Agricultural Disaster Preparedness

Jeff WilliamsDeputy Emergency Management Dir.

Town of Groton, CT

Preparing for "all-hazards" requires knowing your risks and developing emergency plans to use during and after the situation. These efforts will help to minimize the impact on your farm as well as your operation.

http://ReadyAg.psu.edu

General Question Worksheet: All operations should fill this worksheet out regardless of commodity.

Four Sections:- Facilities and MaterialsIncludes things like access roads, water access, and equipment.

- PeopleFamily/Employee training; Application screening; visitor policy.

- Planning and PracticesCurrent Plans? Computer data backup? Insurance?

- Review and UpdateDo you review and update annually? How often do you conduct training or exercise your plans?

Crops Worksheet: Same four sections as the General worksheet except questions deal with commodity location, maintenance and security.

Questions like where your fertilizer is kept, are employees trained on proper operation of fertilizer spreading equipment, and what kinds of fertilizer chemicals are kept on your farm and where.

Incident Action Plan:

- Compile a list of the questions of “High” PRIORITY that have been answered with a “Not Done”. Place these questions marked as “High” PRIORITY at the top of an action item list, and those questions marked with “Low” PRIORITY at lower rank on the action plan list.

- Decide upon a realistic timeframe to address the “High” PRIORITY items. Factors to consider include the cost of addressing or solving the “High” PRIORITY items, and the time necessary to actually make the changes. Be realistic, but don’t delay addressing these items.

- Review the “High” PRIORITY items one-by-one and take the necessary steps needed to change the STATUS from “Not Done” to “Done” for that item. The more items that you honestly can answer, “Done”, the stronger your plan and the better your chances are to stay in business after any disaster.

Note: If you fill the worksheets out online, the Action Plan will be filled out for you and you can then print it out.

SARA Title III compels facilities with hazardous chemicals on premise, above certain thresholds, to submit Emergency and Hazardous Chemical Inventory Forms, or Tier II Reports, on an annual basis to the state as well as local agencies tasked with emergency planning and response.

HOWEVER

Agricultural use exemption and fuels

The exemption for routine agricultural use under Sections 311 and 312 is designed to eliminate the reporting of fertilizers, pesticides, and other chemical substances when applied, administered, or otherwise used as part of routine agricultural activities (October 15, 1987, 52 FR 38344). In other words, the agricultural exemption is intended primarily to cover hazardous chemicals used or stored at the farm facility. The term “agricultural” is a broad term encompassing a wide range of growing operations, farms, nurseries and other horticultural operations (52 FR 38344).

Not necessarily a good thing.

SUMMARY

You can never be totally without risks, or potential threats. However, by using the information we’ve discussed today, and identifying specific areas of your agricultural operation that can be changed to reduce your level of risk or potential threats, you will increase your ability to stay in business during and after a disaster.

QUESTIONS?