HW-3
1984
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      A
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Emergency
and Remedial Response
Washington DC 20460
EPA's Emergency
Response Program
2nd Edition
April 198.4.
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                     I.) 5. Environmental Protection Agency
                     Pi-gion V, Library
                     230 South Dearborn Straoi "
                            Illinois 60604

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EnvWHTWitol PwiBetlcn

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                        EPA's Emergency
                        Response Program
Train derailments can re-
lease hazardous sub-
stances over large areas,
possibly requiring evacua-
tion of nearby residents.
                        In satisfying the American
                        public's demand for sophisti-
                        cated products, modern
                        technology's response is in-
                        genious and complex
                        Sometimes that technology
                        generates toxic by-products
                        as well—hazardous wastes

                        Effective and safe handling
                        of such wastes has im-
                        proved tremendously under
                        rapidly-advancing disposal
                        technology In 1976, the Re-
                        source Conservation and
                        Recovery Act (RCRA) was
                        enacted, for the first time
                        establishing controls for the
                        generation, transportation,
                        and disposal of hazardous
                        wastes
Although it provided the
tools to track and regulate
the handling of such sub-
stances, RCRA did not deal
with existing hazardous sites
that had become trouble-
some as a result of past
improper disposal practices.
These sites, as well as
accidents in handling or
transporting hazardous
substances, can present
emergency situations requir-
ing an immediate cleanup or
removal

Federal authority to respond
to releases of oil and hazard-
ous substances into the na-
tion's navigable waters is
found under Section 311 of

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                         Emergency Response Program
The swollen bottom on this
drum indicates a serious
threat of leakage.
                         the Clean Water Act  This
                         authority, which is assigned
                         to the Environmental  Protec-
                         tion Agency and the Coast
                         Guard, has existed for over a
                         decade  The Clean Water
                         Act also established a fund
                            to finance these responses.
                            However, it provided only
                            limited authority and limited
                            funds to tackle  the variety of
                            problems caused by release
                            of hazardous substances into
                            land, ground water, and air.
Superfund
To provide a more effective
and comprehensive re-
sponse to the foregoing
problems, Congress enacted
the Comprehensive Environ-
mental Response, Compen-
sation, and Liability Act of
1980 Popularly referred to
as "Superfund," CERCLA
and Section 311 of the
Clean Water Act permit the
Federal government to work
with State and local  govern-
ments to provide an  immedi-
ate and  comprehensive re-
sponse to accidental release
of hazardous substances.

Superfund cleanups  are
financed by a $16 billion

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                          Emergency Response Program
Barges carrying large car-
goes of hazardous materi-
als may break loose and
strike bridges and other
structures. This barge was
secured in time, preventing
potentially serious damage
to the waterway.
trust fund The fund can be
used to provide both emer-
gency and longer-term
cleanup of releases of haz-
ardous substances and in-
active waste sites It is col-
lected through taxes paid by
manufacturers, producers,
and exporters and importers
of oil and 42 chemical sub-
stances

In 1968 the Federal govern-
ment established the first
National Contingency Plan
to respond to emergencies
caused by oil spills and
releases of hazardous sub-
stances in navigable waters
CERCLA required EPA to re-
vise and republish the Plan
to cover all of the actions
which can  now betaken un-
der both Superfund and the
Clean Water Act The Plan
details the responsibilities of
14 Federal agencies and
State and  local governments

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                          Emergency Response Program
When a hazardous sub-
stance ignites, it not only
presents the immediate
dangers of heat and smoke
but it can spread hazardous
particles and vapors over
wide areas.
                          for cleaning up releases of
                          hazardous substances to all
                          media (land, air, surface wa-
                          ter and ground water) and
                          discharges of oil into  naviga-
                          ble waters of the U.S

