Level III: For large vehicular spills
(tanker spill, blood-borne pathogens, etc.),
Level III (Heavy Duty) requirements will
be necessary to ensure tow truck driver
safety.
Response Management
and Clean-up Regulations
The regulations dealing with response
management, including handling, report-
ing, and mitigation procedures of haz-
ardous spills, are founded in a number of
federal statues rather than just one
source. It is important, especially for
responders in charge, to know the origin
of the various requirements, including the
mandated reporting procedures and
ensure the proper implementation.
In the U.S., the response to an incident
is regulated under many statues and
many government agencies. It is impor-
tant for responders to at least understand
the basis of these regulations because
they dictate everything, from how they
manage a spill to the disposal of the spilt
material. These regulations stipulate who
should be notified and when it is not nec-
essary, as well as what resources or assis-
tance are available to local and state enti-
ties if the containment of a spill is beyond
their capabilities. Therefore, some of the
major federal laws that responders
should have knowledge of are listed in
Table 6. Responders should be aware of
any local and state regulations that also
apply to hazardous materials handling,
reporting, and disposal in their jurisdic-
tions.
Table 6. Major Federal Hazardous
Materials Incident Regulations
Sizing-up a Spill
Once a spill occurs along a roadway,
it's important for response personnel to
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