorophenol, and arsenic. Compounding these concerns is the presence of hazardous chemicals commonly stored in households and the fuel and motor oil in approximately 400,000 flooded automobiles. Uncontrolled biological wastes from both human and animal sources also contributed to the pollutant burden in the City.

Hazard Impacts

Impact on Life and Property

Hazardous material incidents (fixed sites) refer to uncontrollable releases of hazardous materials at a facility that pose a risk to the health, safety, property, and the environment (MSP/EMD). The most well-known example of a large-scale fixed-site hazardous material incident is that which occurred at the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, India, in 1984. This incident caused 2,500 deaths and injuries to many others. Although events of this scale are relatively rare, smaller-scale incidents - those requiring a response and evacuation or other protective measures - are relatively common. Table 44 below illustrates the relatively small number of Hazardous Material-related incidents that led to a Presidential Disaster Declaration.

Table 44: Hazmat Related Federal Disaster Declarations, 1953-2019
DR-Number Declared State Description
3375 1/16/2016 Michigan Contaminated Water
3366 1/10/2014 West Virginia Chemical Spills
3094 09/16/1992 Rhode Island Water Contamination
3092 09/04/1987 Wyoming Methane Gas Seepage
636 03/17/1981 Kentucky Sewer Explosion, Toxic Waste
3080 05/21/1980 New York Chemical Waste, Love Canal
3066 08/07/1978 New York Chemical Waste, Love Canal
139 11/05/1962 Louisiana Chlorine Barge Accident
135 10/10/1962 Mississippi Chlorine Barge Accident

Source: FEMA

The declared incident in Louisiana occurred in 1962, about 125 miles from New Orleans, after a barge carrying 2.2 million pounds of liquid chlorine sank while being pushed in the Mississippi River near Vidalia, Louisiana. After the incident, the Federal Government studied the risk posed by such a substantial load of chlorine at the bottom of the Mississippi River. 

The study concluded that if any lethal chlorine gas escaped from the barge, it could potentially result in a large number of casualties. In November 1962, a Presidential Disaster Declaration (DR-139) was declared, and the barge was eventually raised safely.

Although there is clearly some vulnerability to widespread contamination during significant flood events in New Orleans, vulnerability to hazardous materials spills and contamination is most often site- and material-specific. Thus, as a practical matter, it is impossible to characterize the vulnerability of the entire Parish as associated with spills or releases from events unrelated to major disasters or floods. In most cases, vulnerability is a function of the proximity to the spill or air release event, as well as the type of material involved. Vulnerability is increased with proximity to hazmat transportation routes (including water routes) and by being downwind of areas where air releases are likely.

Impact on the Environment

While New Orleans is not located directly on the Gulf of Mexico, New Orleans Parish, Lake Pontchartrain, and the Mississippi are directly affected by the Gulf of Mexico water. Water flows in and out of Lake Pontchartrain in an area known as the East Orleans Land Bridge via either the Rigolets or the Chef Menteur Pass - both located on the far east end of the lake and via the Mississippi River. Preservation of Orleans Parish water is vital to the quality of life for Orleans Parish residents both recreationally as well as economically via water-related tourism and the fishing industry. Commercial fishing in Orleans Parish brings approximately $1,500,000 into the Parish economy every year; this represents dockside values, not the seafood in local restaurants. The overall economic impact is several times this. Commercial fishing includes (but is not limited to) shrimp, crab, and oysters. Recreational fishing is common in Orleans Parish water as well. The Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge is located in eastern Orleans Parish at the south end of the Lake Pontchartrain Sanctuary, and Fort Pike State Park is found at its north end. According to the U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service, “Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge” was established in 1990. Its 24,293 acres of fresh and brackish marshes, all within the city limits of New Orleans, make it the nation's largest urban wildlife refuge. Bayou Sauvage is only 15 minutes from the French Quarter. Most of the refuge is inside massive hurricane protection levees, built to hold back storm surges and maintain water levels in the low-lying city.”