                          In general the Plan
                            • Encourages coordina-
                              tion  of Federal, State
                              and  local government
                              involvement in re-
                              sponse actions,
                            • Allows State and local
                              governments to  be
                              reimbursed by the Fed-
                              eral  government for
                              allowable response
                              costs;  and
                            • Authorizes  the Federal
                              government to under-
                              take cleanup when the
                              responsible party or
     the State cannot or
     will not do so

Primary responsibility for
dealing with accidental
releases in or near coastal
waters and the Great  Lakes
is with the Coast Guard
The  lead responsibility for
other emergencies occurring
inland or in inland waters
belongs to EPA,  as  specified
by an agreement between
EPA  and the Coast  Guard
EPA  responses are coordi-
nated by its Emergency Re-
sponse  Division with the
assistance  of the Hazardous
Response Support Division.
Both are a part of the Of-
fice of Solid Waste and
Emergency Response

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                         Emergency Response Program
 Emergency
 Response
 Program
Two types of removal ac-
tions are carried out by EPA
in its emergency response
program: immediate remov-
als and  planned removals

Immediate Removals
Immediate removals are
triggered by immediate and
significant emergencies
involving hazardous sub-
Chemical foams are often
used to prevent evapora-
tion of hazardous sub-
stances or to extinguish
fires resulting from acci-
dents. Response personnel
wear protective clothing
while handling these
chemicals.
stances Such emergencies
might include
   • Fires or explosions,
   • Direct  human contact
     with a hazardous sub-
     stance,
   • Human, animal, or
     food-chain exposure to
     such a substance, or
   • Contamination of a
     drinking water supply

An  immediate removal  is  a
first-aid approach to an
emergency  It involves
cleaning up the hazardous
site as necessary to protect
life and  human health,
stopping the hazardous re-
lease, and minimizing dam-
age or threat of damage to
the environment  If there
has been a spill (from a
truck, derailed train or
barge, for example) the re-
sponse  will continue until
the spill  is cleaned up
Inactive  hazardous waste
sites will be stabilized but
the cleanup may continue
beyond  stabilization if this
course appears less expen-
sive than stopping and
returning later for  final
cleanup  or  remedial action

Specifically, immediate
removal  responses may
include
   •  Collecting and analyz-
     ing samples,
   •  Controlling the release,
   •  Removing hazardous
     substances from the
     site and storing,  treat-
     ing, or disposing of
     them,
   •  Providing alternate wa-
     ter  supplies,
   •  Installing security
     fencing,
   •  Deterring the spread  of
     the pollutants, and
   •  Evacuating threatened
     individuals

Planned Removals
A planned removal occurs
when the hazard is sub-

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                         Emergency Response Program

Above: Workers with pro-
tective suits and self-
contained breathing units
extract samples from
drums. Samples are sent
to a chemical laboratory
for analysis.
stantial and  imminent but
constitutes something less
than an immediate emer-
gency  Such a removal
assumes that, while the sit-
uation  is deteriorating, time
is available to  plan an
appropriate response before
reaching the site  Under
Superfund, a planned
removal may be initiated  if'
   • The action will mini-
     mize damages or risks
     and preclude future
     emergency response
     actions,
   •  Removal is consistent
     with the most effective
     long-term solution to
     the problem,
   •  The responsible party
     is unknown,  cannot be
     found, or cannot or
     will not take timely
     and appropriate action,
   •  The State agrees to
     pay at least  10 percent
     of the costs  of the
     removal action, and
   •  The State agrees to
     nominate the site to
     the National  Priority
     List for remedial ac-
     tion, if further action
     at the site is consid-
     ered appropriate once
     the removal  is com-
     pleted

The  planned removal re-
sponse will be chosen only
after analysis of removal al-
ternatives to determine the
quickest and least costly
approach  The selected
course of action also must
be reliable and effective,
and  consistent with the
probable long-term solution

The  planned removal ends
when the situation is stabi-
lized and the imminent dan-
ger has been abated  The
operation may continue,
however, if the cleanup  can
be completed within a short
time and at a  low cost

