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HomeMy WebLinkAboutLEPC Minutes 11-08-2023/ Minutes – November 8, 2023 New Hanover County EOC Attendees Name Business Name Business  Stephen Alexander SR&R Environmental, Inc. Phil Misklow Stephan  Caress Clegg NHC Debra Nagle NHC Emergency Management  Heidi Cox NC Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources Rhonda Olson UNC Wilmington  John Dittmar NC State Ports Authority Steve Pfaff National Weather Service (Guest Speaker)  Andrew Dwyer American Red Cross James O’Reilly American Red Cross  Jason Fuller NHC Emergency Management Joshua Schieffer Duke Energy  Heather Griffin New Hanover Regional Medical Center Holden Shepard Cape Fear Public Utility Authority  Allen Hancock NC Dept. of Transportation John B. Smith American Red Cross  Craig Harris City of Wilmington Ron Stancil Sturdy Corporation  Audrey Hart NHC Emergency Management John Stephenson City of Wilmington Fire Department  Stan Harts Alcami Corporation; LEPC Vice-Chair David Store NHC Fire  Greyson Jackson NC DOT Jeff Suggs NHC Health Department  Tina Kuhr GE Hitachi; LEPC Secretary Michael Thompson American Red Cross  Bill MacKay NHC Emergency Management Mark Venters GE Hitachi/Global Nuclear Fuels  Frank Meyer NHC Fire & Rescue Linda Willis NC Dept of Natural Resources  Josh Meyer NC Ports Carol Yates Corning   Welcome and Introductions The meeting was called to order by Stan Harts, LEPC Vice Chair, at 11:02 AM. Stan announced that Billy Howard was no longer employed by Novant Health and was no longer serving as LEPC Chair, so he would be chairing the meeting. LEPC Members present introduced themselves. Review and Approval of September 13, 2023, LEPC Meeting Minutes The minutes of the July 12, 2023, meeting were passed out. Mark Venters moved that the minutes be approved; Frank Meyer seconded the motion. The minutes were approved by unanimous consent. Discussion Topics NC Tier II Competitive Grant (2023) - Debra Nagle reviewed the grant status. The county received a $24,000 grant for the LEPC for hazardous materials emergency response planning, training, and exercises. This grant is valid through January 2024. The LEPC is planning a one day workshop for Thursday, January 11, 2024. The state has agreed that the grant can cover food for a conference, as well as transportation and lodging for speakers at the government rate. We have spent $475 of the grant for hazardous materials training books that were given out at the meeting. The contract with Aloft for the Coastline Center is in progress. The budget will cover 150 people including food and parking or 200 people with no parking, enrollment will be the deciding factor. Invitations will be sent to people on the LEPC email distribution list as well as Tier II reporters and public safety agencies in New Hanover and nearby counties. Presentations planned include an overview of the E-Plan software used for Tier II reporting, information about the State of North Carolina HAZMAT program, and how responders use Tier II information during events. A draft agenda was provided for review. The day will consist of several shorter (about 45 minutes) sessions with great deal of variety. Debra will be reaching out to LEPC attendees as well as Tier II reporters with a save the date email. A formal registration communication will follow later. Please let NHC EM know if you plan to attend, as registration will be made available on TERMS closer to the conference. National Weather Service – 2023 Hurricane Season to 2023-2024 Winter Weather Outlook – Steve Pfaff, National Weather Service, made a presentation. The 2023 Hurricane to date included 19 named storms, 12 Tropical Storms, seven Hurricanes, and three Major Hurricanes. Two tropical Storms, Idalia and Ophelia, impacted the Cape Fear area. Other storms brought rip currents to the area. The impact of climate change and sea level rise has resulted in an increasing number of coastal flood advisories, a primer for storm surge impacts. Also, the warmer atmosphere allows for increased rain fall, leading to more catastrophic floods and more intense hurricanes. The NWS recommends preparations be made for one level of impact higher than projected, due to uncertainties in forecasts. El Niño will impact winter weather this year. This tends to bring more Nor’easters to the southeast. Typically, El Nino winters are wetter than usual. They are projecting equal chances of above or below normal temperatures for the Cape Fear region. Other parts of North Carolina may be slightly warmer than average. Depending upon the subtropical jet, Southeastern North Carolina may have more cloudy and wet weather, with lower than normal temperatures. Winter weather (freezing rain, sleet, and snow) can result in injuries from slips, trips, and falls, as well as traffic accidents. Freezing rain or heavy snow can bring down trees and powerlines, leading to power outages. The use of heaters and generators brings the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, and utilization of heaters and candles increases the danger of fires. Steve reviewed some notable winter storms in the Carolinas: Sleet on January 28-29, 2014, and record snowfall December 22-24, 1989. He encouraged us to become Weather Ready Nation Ambassadors at our workplaces. Officer Elections for 2024 Bill MacKay reported that the following persons had been nominated by the membership: Chair – Stan Harts Vice Chair – Phil Misklow Secretary – Rhonda Olson The group was asked if there were additional nominations from the floor. Receiving none, Tina Kuhr moved that the slate be accepted by acclimation. The members present thanked Tina for her service as LEPC Secretary. Member Announcements Mark Venters stated that GE had their evaluated exercise on October 4. He thanked New Hanover County Emergency Management, Wilmington Fire Department, New Hanover County Fire & Rescue, and Novant Health EMS for their support. Heather Griffin reported that Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center passed their MS-1 drill on October 4. Wilmington Airport had an exercise on October 28. The Red Cross supported the reunification center and family services at the Aloft hotel as part of the exercise. Corning will be planning in 2024 for a tabletop exercise in 2025 and will need support from the LEPC and governmental agencies. Cape Fear Public Utilities Authority is redoing their exercise plan. Next Meeting The next LEPC meeting is scheduled for 11:00 AM on January 10, 2024, at the New Hanover County EOC. Forward suggestions for topics or meal sponsorship to the Executive Committee. Adjournment Frank Meyer made a motion to adjourn, which was seconded by Drew Dwyer. The meeting adjourned at 12:02 PM. Lunch was provided after the meeting by SR&R Environmental.