Committees
Northwest Arctic Local Emergency Planning Committee (NALEPC)
The SUPERFUND Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) of 1986 was enacted into law by Congress on October 17, 1986, and contains Title III, the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986, which establishes requirements that federal, state, and local governments and industry must implement regarding emergency planning and community right-to-know reporting on hazardous and toxic chemicals. Pursuant to Title III, the Alaska State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) has designated the area within the boundaries of the Northwest Arctic Borough as a Local Emergency planning District and has appointed a Local Emergency Planning Committee. The Committee establishes procedures for handling public requests for information, and to develop an “All Hazards” Emergency Operations Plan (EOP), which among other things must:
1. 1.Identify all natural hazards in the District;
2. 2.Identify facilities containing hazardous and extremely hazardous substances (H/EHS) in reportable quantities;
3. 3.Identify transportation routes for EHS;
4. 4.Establish emergency response procedures for natural and man-made disasters;
5. 5.Designate a Community Emergency Coordinator to implement the plan and register company-appointed facility representatives (for facilities not represented in the committee membership) to participate in the planning process;
6. 6.Establish emergency notification procedures;
7. 7.Develop methods for determining the occurrence of a release of hazardous substances;
8. 8.Complete an inventory of community emergency equipment and identify the individual(s) responsible for it;
9. 9.Develop evacuation plans;
10. 10.Describe and schedule a training program for emergency response personnel;
11. 11.Establish methods and schedules for exercising emergency response plans. NALEPC Membership is as follows:
Category A - Elected Officials
Seat 1. NAB Mayor - Martha Whiting
Seat 2. Borough Assembly Designee - Carl Weisner
Category B - Responders
Seat 1. Fire Department - Steve Troxell, Fire Chief, Kotzebue Fire Department
Seat 2. Law Enforcement - Sgt. Duane Stone, Alaska State Troopers
Seat 3. Emergency Medical Service - Elsie Dexter, CHA/P Maniilaq Health Services
Seat 4. Environmental Health - Paul Eaton, Maniilaq Health Center
Seat 5. Health Provider - Christopher Kobus, Maniilaq Health Center
Seat 6. Airport/DOT - Calvin Schaeffer, Kotzebue Airport Manager (Alternate: Alvin Werenke)
Category C - Media
Seat 1. Pierre Lonewolf, KOTZ Radio Station
Category D - Community Groups
Seat 1. Ambler - Scott Jones
Seat 2. Buckland - Tim Gavin
Seat 3. Deering - Ron Moto
Seat 4. Kiana - Larry Westlake
Seat 5. Kivalina - Austin Swan
Seat 6. Kobuk - Alex Sheldon
Seat 7. Kotzebue - Rick Hohnbaum
Seat 8. Noatak - Enoch Mitchell
Seat 9. Selawik - Clyde Ramoth
Seat 10. Noorvik - Edward “Chip” Hailstone
Seat 11. Shungnak - Sally Custer
Category E - Facility Owner/Operator
Seat 1. Mining - Billy Lee, Red Dog Mine
Seat 2. Bulk Fuel - Herman Reich, Jr., Crowley Marine Services
Seat 3. Hospital - Sandra Jones, Deputy Director of Medical/Clinical Services, Maniilaq Health Center
Category F - Emergency Planner
Seat 1. Aggie Jack, EMS Program Manager, Maniilaq Health Center
Category G - Transporter
Seat 1. Commercial Transporter - VACANT
Category H - Public-at-Large
Seat 1. NAB Citizen - Walter Downey
Seat 1.Wendie Schaeffer, Public Services/NALEPC Coordinator, Northwest Arctic Borough
Category J - School District
Seat 1. Michelle Woods