Annex A - Access/Traffic Control
Purpose
- To provide timely traffic control in support of the Integrated CSEPP Incident Response Action Plan for the Greater Umatilla Community and the Affected Municipal Jurisdictions.
- To prevent the motoring public from putting themselves at risk by driving into potentially contaminated areas.
- To facilitate the evacuation of the general population away from areas potentially at risk from a chemical agent release.
- To allow the rapid, unimpeded deployment of response personnel, equipment and supplies in accordance with the response plan and the subsequent direction of the Incident Commander.
- To effectively manage the Evacuation Control System
| LOCATION | RESPONSIBLE AGENCY |
| I-84 at the Port of Morrow Exit (165) | Boardman Police Department |
| I-84 at the Barnhart Road Exit (202) | Oregon State Police |
| Oregon 207/Bombing Range Road | Morrow County Sheriff's Department |
| U.S. 730/Oregon 37 | Umatilla County Sheriff's Department |
* ODOT will provide backup traffic control at locations where PPE is not required.
Background
Four major state and interstate highways (I-82, I-84, U.S. 730 and U.S. 395; see attachment 1, Traffic Control Map) form the major transportation corridors within the Immediate Response Zone/Protective Action Zone (IRZ/PAZ). These high speed, high volume, roadways carry the bulk of inter and intra state vehicle traffic in the region. I-82 lies to the east of the UMCD while I-84 lies to the south. The highways join at a "T" junction near the southeast corner of the Umatilla Chemical Depot. Both are limited access, divided highways with two lanes of traffic in each direction. The speed limit on both interstates is 65 miles per hour. There are no major restrictions to travel on either interstate.
U.S. 730 lies to the north of the Umatilla Chemical Depot, running parallel to the Columbia River and traversing the cities of Irrigon and Umatilla. Numerous county roads, municipal streets and private driveways provide access to U.S. 730. In unincorporated rural areas, the speed limit is 55 miles per hour. In urban areas including Irrigon and Umatilla, the speed is reduced and varies between 25 and 45 miles per hour. Additionally, a traffic light in Umatilla regulates traffic flow, creating a traffic restriction. This restriction is further compounded by the high volume of commercial truck traffic entering and leaving the ODOT Motor Carrier Transportation Division Port of Entry (MP 184 westbound on U.S. 730) facility at this intersection.
U.S. 395, within the IRZ, lies east of the UMCD and traverses the cities of Stanfield and Hermiston, joining I-84 and U.S. Highway 730 at McNary Heights near the Columbia River. It is a four lane highway with two lanes of travel in each direction and a fifth, center turn lane in the vicinity of Hermiston. Numerous county, municipal and private roads enter U.S. 395 throughout its length. Traffic lights in Stanfield, Hermiston and the intersection with U.S. 730 regulate vehicle flow and create potential traffic bottle necks.
These primary transportation routes are supplemented by a number of county and municipal feeder roads which carry smaller volumes of primarily local traffic. Although secondary roads do not provide high speed, high volume ingress/egress to the communities in the IRZ, they can provide alternate and supplementary routes to offload traffic volume if the primary routes become blocked. Many of these roads and streets are intersected by level railroad crossings which creates potential blockages on these routes. Compounding this problem is the large number of commercial and agricultural trucks servicing facilities such as the Wal Mart Distribution Center in Hermiston and numerous food processing plants throughout the area.
Initially, there will be no effort to block access on these secondary and tertiary routes due to their number and a shortage of law enforcement and public works personnel to staff lower priority ACPs. Wherever possible, traffic lights will be synchronized by local authorities to facilitate traffic management. Additionally, Umatilla County will contact the Union Pacific Railroad to insure that rail traffic is stopped to prevent blockage of level crossings in the IRZ/PAZ.
