SERC hears hazmat team update, Tier II reporting numbers and plans for April–May exercises
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Summary
Commissioners heard updates on regional hazmat team activity, were told 1,749 facilities filed Tier II hazardous‑substances reports for 2026, learned HMEP grant applications remain low so far, and received invitations to chemical‑incident exercises in April and a cross‑regional tabletop in Yankton on May 27.
Commissioners received a set of operational updates on hazardous‑materials readiness and planning.
Mike Murphy, representing Homeland Security regional hazmat coordination, said the four regional hazmat teams (Sioux Falls, Rapid City, Watertown and Aberdeen) are updating equipment and capabilities and will participate in a hazmat‑focused exercise in Elk Point this spring.
Kelsey Noling reported on Tier II reporting, the annual filing by facilities that store hazardous substances. She said the reporting threshold for many substances is 10,000 pounds and that, as of the meeting, 1,749 facilities had submitted Tier II reports for 2026. Detailed files are available to planners and responders via a password‑protected portal, and the agency publishes a summarized Tier II dataset for the public.
A representative from the Office of Emergency Management gave a brief HMEP update: two reimbursed county activities had been completed for outreach and training, and HMEP '26 grant applications were open until April 10 with only three applications filed so far; staff planned to send reminders.
Whitney, of the South Dakota Department of Health, described a two‑phase chemical‑incident exercise: a local tabletop on April 8 in Aberdeen focused on triage, mass casualty and lab testing with Glacial Lakes Energy as the scenario center, and a state‑level tabletop on April 29 in Pierre emphasizing state coordination and communications. Kelsey Noling described a May 27 cross‑regional tabletop in Yankton simulating a tornado that damages Tier II facilities and spills chemicals into the Missouri River, and invited county emergency managers and partners to attend in person or virtually.
Commissioners took no formal votes on these briefings; staff said after‑action reports and participation details would be shared with interested agencies.
