Step 4: Collect data on structures surrounding the facility.
- This step should be completed before a release occurs.
- Knowledge of the age, construction type and general condition of structures in a jurisdiction is something that most ICs have built through years of experience and inspections.
These factors are important because an IC must decide whether the buildings that will potentially be engulfed by a chemical plume are adequate shelters for the people inside. If the structures are old, poorly constructed, or poorly maintained, they may not provide adequate protection against a chemical plume.
