Massachusetts OTAA urges businesses to plan for chemical safety as extreme weather rises

The Massachusetts Office of Technical Assistance (OTAA) urged manufacturers and other businesses to prepare chemical-safety plans to reduce the risk of toxic releases as extreme weather becomes more frequent. A presenter for OTAA said the agency offers free, confidential technical assistance, site visits and tools to help companies identify vulnerabilities and protect workers and nearby communities.

Why it matters: OTAA framed chemical-safety planning as both a public-safety and business-continuity issue. The video cited an August 2017 incident at the Arka plant in Crosby, Texas, in which flooding disabled refrigeration, an explosion followed, more than 23,000 lb of contaminants washed into nearby homes, people within a 1.5 m radius were evacuated for more than a week, and 21 people were injured — presented as an example of how extreme weather can trigger chemical emergencies.

TURA requirements: The presenter summarized obligations under the Toxics Use Reduction Act (TURA). Businesses that meet certain thresholds must (1) file an annual report on chemical use, (2) pay an annual fee, and (3) conduct toxics-use-reduction planning every two years. The video said about 500 businesses in sectors such as fabricated metal products, paper, food and plastics are subject to these requirements.

What OTAA offers: OTAA staff — described as chemists, engineers and public-health professionals — provide confidential, nonenforcement technical assistance to identify hazards, promote safer storage and operations, and reduce on-site toxic chemical use. The agency said it has conducted thousands of site visits that identified vulnerabilities and opportunities to reduce millions of pounds of toxic chemicals and save businesses millions of dollars in operating costs.

Planning resources: OTAA recommended creating a facility emergency plan summary that lists on-site chemicals, describes three worst-case scenarios, documents controlled-shutdown procedures and provides spill-response contact information. The agency also promoted an OTAA chemical-safety and climate-mapping tool to locate nearby public housing, schools and other community facilities, and the Resilient MA Office of Climate Science mapping tool to examine climate projections and critical infrastructure.

Next steps: The presenter invited businesses to request free, confidential site visits, online consultations or phone support and directed viewers to mass.gov/otaa for resources and training opportunities. The video stressed that careful preparation can protect businesses, workers and surrounding communities as extreme-weather threats grow.