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                         Emergency Response Program
Hazardous
Substance
Cleanup: An
Industry-
Government
Partnership
In practice, many emergency
cleanups and removals are
handled by the  responsible
party—usually the generator,
transporter, or disposer of
the waste The  remainder
are cleaned  up  by an
industry-government part-
nership  If government
resources  are called upon,
a variety of  local, State, and
Emergency situations in-
volving hazardous sub-
stances require specific
techniques, equipment and
personal safety protection.
Above: Firefighters respond
to a night emergency.
Federal agencies may be
called into action

Superfund and Section  311
of the Clean Water Act
require that EPA, the Coast
Guard, the Federal Emer-
gency Management Agency,
the Department of Health
and Human Services, the
Department of the Interior,
and nine other Federal
agencies cooperate as
members of the National
and Regional  Response
Teams to coordinate activi-
ties in cases of emergency
Additional  Federal agencies
that may be involved are
the Departments of  Agricul-
ture,  Commerce, Defense,
Energy, Justice, Labor,
State, and Housing and Ur-
ban Development; and the
Small Business Administra-
tion  In the event Federal
services are called upon-
   • The Coast Guard or
    EPA assumes primary
    responsibility to re-
    spond, depending
    upon  the  location of
    the emergency,
   • The Federal Emergency
    Management Agency
    is responsible for
    evacuations;
   • The Fish and Wildlife
    Service in the Depart-
    ment  of the Interior
    and the National Ma-
    rine Fisheries Service
    in the Department  of
    Commerce conduct re-
    search into the effects
    of the disaster on ma-
    rine, aquatic and ter-
    restrial life,
   • The Public Health
    Service in the Depart-
    ment  of Health and
    Human Services inves-
    tigates incidents of
    hazardous substance
    exposure to humans
    and threats to the
    public welfare, and
   • Other agencies  play
    roles related to their re-
                                                                              7

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Emergency Response Program
    spective authorities if the
    emergency requires it

When To Notify the
Government
When release of a hazard-
ous substance creates an
emergency situation, local
police and fire departments
probably will  be the first
agencies involved  While
they are taking initial pro-
tective actions, however,
local officials  may  be  calling
upon  State and  Federal
agencies for assistance

The responsible  party—such
as a generator, transporter
or disposer of hazardous
waste—must also  notify the
National Response Center
(NRC) as soon as (s)he has
knowledge that a hazardous
substance was released in a
Reportable Quantity (RQ)
into the environment  Sec-
tion  102 of CERCLA desig-
nates almost 700  sub-
stances as hazardous and
assigns RQs that trigger
notification requirements

To request Federal assist-
ance under Superfund, a
State or local government
should  contact its nearest
EPA Regional  Office

When the National Re-
sponse Center is notified,
the duty officer immediately
relays the release informa-
tion to an EPA or Coast
Guard On-Scene Coordina-
tor (OSC), depending upon
the location and nature of
the emergency The  OSC
coordinates and monitors all
protective and precautionary
activities to ensure that
everything possible is done
to protect public health,
welfare,  and the en-
vironment.

The Federal  Role
The response  process be-
gins with the  OSC's  deci-
sion to  initiate response
measures This decision
is based on a preliminary
assessment of notification
information and on follow-
up data gathered from the
responsible party or  officials
at the release site  The OSC
must decide whether the
Federal  government  is the
appropriate response
agency  Alternatively, State
agencies may take the lead
in cleaning up a release
site, or  the party responsible
for the  release may  have
the capability  to provide
mitigation actions  In both
cases,  however, the  Federal
OSC will retain the authority
for oversight or monitoring
of the cleanup operations to
ensure  that the threat is
mitigated. At times,  the ex-
pertise  of other Federal

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The grappler's specially-
designed pickup arm helps
remove hazardous waste
drums from an active dis-
posal site.
agencies and other States
can be brought to a re-
sponse action through  the
Regional  Response Team
(RRT) established by the
National  Contingency Plan
The Federal OSC, either in
consultation with  other
agencies or on the spot,
must decide what type of
response to make, whether
the release should be con-
tained to prevent  migration,
whether  the release should
be treated  in situ, or
whether  a  federally-funded
removal to  a treatment,
storage or  disposal (TSD)
facility should  be  un-
dertaken.

