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Acknowledgement
This work was performed under
the Public Health Conference
Support Grant R13/ATR590083.
We acknowledge the support
and assistance of the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency
and the Agency for Toxic
Substances and Disease Registry.
                Do you know, j  ...:..... .  In 1989 over'11,OOP releases
                               S                    of hazardous materials in
                   •  •   •       \                   the U.S. were reported to
                               j      " ,   •  ,       the National Response
                               '(                    Center (NRC), a federal  .
                   j1           i'i  •                           ,              i.
                                                  . entity responsible for
                                             .     'receiving this information.

                                   It is believed that this'figure represents only
                                   a fraction of those incidents of hazardous
                                   material releases that actually occur.

                                   One of every 10 trucks crossing your state
                                   contains hazardous materials.
                                   Health effects from exposure to hazardous
                                   materials range from inild skin irritation to
                                   severe reactions, even death.
                                   Your patients consider you, their physician,
                                   the'most trusted resource for information
                                            '
                                   about chemical exposures and their health
                                   effects.                         .     '  .  .

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 In 1986 Congress enacted the
 Emergency Planning and
 Community Right-To-Know
, Law (Title III of the Superfund
 Amendments and Keauthori-
 zation Act-SARA). Several
 state right-to-know laws have
 been enacted as well. The
 objective of the federal law is
 to support emergency plan-
 ning for responding to chemi-
 cal accidents and providing
 local communities and the
 public with information on
 chemical hazards in the
 community.

 Through provisions of the
 law, broad-based Local Emer-
 gency Planning Committees
 (LEPCs) are established who
 receive information about
 chemicals in the community
 and use the information to
                       /  «.
 plan for response to emer-
 gency events. They also make
 the information available to
 the public. '
• These actions will result in
 your patients becoming
 increasingly aware that'acci-
 dental spills or other hazard-
 ous incidents that occur may
 affect their personal health.
 Because they trust you most,
 they will come to see you
                i       •
 requesting information about
 exposure to these hazards.

 The federal law recognized
 the unique and essential
 presence of health profession-
 als in the business of consider-
 ing and managing chemical
 risks in the community. Not
 only are health professionals
 specifically named as one of
 the constituents to be repre-
 sented on the LEPC, but a
 separate section of the ACT
 provides for certain informa-
 tion, in some cases trade
 secrets, to be released to
 health professionals who.
need it for diagnosis or
treatment.

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 1. Local Emergency Planning Committee XLEPC)
 The LEPC is designed to help
 your community by receiving
 information about the
 presence and quantities of
 chemicals stored in facilities  _
 ,and the location of accidental
 spills and releases within the
 community, analyzing
 hazards, and developing a
 plan to prepare for and
 respond to chemical emergen-
 cies in your Ipcal vicinity.
 They make this information
 available to the public.

, The LEPC will recognize
 exposure symptoms and
 treatment protocols for the
 particular kinds of chemical
 accidents to which your
 community is vulnerable, and
 should include plans for your
 local hospital to deal with
 these kinds of accidents. .
 Should there be a release or
 accident in your community,
the LEPC can provide you
information about the inci-
dent. Some health effects
information is also reported to
them. This can assist you in-
the management of your
patients.   ',-       .

The Emergency Planning and
Community Right-to-Know
. Information Hotline, available
between 8:30 AM and 7:00 PM
EST at 1-800-535-0202 (202-.
479,2449 in Washington, DC,
and Alaska),  can provide you
the telephone number of the
State Emergency Response
Commission (SERC). The
SERCs appoint LEPCs and
coordinate their activities,
and they can be of assistance
in locating your LEPC. The
•SERCs also receive further
 information on chemicals
 and can provide this to you.

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   2. Regional Poison Control Center
   Your regional poison control
   center can provide informa-
   tion about the health effects of
   chemical exposures on a 24-
   hour basis. The Center can
   make appropriate referrals to
   professionals who specialize
   in hazardous substance
  exposures and treatment
  advice. The telephone number
  for this resource can be found
  through directory assistance,
  in your local telephone direc-
  tory, or the Physicians' Desk
  Reference.
                 3. Local Health Departments    ,
                 Your local health department can be a resource for information
                 about hazardous incidents.