Organization
Execution of the Access Control Plan is a direct responsibility of the Incident Commander with specific operational supervision residing with the Operations Section and the Law Enforcement Branch Entities within the ICS having responsibility to establish or support ACPs include:
- Oregon Department of Transportation
- Oregon State Police
- Morrow County Sheriff's Department
- Umatilla County Sheriff's Department
- Boardman Police Department
- Pendleton Police Department
- Morrow County Public Works
- Umatilla County Public Works
- CTUIR Police
- City of Boardman Public Works
Concept of Operations
To block ingress of traffic into the area of potential treat, maximize use of limited available resources, minimize the threat to staff manning ACPs and reduce the requirement for personnel protective clothing; it is determined that four ACPs will be initially established to accomplish the mission of isolating the threat area to vehicular traffic. Each of the ACPs will have one agency assigned primary responsibility for initially establishing the traffic blockade at that point. Other agencies will have supporting responsibilities. If first on the scene, however, the supporting agency may establish the ACP until supplemented by the primary agency. Once ODOT personnel are on scene, they may relieve law enforcement personnel if they are required for higher priority missions.
Blocking access to the danger area will be a multifaceted effort to alert drivers to the danger, provide them with emergency instructions and physically prevent motorists from proceeding beyond the control points. Alerting information and appropriate emergency instructions will be provided by the Evacuation Control System Highway Reader Boards and Highway Advisory Radio (HAR) system (See map for HAR transmitter sites, coverage areas and sign locations), which consists of flashing sign boards which read: "WHEN FLASHING - TRAFFIC INFO - TUNE RADIO TO 1610 AM". Upon turning to 1610, motorists will hear emergency messages. Concurrently, strategically placed highway reader board signs will activate, providing a message alerting motorists of the danger and providing instructions to leave the roadway and seek safety. (See map for reader board locations) Finally, the actual lanes of travel will be blocked by a law enforcement agency patrol vehicle. The physical blockage of roadways will be assisted by swing arm barricades on freeway access ramps and selected Morrow County roads. When swung into place and locked, the cross arms will prevent motorists from entering the lanes of travel. Swing and drop arm barricades will be augmented by signage alerting motorists to the presence of the barriers. ODOT staff will augment/replace the law enforcement personnel where PPE is not required. When on scene, they will install additional traffic control devices, signage and assist in traffic control. County and city public works department personnel may also assist in this process.
All of the traffic control points are located at the perimeter of the PAZ, significantly reducing the threat to personnel manning the ACPs. If a significant release occurs and the wind direction threatens an ACP, the initial position will be abandoned and a safe alternate site further downwind will be established. The Law Enforcement Branch Director will review WebPuff AEGL plume projections to determine potential threat to the initial ACPs. If threat analysis indicates that an initial ACP will fall within the Risk Envelope, an alternate site further from the UMCD will be selected. To provide respiratory protection, personnel manning the ACPs may be provided with an escape respirator (subject to authorization to use them). These devices will be used strictly for escape purposes only.
All personnel participating in access control operations will communicate on OSP Channel 49. The net control station will be the Law Enforcement Branch Director. While participants will continue to communicate internally on their own agency frequencies, all reporting and external coordination will occur on OSP Channel 49.
In parallel with the close in access control efforts, ODOT will implement a supporting access control plan which reroutes traffic away from the impacted area at progressively greater distances from the UMCD. (See the ODOT regional traffic plan for rerouting interstate traffic.) Rerouting traffic at a distance from the UMCD will reduce delays, prevent stranded motorists in Pendleton and Boardman who may: compete for resources; complicate traffic management; restrict movement of emergency responders, equipment and supplies for first responders; and potentially impede evacuation operations.
Law enforcement personnel and ODOT/public works employees manning ACPs will not allow any motorists to proceed beyond the control point unless they are first responders performing a CSEPP mission or a properly documented UMCD employee.
When ODOT personnel are available at the ACPs, law enforcement staff may be released for other response missions. The transfer of responsibility will be coordinated through the Operations Section and the Incident Commander. The County ECC/EOCs will be notified when transfer of responsibility is complete. If events dictate that the road closures will be of a long duration, the Oregon National Guard, when authorized by the Governor, may supplement or replace ODOT personnel at ACPs.
This plan only addresses the initial establishment of critical ACPs. As the situation develops and more resources become available, the Incident Commander and the Unified Operations Group can establish additional ACPs as required.
Appendix 1 - ACP MAP
Appendix 2 - HAR MAP
Appendix 3 - ODOT EOP
Oregon Department of Transportation
Emergency Operations Plan / Alternate Routing Plan
- Eastbound on-ramp at Exit 165, Port of Morrow.
- Westbound on-ramp at Exit 202, Barnhart Road.