The OSC seeks assistance
from the EPA  Regional
Emergency Reponse  Offices
and the special Environmen-
tal Response Teams based
in  Cincinnati, Ohio, and Edi-
son,  New Jersey

As part of  EPA's policy of
keeping the public accur-
ately informed, the OSC
may also seek assistance
from the Agency  in coor-
dinating information for the
media and providing liaison
with citizens organizations
as necessary

According to CERCLA, an
official  Federal removal ac-
tion may be considered in
cases where:
   • The discharger is
     unknown,
   • The discharge is
     caused by an act of
     God or war;  or
   • The responsible party
     cannot or will not re-
     spond adequately

Under Superfund, govern-
mental emergency response
is able to  achieve the
highest degree of inter-
agency and inter-govern-
mental teamwork   If Federal
authorization  is provided,
State and local  govern-
ments may conduct the
cleanups and reimburse-
ment will be  made by
Superfund  The Federal
government itself  may con-
duct the  removal  if the
State or local government
requests assistance

In  either case, the Federal
government retains  its im-
portant advisory and coordi-
nation role EPA's  scientific
resources and its  specialized

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                          Emergency Response Program
                         monitoring, sampling  and
                         safety  equipment will sup-
                         port State and local efforts
                         Superfund will be  the key
                         source of cleanup money

                         To help keep the fund sol-
                         vent, Superfund also  pro-
                             vides that the responsible
                             party may be liable for
                             punitive damages of up to
                             three times the cost of the
                             Federal removal for failure
                             to respond properly to the
                             emergency
Prevention
The containments
around the storage
tanks are designed to
prevent any leakage of
oil products into adja-
cent waters.
Oil Pollution Prevention
For more than a decade,
EPA has been concerned
about the discharge of oil
into the navigable waters of
the United States To prevent
such oil discharges by non-
transportation-related (NTR)
onshore and offshore facili-
ties, EPA promulgated the oil
pollution  prevention regula-
tion in  December 1973  The
regulation establishes re-
quirements for the develop-
ment and implementation of
Spill Control and Counter-
measure Plans (SPCC
Plans)  This regulation is ap-
plicable to all owner/opera-
tors of NTR onshore and
offshore facilities engaged in
drilling, producing,  gather-
ing, storing,  processing,
refining, transferring, dis-
tributing, or  consuming oil
and oil products and who,
because of their location,
could reasonably be ex-
pected to discharge oil into
or upon the navigable
waters of the United States
The EPA Regional Offices
implement this regulation by
routinely visiting  facilities and
reviewing their SPCC Plan

All transportation-related fa-
cilities are regulated by the
Department of Transporta-
tion in  accordance with an
agreement with  EPA

Hazardous Substance
Prevention
EPA's Hazardous Substance
Prevention Program estab-
lishes guidelines for industry
to prevent hazardous sub-
stance releases into the en-
vironment The guidelines
focus on protection of public
health, welfare,  and the en-
vironment
10

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                        Emergency Response Program
Superfund
in Action
The Emergency
Response at Cecil
County, Maryland
Site workers wearing
protective suits placed
leaking drums into over-
packs. In all, more than
1,300 drums and 5 million
pounds of contaminated
soil were removed and
disposed of at authorized
facilities.
In the late 1960s, approxi-
mately 1,300 drums of haz-
ardous wastes were stacked
in a clay quarry and covered
over in the small Cecil
County, Maryland, commu-
nity of North  East  When the
new owners of the  land be-
gan an expansion of a  mo-
bile home community into
the former quarry area, they
discovered chemical odors
and several surfacing drums

