-------
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. . ' . .
-------
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.
-------
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.
-------
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
-------
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.
-------
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
-------
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.
------- |