- Oregon 207 and Bombing Range Road.
- US 730 and Oregon 37.
- Eastbound Interstate 84 traffic will be re-routed south on US 97 at Biggs Junction to Bend, then east on US 20 to Ontario.
- Westbound Interstate 84 traffic will be re-routed west on US 20 at Ontario to Bend, then north on US 97 to Biggs Junction.
- Interstate 82 and State Route 385/Locust Grove Road
- State Route 221 and Sellards Road
- State Route 14 and Benton County Line
- State Route 12 and US 730
- CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS
- Notification of ODOT Transportation Operations Centers
Station 4 (Bend) - The Umatilla County Sheriff's Office will notify ODOT District 12 of an emergency at UMCD by telephone or pager. The Oregon State Police Eastern Regional Dispatch Center will also notify ODOT District 12 by phone or pager. District 12 will notify Station 4 by telephone or ODOT radio.
Stations 1 (Portland), 2 (Salem), 3 (Central Point) - The Oregon Emergency Response System (OERS) will notify the ODOT Office of Maintenance duty officer of an emergency at UMCD by telephone or pager. The Office of Maintenance duty officer will notify Station 2 by phone or ODOT radio. Station 2 will notify Stations 1 and 3 by microwave telephone and provide backup notification to Station 4.
OERS will provide backup notification to Stations 2, 3, and 4 over the Law Enforcement Data System (LEDS).
- Notification of Motorists Near UMCD
Highway Advisory Radio - ODOT will use Highway Advisory Radio (HAR) to advise motorists in the vicinity of the Interstate 84 closures (Boardman and Pendleton areas). HAR transmitters are located at:
- ODOT Safety Rest Area west of Boardman on Interstate 84 westbound.
- ODOT District 12 Maintenance Yard, 1327 SE Third Street, Pendleton.
- ODOT sand shed at the base of Cabbage Hill on Interstate 84 eastbound.
Signs that advise motorists, "TRAFFIC INFO / TUNE TO 1610 AM / WHEN LIGHTS FLASH" are installed along highways in the affected areas. The HAR signs are located at:
- I-84 eastbound, Boardman, milepost 156.55
- State Route 14, eastbound, Washington State, milepost 156.24 (proposed)
- Bombing Range Road, northbound, milepost 2.25
- I-84 westbound, Cabbage Hill, milepost 226.33
- I-84 eastbound, Rieth Ridge, milepost 204.32
- Oregon 11, southbound, milepost 5.89
- US 395, northbound, milepost 4.9
Station 4 will activate the signs and the HAR system when notified of a Community Emergency at UMCD. Station 3, ODOT's Region 3 dispatch center in Central Point, is the alternate for Station 4 and also has the capability to activate the signs and broadcast messages.
Here is an example¹ of the message for the Boardman Safety Rest Area HAR:
"THIS IS THE OREGON DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION HIGHWAY ADVISORY RADIO FOR INTERSTATE 84 TRAFFIC FOR (DATE/TIME).
ATTENTION EASTBOUND INTERSTATE 84 TRAFFIC
MAJOR CHEMICAL HAZARD AHEAD
INTERSTATE 84 IS CLOSED EAST OF BOARDMAN
ALL EASTBOUND TRAFFIC MUST DETOUR AT THE PORT OF MORROW
EXIT 165
PLEASE FOLLOW DETOUR ROUTING SIGNS TO RETURN TO THE INTERSTATE
I REPEAT… ALL EASTBOUND TRAFFIC…"THIS IS THE OREGON DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION HIGHWAY ADVISORY RADIO FOR INTERSTATE 84 TRAFFIC FOR (DATE/TIME).