After receiving complaints in
April 1981, the county and
the Maryland Office of  En-
vironmental  Programs tested
drinking water wells and sur-
face water in the area  The
property owner also con-
ducted geological studies
                                                                        11

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                         Emergency Response Program
The drums were
stacked up to 15 layers
deep.  To speed up the
removal action, EPA
combined compatible
chemicals so they
could  be either treated
at the site or bulk
shipped to a disposal
facility.
The analyses showed safe
drinking water, but the sur-
face water and soil samples
contained organic solvents,
including several  known and
suspected  carcinogens  The
State then requested as-
sistance from Superfund

From February to April 1982,
EPA conducted a site investi-
gation, including  additional
sampling. The on-scene in-
vestigators discovered drums
of hazardous organic wastes
located a few hundred feet
from a 300-unit trailer park
These wastes were contami-
nating soil, two small ponds,
and a creek  running through
the trailer park A joint State
and EPA emergency re-
sponse team evaluated the
site in May EPA approved a
removal action under Super-
fund in June 1982

EPA began an  immediate
removal action costing
$110,000 on Wednesday,
June  16,  1982  This in-
cluded erecting a fence
around the site to secure the
area,  installing filter fences
on the stream, removing
four drums of ignitable
materials found on the sur-
face, overpacking eight leak-
ing drums, conducting mag-
netometer and ground-
penetrating radar surveys to
determine where additional
drums were buried, and
continuing  air,  water, and
soil sampling

Based on these studies,
EPA estimated that there
were  approximately 125
drums at the site Because
of the potential danger
these posed to the
neighboring community,
EPA decided to undertake a
planned removal action  In-
stead of  the expected 125
drums, however, in
November, 1982, on-scene
personnel discovered that
there were 1,300 drums
stacked up to 15 layers
deep
12

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                         Emergency Response Program
At the completion of the
removal action, the site
was filled, capped with
clay, covered with top soil,
and seeded.
The discovery changed the
scope of the planned re-
moval action  EPA, State
and local agencies, and con-
tractors  increased personnel
to complete the action with-
in the statutory limit of six
months—a deadline of  De-
cember  16, 1982 EPA
changed the removal strat-
egy to combine compatible
chemicals together and dis-
pose of  them as  bulked li-
quids rather than in drums
This and other innovative
strategies lowered the per
drum cost of cleanup, so
that the  planned  removal ac-
tion cost $960,000, only
about $300,000  more than
anticipated when the num-
ber of drums was thought to
be a  tenth of how many
were found
In all, EPA removed 50,000
gallons of contaminated li-
quids, 5 million pounds of
contaminated soil, and
treated 100,000 gallons of
contaminated water Site
workers refilled the hole with
clean fill material, installed a
clay cap to prevent water
seepage into the former
drum area and the leaching
out of any contaminants
possibly left in  the deeper
ground, and covered the
surface with topsoil seeded
with  grass to prevent ero-
sion  The State pledged to
maintain the air and water
monitoring stations To date,
all environmental samples
have been free of the con-
tamination that prompted
this Superfund removal
action
                                                                              13

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                         Emergency Response Program
Research
and
Develop-
ment
Controlling and cleaning up
hazardous substances is a
relatively new field  New
equipment and new tech-
niques are required to re-
spond quickly and effec-
tively to  emergencies, and
to dispose of the materials
in a way that is environ-
mentally safe Both industry
and EPA are working dili-
gently to learn more about
controlling such substances
and to develop new
EPA's "Blue Magoo" can
be moved quickly to
hazardous waste sites to
remove hazardous sub-
stances from contaminated
water.
cleanup techniques and
equipment