  4. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
    (AT'SDR)                                         '                   .,
  ATSDR is a Public Health
  Service Agency created by
  the US Congress to provide
  information and training for
  health professionals regard-
' 'ing the screening, diagnosis/
  treatment and surveillance
-  of injury or illness that may
  be caused by exposure to
  hazardous substances.
  ATSDR has developed health-
  related resources and training
  fellowships for physicians.
  The Case Studies in Environ-
 mental Medicine are
 self,-instructional exercises
 in environmenta] medicine
 which provide .CME credit
 for physicians. Emergency
 response and decontarrfmaV
  '               £7~*^ = *
 tion protocols are-tufrently
•being developed tp proyicfej
 specific treatment informatio
 about exposure to^enviro
      ^"'  '- /  \
             .The A

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5. The Environmental Protection
  Agency (EPA)
The EPA is also a resource for
information on hazardous • •
materials. Under the law, the
EPA maintains the Toxic Release
Inventory, a national database
providing information to the
public about releases of hazard-  .
ous chemicals into the environ-
ment on a community specific
basis.
The EPA Emergency Planning
and Community Right-to-Know
Information Etotline at 1-800-535-
0202  (202-479-2449 in Washing-
ton, DC, and Alaska), can provide
additional information about
what information is available
under theEmergency Planning
and Community Right-to-Know
Act. Other information is avail-
able from EPA as well.
              li 'If
    How Yob Can Help
^  K^Sffil ^ l*f krf M^W^^ HI   Tf"N   *
 -~f I'KmTojrt what hazardous
"  ri«}i IJB.~. 1  " '.Trf-f      ~   I "
   -   chemicals are present in your
  .-•^jVTli L  .  *    .         lr
 '   l local community. Contact
 „ _ your LEPC to obtain this
      information.
                                  i. i»;v
jnii i
1*

f
   ' 2. You as a physician are a
      public health resource as well
   J  J \ «       m *^    «      t
     ' as a" "medical specialist. You
      can advise Local Emergency
      Planning Committees. This
        l  ,  w f  It  f       n
       dealing with chemical emer-
       gency incidents. Only 1 0% of
       hospitals are estimated to be
                                          h  r j  - t
                                                  handle emergencies involving
                                                  hazardous materials.

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 The AMA would like to know if you have current
 invplvement or future interest-in your Local Emergency -'
 Protection Committee (LEPC) or State Emergency
 Response Commission (SERC). Please complete the        •  •'
 following questionnaire and return to:      ,         ,

 '    American Medical Association         *   .     .     •  ' .
     Division of Biomedical Science
     515 North State Street.  •    •    '    .          ,   '"
     Chicago, IL 60610

     1.1 am presently a member of a:             .   j  ' LEPC

     2.1 am interested in becoming a member of a: •   ^~"~; LEPC

 Please send me additional information about:          • ' .
 —_    '              )'  '               ' -•   .  '
 [	. I. The Emergency Preparedness and
       Community Right-To-Know Law (SARA Title III)

.	:. 2, Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs)

,!	i  3, The Toxic Release Inventory (EPA)  -

 [	'. 4. The Case Studies in Environmental Medicine (ATSDR)

 	j  5. Emergency Response Protocols (ATSDR)   ~         '

 	  6. Fellowship Training Programs (ATSDR)''.



 Name    '                         ' ,  -           •
                                S'   •     .     ' • '     ' '
 ^	^s	- 	   • _ • •	__^___CJ
 Specialty               '                  -          •,   "


 •Address     <       '  ,     .
jSERC
•(_•	X
 Telephone

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The Agency for Toxic Substances
and Disease Registry
1600 Clifton Road, N.E.
Mail Stop E33
Atlanta, Georgia 30333

American Medical Association
515 N. State Street
Chicago, Illinois 60610

Emergency Planning and Community
Right-to-Know Information
OS-120
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
AA64:91-302:5M:S/91
      Printed on recycled paper using
      environmentally safe soybean-based inks.

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