[SPANISH MESSAGE] PLEASE TUNE TO RADIO STATION… FOR EMERGENCY BROADCAST…
ATTENTION EASTBOUND INTERSTATE 84 TRAFFIC
MAJOR CHEMICAL HAZARD AHEAD
INTERSTATE 84 CLOSED EAST OF BOARDMAN
ALL TRAFFIC MUST DETOUR EXIT 165
PORT OF MORROW
FOLLOW DETOUR SIGNS TO RETURN TO THE INTERSTATE WESTBOUND
MOTORISTS WHOSE DESTINATION IN WASHINGTON STATE
OR OTHER DESINATIONS IN EASTERN OREGON
PROCEED WESTBOUND TO EXIT 104
BIGGS JUNCTION
OREGON DESTINATION AND POINTS EAST
USE ROUTE 97 SOUTH
WASHINGTON DESTINATIONS
USE ROUTE 97 NORTH
**ATTENTION EASTBOUND TRAFFIC ON WASHINGTON STATE ROUTE 14²
MAJOR CHEMICAL HAZARD AHEAD
ALL TRAFFIC MUST DETOUR AT PATTERSON
PROCEED NORTHBOUND ON STATE ROUTE 221
**ATTENTION NORTHBOUND TRAFFIC ON BOMBING RANGE ROAD
MAJOR CHEMICAL HAZARD AHEAD
TURN AROUND IMMEDIATELY
TRAVEL SOUTHBOUND ON BOMBING RANGE ROAD TOWARD LEXINGTON/HEPPNER"¹ Actual HAR message broadcast may vary.
² Suggested wording - if proposed sign on State Route 14 in Washington State is installed.Sample HAR Message³ for the Pendleton HAR:
"THIS IS THE OREGON DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION HIGHWAY ADVISORY RADIO FOR INTERSTATE 84 TRAFFIC FOR (DATE/TIME)
ATTENTION WESTBOUND INTERSTATE 84 TRAFFIC
MAJOR CHEMICAL HAZARD AHEAD
INTERSTATE 84 IS CLOSED WEST OF PENDLETON
ALL WESTBOUND TRAFFIC MUST DETOUR AT BARNHART ROAD
EXIT 202
PLEASE FOLLOW DETOUR ROUTING SIGNS TO RETURN TO THE INTERSTATE
I REPEAT… ALL WESTBOUND TRAFFIC…THIS IS THE OREGON DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION HIGHWAY ADVISORY RADIO FOR INTERSTATE 84 TRAFFIC FOR (DATE/TIME)
[SPANISH MESSAGE] PLEASE TUNE TO RADIO STATION …FOR EMERGENCY BROADCAST…
ATTENTION WESTBOUND INTERSTATE 84 TRAFFIC
MAJOR CHEMICAL HAZARD AHEAD
INTERSTATE 84 CLOSED WEST OF PENDLETON
ALL TRAFFIC MUST DETOUR EXIT 202
FOLLOW DETOUR SIGNS TO RETURN TO THE INTERSTATE EASTBOUND
MOTORISTS WHOSE DESTINATION IS WASHINGTON STATE
TRAVEL NORTHBOUND ON OREGON ROUTE 11
IN PENDLETON
MOTORISTS WHOSE DESTINATION IS WESTERN OREGON
TRAVEL EASTBOUND ON INTERSTATE 84 TO ONTARIO
FOLLOW DETOUR SIGNS TO US ROUTE 20"³ Actual HAR message broadcast may vary.
- Notification of ODOT Personnel
Districts -- Upon notification of a Community Emergency at UMCD, Station 4 will notify Districts 9, 10, 13, and 14 to implement traffic control along the Interstate 84 detour route.
Region Management - Upon notification of a Community Emergency at UMCD, all TOCs will notify their Region management based upon Region notification guidelines.
Ports of Entry - Upon notification of a Community Emergency at UMCD, ODOT TOCs will notify the Ports of Entry in their respective coverage areas by telephone or pager.
- Station 1 will notify the Cascade Locks Port of Entry.
- Station 2 will notify the Woodburn Port of Entry.
- Station 3 will notify the Ashland and Klamath Falls Ports of Entry.
The Umatilla Port of Entry will receive initial notification from Umatilla County 9-1-1 via tone alert radio. Because the Umatilla Port of Entry is within the Protective Action Zone for UMCD, personnel will close the Port. Port employees and customers will take protective actions as directed by Umatilla County officials. (Shelter-in-place equipment to be installed.) Station 4 will provide backup notification to the Umatilla Port of Entry via telephone or ODOT radio.
Maps showing the Interstate 84 closure and detour route will be pre-placed at the Ports of Entry for distribution to truck drivers upon notification of the Interstate 84 closures.