Much of the development
and testing  related to the
Emergency  Response Pro-
gram occurs at EPA's
Environmental Emergency
Response Unit (EERU) in
Edison, New Jersey  EERU
is a cooperative effort
among emergency response
research personnel at Edi-
son, the Environmental
Response Team, other EPA
operational personnel, and
contractors from private
industry. As new equipment
is developed  and tested
satisfactorily,  it  is utilized by
EERU  in actual emergen-
cies,  it is also used in train-
ing courses and in develop-
ment of emergency
response assistance man-
uals Additional R&D sup-
port is  provided at other
EPA research installations

Chemical Cleanups
A number of special clean-
up equipment designs are
under development at Edi-
son One, designed for
cleanup of chemical  sub-
stances, is a fully-
operational Physical-
Chemical Treatment Trailer
nicknamed the "Blue  Ma-
goo" A combination of
treatment units mounted  on
a flatbed trailer truck, the
Blue Magoo  is capable of
being  transported to an
emergency site

The treatment  technology
was adapted from equip-
ment currently used  for
conventional water pollution
control treatment  The
physical-chemical treatment
14

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                          Emergency Response Program
Oil is released into the EPA
OHMSETT tank at Edison,
New Jersey, to test spill
cleanup methods and
equipment.
concept for hazardous sub-
stances has now been
adopted by at least two
commercial cleanup  equip-
ment manufacturers.

Still in the  testing stage is a
mobile hazardous waste in-
cineration  system This unit
will be capable of on-site
thermal detoxification of
many hazardous materials
such as RGBs, kepone,
malathion,  and TCDD The
system is mounted on three
over-the-road semi-trailers to
facilitate  transportation to
operating sites. Trial burn-
ings of liquid hazardous and
toxic substances have  been
completed successfully  This
is to be followed by trial
burnings  on contaminated
solids

Oil Cleanups
EPA also  conducts a wide-
ranging oil spills research
program  under Section  311
of the Clean Water Act
Major research and de-
velopment efforts for oil
spills include
   • Construction and  oper-
     ation of a Spill Clean-
     up Testing Facility at
     Leonardo,  New Jersey.
     The  testing facility,
     called the  Oil  and Haz-
     ardous Materials  Simu-
     lated Environmental
     Test  Tank (OHMSETT),
     is a  large concrete
     tank with a mobile
     bridge. It  permits
     environmentally-safe
    testing of spill  cleanup
     methods and  equip-
     ment Oil  spill contain-
     ment booms,  skimmers
    and  dispersing agents
     can  be tested  repeat-
    edly to insure reliability
     and  efficiency
   • Evaluation  of chemical
    dispersants developed
                                                                                15

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                           Emergency Response Program
                              by  industry, and tech-
                              niques for  applying
                              them from ships and
                              aircraft in rough seas
                              Techniques for cleaning
                              up  and protecting
                              shorelines  and
                              beaches  The Edison
                              facility, for  example,  is
                              emergencies involving con-
                              tamination of ground water,
                              surface water and drinking
                              water by  spills of hazardous
                              substances and oils The
                              unit also  has  provided
                              emergency responses  to
                              uncontrolled waste sites
                              EERU activities during these
EPA's mobile hazardous
waste incineration system
is mounted on three semi-
trailers to facilitate trans-
portation to hazardous sub-
stance sites.
    investigating use of
    chemical agents which
    could be applied be-
    fore  an  oil  slick arrives
    These agents  form a
    thin  film that prevents
    the oil from adhering
    to the beach

Emergency Assistance
During the past several
years, the EERU has
responded to a variety of
emergencies  included.
   • Evaluation of the
     severity and extent of
     contamination,
   • On-site analytical
     support,
   • Recommendation  of
     safe,  effective treat-
     ment and  disposal
     options;  and
   • Supervision of  spill
     cleanup  operations
16

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 Emergency Response Program
Training
In order to disseminate the
latest knowledge on new
emergency techniques and
equipment, EERU has
designed a comprehensive
one-week training course for
emergency response  per-
sonnel from Federal, State
and  local  organizations and
private industry

The  course, entitled "Haz-
ardous Materials Incident
Response Operations," is
offered at EERU's Edison
facility Its goal is to train
response officials in the
latest emergency proce-
dures, team organization
and  functioning, and  safety
The  course consists of lec-
tures followed by problem-
solving sessions in the
classroom or outdoor ex-
ercises.