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded, killing 11 people and leaking oil into the Gulf of Mexico.  An April 27, 2010, Times-Picayune newspaper article stated: “Advocates for preserving Louisiana's battered coastal ecosystem are sometimes accused of hyperbole in assessing its diversity and productivity. But that criticism may end after the list of species coastal scientists said are threatened by the oil spill moving toward the coast reached more than 400.109   From whales and tuna to shrimp and neo-tropical songbirds, the array of life that depends on the clean Gulf of Mexico and functioning coastal estuaries can stun even those who make a living studying the area. The economic impacts of the oil spill are still being determined.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service states:

An enormous wading bird rookery can be found in the swamps of the refuge from May until July, while tens of thousands of waterfowl winter in its bountiful marshes. The refuge contains a variety of different habitats, including freshwater and brackish marshes, bottomland hardwood forests, lagoons, canals, borrow pits, chenieres (former beach fronts), and natural bayous. The marshes along Lakes Pontchartrain and Borgne serve as estuarine nurseries for various fish species, crabs, and shrimp. Freshwater lagoons, bayous, and ponds serve as production areas for largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, and catfish. The diverse habitats meet the needs of 340 bird species during various seasons of the year. Peak waterfowl populations of 75,000 use the wetland areas during the fall, winter, and early spring months.

While shrimp are primarily taken in the Gulf, they are also harvested in Lake Pontchartrain and the surrounding wetlands and brought into stations within the Parish.


[1] FEMA. (2006, July). FEMA 549: Chapter 8: Overview of Hurricane Katrina in the New Orleans Area.

Relevant Actions

Hazard:
Hazardous Materials
Goal:
Goal 2: Reduce risk and vulnerability to the built environment including current and future structures; critical facilities; historic structures; and infrastructure, including communications infrastructure.
Status:
Timeframe:
5-10 years
Priority:
Low
2015 Priority:
Low
Lead Agencies:
CNO (Sanitation)
Support Agencies:
Cost:
Unknown
Funding source:
FEMA, EPA
Emergency Support Function:
ESF 10

Comment on this action item

Hazard:
Flooding, Tornadoes, Tropical Cyclones, Severe Thunderstorms, Extreme Heat, Subsidence, Winter Weather, Coastal Erosion, Infectious Disease Outbreak, Active Threats, Infrastructure Failure, Hazardous Materials, Economic Shock
Goal:
Goal 4: Maximize the involvement of individuals, businesses, and groups in risk reduction measures through education/outreach on hazard mitigation appropriate to all groups, particularly vulnerable populations.
Status:
Timeframe:
3-5 years
Priority:
Medium
2015 Priority:
N/A
Lead Agencies:
CNO (Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness)
Support Agencies:
Cost:
City Staff Time, Contract Labor
Funding source:
City capital bond funds, GOMESA, CDBG, CDBG-NDR, Sewerage and Water Board, State capital outlay, FHWA, FEMA-HMGP, US Army Corps of Engineers, FEMA
Emergency Support Function:
ESF 1, ESF 3

Comment on this action item

Hazard:
Hazardous Materials
Goal:
Goal 4: Maximize the involvement of individuals, businesses, and groups in risk reduction measures through education/outreach on hazard mitigation appropriate to all groups, particularly vulnerable populations.
Status:
Timeframe:
1-2 years
Priority:
Medium
2015 Priority:
N/A
Lead Agencies:
CNO (Department of Sanitation, Office of Resilience and Sustainability)
Support Agencies:
Cost:
City Staff Time and Disposal
Funding source:
CNO General Fund, State and Federal Grants
Emergency Support Function:
ESF 10, ESF 8 .1