(NOTE: Umatilla Port of Entry will be closed.) - Notification of Motorists Traveling to Affected Area
Variable Message Signs - Upon notification of a Community Emergency at UMCD, ODOT Transportation Operations Centers will activate the fixed Variable Message Signs (VMS) in their respective Regions to warn motorists of the Interstate 84 closure and advise them of alternate routes.
Here is a list of ODOT's fixed VMS signs that will be activated and messages to be displayed.†
By Station 4 (Bend):
- I-84 Ontario-Snake River, Ontario WB, mp 377.90 Message:
I-84 CLOSED
WEST OF PENDLETON
DETOUR
USE US 20
AT EXIT 374 - I-84 North Powder WB, mp 286.64 Message:
I-84 CLOSED
WEST OF PENDLETON
EXIT AT 262
[Station 4 will dispatch a District 13 ODOT highway maintenance employee to this exit to provide motorist information ] - I-84 Poverty Flats Cabbage Hill WB, mp 226.40 Message:
I-84 CLOSED
WEST OF PENDLETON
USE EXIT 216
[District 12 will send an ODOT highway maintenance employee to this exit to provide motorist information]
Station 4 also will dispatch crews to activate portable VMS signs at these locations:
- US 97 southbound between Redmond and Bend (District 10) Message:
I-84 TRAFFIC
DETOUR
USE US 20 EAST - US 20 westbound east of Bend (District 10) Message:
I-84 TRAFFIC
DETOUR
USE US 97 NORTH - US 97 northbound south of Bend (District 10) Message:
I-84 CLOSED
AT BOARDMAN
DETOUR
USE US 20 - I-84 westbound south of Baker (District 13) Message:
I-84 CLOSED
WEST OF PENDLETON
USE NEXT EXIT
[Station 4 will dispatch a District 13 ODOT highway maintenance employee to provide motorist information at Exit 262]
If requested by Umatilla or Morrow County 9-1-1 center dispatch personnel, Station 4 may activate these fixed signs not owned by ODOT, but located on ODOT property:
- I-84 Umatilla WB, mp 193 Message:
(To be determined) - I-84 Umatilla EB, mp 167 Message:
(To be determined) - US 730 and I-84 WB, mp 168 Message:
(To be determined)
† These are ODOT signs for general highway maintenance use and are not dedicated to Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP) emergency response. Their use in a CSEPP emergency is subject to availability.
By Station 1 (Portland):
- I-5 Pacific Highway Wilsonville NB, mp 285.26 Message:
I-84 CLOSED
AT BOARDMAN
DETOUR
USE US 97
AT EXIT 104 - I-5 Pacific Highway Lombard SB, mp 305.52 Message:
I-84 CLOSED
AT BOARDMAN
DETOUR
USE US 97
AT EXIT 104 - I-5 Pacific Highway Iowa Street NB, mp 298.48 Message:
I-84 CLOSED
AT BOARDMAN
DETOUR
USE US 97
AT EXIT 104 - I-5 Pacific Highway Carmen Drive NB, mp 291 Message:
I-84 CLOSED
AT BOARDMAN
DETOUR
USE US 97
AT EXIT 104 - I-84 Columbia River Wood Village EB, mp 13.5 Message:
I-84 CLOSED
AT BOARDMAN
DETOUR
USE US 97
AT EXIT 104
TripCheck: Information about the closures and detour will be placed on ODOT's web site at www.tripcheck.com.
Road and Weather Information Phone Line: Information about the closures and detour will be provided on ODOT's in-state toll free road and weather information line, 1-800-977-6368.
Public Information Activities: ODOT Region 5 will provide a Public Information Representative to the Joint Information Center in Pendleton to coordinate emergency public information with other response agencies. ODOT will issue a news release announcing the closure of Interstate 84 and detours. The news released will be issued statewide and to neighboring states by broadcast fax.
ODOT Public Affairs staff in Salem will be activated to help provide information to the public about the Interstate 84 closure and detours.
- I-84 Ontario-Snake River, Ontario WB, mp 377.90 Message:
- Notification of Affected Jurisdictions
All of the detour routes are on state highways. However, ODOT will notify affected jurisdictions along the detour routes that the detour is being implemented.
