1. Coordinated Spill Response Program
City of Corpus Christi
Welcome slide:
Thank you for attending the presentation of the City of Corpus Christi’s Coordinated Spill Response Program.

2. KORI ELLIEN
PROJECT MANAGER-ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
City of Corpus Christi
Utilities-Treatment
(361)

3. Municipal Separate STORM Sewer system (ms4)
Permit Type: Phase I MS4
Issuing Authority: TCEQ
Texas Pollution Discharge Elimination System (TPDES) MS4 Permit: No. WQ
Receiving Waters:
Corpus Christi Bay
Nueces Bay
Nueces River
Oso Creek
Oso Bay
Laguna Madre
Gulf of Mexico

4. City of Corpus Christi: Stormwater Infrastructure Metrics 02/2018
Number of Inlets: 18,228
Number of Outfalls: 2364
Miles of Active Stormwater Mains-Underground: 636.4
Miles of Stormwater Mains Under Construction: 21.4
Miles of TxDOT Stormwater Mains: 95.3
Miles of Concrete Ditch: 22.4
Miles of Main Earthen Ditch: 66.4

5. Back story
In 2016, the city of corpus Christi was audited by the Texas commission on environmental quality (tceq) for compliance with the municipal separate storm sewer system (ms4) permit. The inspector identified a discrepancy in the number of spills reported by the emergency dispatch group and the environmental quality group. Upon further evaluation, the stormwater team identified the root cause.

6. Corrective action:
The City of Corpus Christi Coordinated Spill Response Program (CSRP) was developed in 2017 to correct a gap in spill response as recognized by the City of Corpus Christi Utilities Treatment- Stormwater team.
The CSRP is a cooperative effort between The City of Corpus Christi Stormwater Team, Police Department and Fire Department.

7. The problem
Prior to the program implementation, spill response to minor vehicle accidents lacked remediation; emergency response crews applied absorbent to spills and left the scene. Upon further evaluation, the Stormwater team discovered that emergency crews thought someone was coming behind them after they cleared the scene to remove and dispose of the absorbent. This thought process occurred for years resulting in motor vehicle fluids and absorbent material from minor vehicle crashes being washed directly into the receiving waters through the stormwater system.
Vehicle accident Pollution introduction to ms4
Absorbent
Motor vehicle fluids
Crash debris

8. Strategic implementation
Identify key players
Define non-negotiables
Organizational alignment
Change culture
Measure effort
Visible proponents

9. Key players: Roles and Responsibility
Hazmat team
Hazard identification; liaison
Stormwater Environmental quality
Environmental spill response and remediation
Ensure proper disposal
enforcement
Dispatch
Central communicator for all teams
Fire department
Second on scene
Pollution mitigation: Dam, dike, divert or sorbent application
Police Department
First on scene; Notifies dispatch of spill
Traffic control

10. Non-negotiables effectively utilize current staff
cannot impede current response time
Minimal change to response procedures imperative
cost effective
sustainable
Clear rules and responsibilities

11. Organizational alignment
Identify concerns for all involved
Identify clear objective
Develop response strategy

12. Change culture Change attitude Increase awareness
Coordinated Training for pollution prevention
First responders
City wide facilities
Hazmat
Environmental quality
Facility personnel
Demonstrate program effectiveness

13. Measurable efforts Program Justification
Quantifying the benefit of proper response for any spill
Number of motor vehicle accidents resulting in loss of fluid other than water
Approximate gallons of motor vehicle fluids recovered
Approximate lbs of sorbent and debris recovered

14. Visible proponents Creating a standard that will be adhered to
Police chief
Fire chief
Environmental services superintendent
Risk management manager

15. Key elements Communication Fire Department Police Department Utilities
Hazmat Team
Water Quality Improvements
Capturing majority of petroleum based pollutants from minor motor vehicle accidents
Capturing majority of motor vehicle debris

16. Program implementation
Date of implementation: July 27, 2017
November 1, October 31, 2015:
Total spill Responses: 56
Average Per Year: 8
November 1, 2016-October 31, 2017:
Total spill responses Prior to Program Implementation: 25
Total spill responses After Program Implementation: 119
Percent Increase: 376%
November 1, may 10, 2018:
Total spill Responses: 133

17. Program success
The CSRP corrected all spill response gap with minimal change to response procedures.
Police dispatch operators
notify the stormwater Environmental Quality Specialist (EQS) team for each crash resulting in a spill of liquid other than water
police department controls traffic until scene is cleared by all parties
fire department sweeps the absorbent to the curb for pickup rather than leaving the absorbent material on the roadway
Environmental Quality team collects all absorbent for proper disposal.
Responses to incidents occurring during off-duty hours are prioritized according to severity and chance of precipitation.

18. Csrp: effectively awesome
Estimated Motor Vehicle Fluids Recovered Since Implementation: 528 gal
Estimated Absorbent Recovered Since Implementation: 20,086 lbs
based on current estimates, The CSRP is expected to prevent approximately gallons of motor vehicle fluid and 26,978 pounds of absorbent material from entering the receiving waters in 2018

19. Now, for some pictures…

20. RESPONSE BEFORE CSRP: PROACTIVE

23. RESPONSE AFTER CRSP

25. QUESTIONS?
KORI ELLIEN PROJECT MANAGER-ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI UTILITIES-TREATMENT (361)