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Hazard:
Flooding, Storm Surge, Tornadoes, Tropical Cyclones, Severe Thunderstorms, Extreme Heat, Subsidence, Winter Weather, Coastal Erosion, Infectious Disease Outbreak, Active Threats, Infrastructure Failure, Hazardous Materials, Economic Shock
Goal:
Goal 4: Maximize the involvement of individuals, businesses, and groups in risk reduction measures through education/outreach on hazard mitigation appropriate to all groups, particularly vulnerable populations.
Status:
Timeframe:
1-5 years
Priority:
High
2015 Priority:
N/A
Lead Agencies:
CNO (Office of Resilience & Sustainability)
Support Agencies:
Cost:
City Staff Time
Funding source:
CNO General Fund, State and Federal Grants, Philanthropic Grants
Emergency Support Function:
ESF 15

Comment on this action item

Hazard:
Flooding, Tornadoes, Tropical Cyclones, Severe Thunderstorms, Extreme Heat, Subsidence, Winter Weather, Coastal Erosion, Infectious Disease Outbreak, Active Threats, Infrastructure Failure, Hazardous Materials, Economic Shock
Goal:
Goal 4: Maximize the involvement of individuals, businesses, and groups in risk reduction measures through education/outreach on hazard mitigation appropriate to all groups, particularly vulnerable populations.
Status:
Timeframe:
1-5 years
Priority:
Medium
2015 Priority:
N/A
Lead Agencies:
CNO (Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness)
Support Agencies:
Cost:
City Staff Time
Funding source:
State and Federal Grants
Emergency Support Function:
ESF 5, ESF 7

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Hazard:
Hazardous Materials
Goal:
Goal 5: To promote, implement, and sustain mitigation measures in Orleans Parish in order to reduce and manage risks to human life, the environment, and property.
Status:
Timeframe:
1-2 years
Priority:
Medium
2015 Priority:
N/A
Lead Agencies:
CNO (Office of Resilience & Sustainability, Sanitation)
Support Agencies:
Cost:
City Staff Time
Funding source:
CNO General Fund, State and Federal Grants, Philanthropic Grants
Emergency Support Function:
ESF 5, ESF 11

Comment on this action item

Hazard:
Flooding, Tornadoes, Tropical Cyclones, Severe Thunderstorms, Extreme Heat, Subsidence, Winter Weather, Coastal Erosion, Infectious Disease Outbreak, Active Threats, Infrastructure Failure, Hazardous Materials, Economic Shock
Goal:
Goal 6: To protect Orleans Parish and the surrounding region from the effects of natural and manmade hazards, ensuring community continuity in the event of such hazards.
Status:
Timeframe:
3-5 years
Priority:
Medium
2015 Priority:
N/A
Lead Agencies:
CNO (Office of Resilience & Sustainability, Neighborhood Engagement Office)
Support Agencies:
Cost:
City Staff Time
Funding source:
CNO General Fund, State and Federal Grants, Philanthropic Grants
Emergency Support Function:
ESF 7, ESF 14

Comment on this action item

Hazard:
Flooding, Tornadoes, Tropical Cyclones, Severe Thunderstorms, Extreme Heat, Subsidence, Winter Weather, Coastal Erosion, Infectious Disease Outbreak, Active Threats, Infrastructure Failure, Hazardous Materials, Economic Shock
Goal:
Goal 6: To protect Orleans Parish and the surrounding region from the effects of natural and manmade hazards, ensuring community continuity in the event of such hazards.
Status:
Timeframe:
1-5 years
Priority:
Medium
2015 Priority:
Lead Agencies:
HANO
Support Agencies:
Cost:
TBD
Funding source:
TBD
Emergency Support Function:

Comment on this action item

Hazard:
All
Goal:
Goal 2: Reduce risk and vulnerability to the built environment including current and future structures; critical facilities; historic structures; and infrastructure, including communications infrastructure.
Status:
Timeframe:
TBD
Priority:
Medium
2015 Priority:
N/A
Lead Agencies:
SWBNO Emergency Mgmt
Support Agencies:
Cost:
21000000
Funding source:
PDM/SWBNO
Emergency Support Function:
ESF 6

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