LEDS Administrative Message: Upon notification of a Community Emergency at UMCD, Station 4 will work with OERS to transmit an emergency public safety message regarding the Interstate 84 closure and detour route via the Law Enforcement Data System (LEDS).
- District Responsibilities
District 9:
- Set up traffic control on I-84 eastbound to re-route eastbound traffic south on US 97 at Biggs Junction.
District 10:
- Set up portable VMS at US 97 southbound between Redmond and Bend.
- Set up portable VMS at US 20 westbound east of Bend.
- Set up portable VMS on US 97 northbound south of Bend.
(See Section D for message content)
District 12:
- Set up traffic control on Interstate 84 eastbound at Port of Morrow on-ramp, Exit 165.
- Set up traffic control on Interstate 84 westbound at Barnhart Road on-ramp, Exit 202.
- Provide other backup traffic control to Morrow and Umatilla counties as requested, if outside of the area of potential contamination.
- Provide motorist information at Interstate 84 westbound, Exit 216.
District 13:
- Provide motorist information at Interstate 84 westbound, Exit 262.
- Set up portable VMS at Interstate 84 westbound south of Baker City
- Provide motorist information at Interstate 84 westbound south of Baker City, Exit 262.
(See Section D for message content)
District 14:
- Set up traffic control on Interstate 84 westbound to re-route westbound traffic west on US 20 at Ontario.
- Perform traffic control and monitor traffic as needed on US 20 eastbound and westbound to help prevent problems that could result from larger volume of traffic.
- Request assistance from Idaho Department of Transportation in notifying westbound Interstate 84 traffic of closure and detour.
- Long Term Closures
In the event of a long term closure of Interstate 84 (eight hours or more), the ODOT Office of Maintenance may use contractor support for traffic control. ODOT also may request Oregon Military Department assistance to provide backup traffic control support. The request will be coordinated through the Oregon Emergency Coordination Center.
- TERMINATION
- REFERENCES
PURPOSE
This guideline describes actions the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) will take to advise motorists of highway closures and alternate routes in the event of a Community Emergency at the U.S. Army's Umatilla Chemical Depot (UMCD) near Hermiston.
A "Community Emergency" declaration by the Army means events are likely to occur or have occurred that involve chemical agent release beyond the UMCD installation boundary.
SITUATION
Upon notification of a Community Emergency declaration at UMCD, Oregon State Police, local law enforcement, and ODOT personnel will close the on-ramps to Interstate 84 at these locations:
Law enforcement agencies also will implement closures at the intersections of:
To re-route Interstate 84 traffic, ODOT will implement these detours:
For Information - these closures will be implemented in Washington:
It is difficult to predict how long such closures will need to remain in place. However, it is expected the closures will be measured in days, rather than hours. Monitoring and sampling of affected areas for chemical contamination by qualified federal or state personnel will be needed to support decisions to remove the closures.
The Interstate 84 closure will remain in effect until ODOT is advised by Morrow and Umatilla counties that protective actions have been removed for Oregon sectors of the UMCD emergency zones.
Evaluation of Best Practices for Interstate Freeway Closures, ODOT Traffic Management Section, March 2000.
Planning Guidance for the Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program, Federal Emergency Management Agency, June 2008.
Integrated CSEPP Incident Response Action Plan for the Greater Umatilla Community and the Affected Municipal Jurisdictions, Oregon CSEPP Governing Board, April 21 2009.
Guidelines for the Operation of Highway Advisory Radio on State Highways, Oregon Department of Transportation, October 2001.
Appendix 4 - Initial Response Force & Emergency Medical Card
PURPOSE
To provide Access Control Point personnel a means to identify essential employees of the Umatilla Chemical Depot during a Community Emergency.
SCOPE
This appendix is applicable to all CSEPP responsible agencies in Washington State.
PROCEDURE
- During a Community Emergency at the Umatilla Chemical Depot, essential employees, medical profession personnel or the Initial Response Force may be re-called to return to or dispatched to the depot.
- Essential depot employees are authorized to cross Access Control /Traffic Control Points to return to the depot once the Post Commander has recalled employees.
- Essential employees are required to show UMCD Identification and the blue Initial Response Force & Emergency Medical Card to the fire, law enforcement or public works personnel staffing the Access Control/Traffic Control Point.
- Example of Initial Response Force & Emergency Medical Card.