Subjects  include those con-
cepts and principles as-
sociated with all response
activities.
   •  Recognizing the  haz-
     ards associated with
     specific materials,
   •  Determining the  risks
     to the public and the
     environment,
   •  Developing methods to
     reduce or prevent the ef-
     fects of an incident, and
   •  Insuring protection and
     safety of response per-
     sonnel
The course is limited to 18
participants per session.
During the first part of the
instruction, students are
divided into small work
groups which study and
practice  problem-solving
and decision-making in-
volved in the foregoing con-
cepts  Participants are  next
instructed in  the use of pro-
tective clothing  and breath-
ing equipment,  after which
they actually use the equip-
ment in  a smoke-filled en-
vironment, on obstacle
courses  and  while  operating
field instruments

Final exercises  are designed
to test students' ability to
utilize the information
presented to them  in a full-
scale environmental episode.
They are confronted with
two simulated exercises,
both based upon actual
emergencies, which require
practical  application of the
techniques learned  earlier.

The course has proven to
be  one of EERU's most ef-
fective means of involving
emergency response per-
sonnel in the complexities
of such  a response and
ensuring  informed, well-
coordinated teamwork  to
resolve the problem.
                                                       17

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                          Emergency Response Program
EPA sponsors nationwide
training for representatives
of industry, fire depart-
ments, and State and local
governments. Right and be-
low: Trainees learn how to
don and use the self-
contained breathing ap-
paratus often required for
respiratory protection.
                          Several hundred emergency
                          response  personnel have
                          completed the course since
                          it was inaugurated  in 1981
                          Graduates include all mem-
                          bers of EPA's  Emergency
Response Division,  other
Federal officials with emer-
gency responsibilities, and
response personnel from
State, local and  private
organizations.
18

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                          Emergency Response Program
                          The course currently  is
                          being offered  once each
                          month. Further information
                          is available fronr
                          Thomas Sell
                          Training Coordinator, ERT
                          US  Environmental
                            Protection Agency
                          26 West  St  Clair Street
                          Cincinnati, Ohio 45268
                          513-684-7537
                          FTS-684-7537
Inside this EPA mobile
laboratory, scientists and
technicians test soil and
water samples for hazard-
ous substances.
Manuals
In connection with its de-
velopmental testing and
training functions, EPA pub-
lishes an extensive series of
manuals to assist emergency
response personnel in plan-
ning and conducting cleanup
operations  In an effort to
achieve a uniform and cohe-
sive national response pro-
gram, the Agency develops
manuals in emergency
response methodology,
adaptation of latest cleanup
techniques, uniform commu-
nications terminology and
administrative procedures,
guidance on decision-
making,  and instructional
and reference manuals for
students in the  ERT training
courses

Recently published manuals
deal with pesticide disposal,
contingency planning (in
cooperation with the Federal
Emergency Management
Agency), and control of haz-
ardous materials spills Cur-
rently available manuals on
emergency response to spills
include:
   • Manual ol  Practice for
     Protection  and Cleanup
     of Shorelines
   • Manual for Control of
     Hazardous Material
     Spills
   • Hazardous Materials
     Incident Response
     Operations

All emergency response
manuals  are published and
made available  through  the
National  Technical Informa-
tion  Service, Springfield,
Virginia 22161   Further infor-
mation may be obtained
                                                                               19

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                         Emergency Response Program
                         from NTIS, from EPA's
                         Emergency Response Team
                         or any EPA Regional Office

                         Identification
                         Each hazardous substance
                         has special properties that
                         dictate its handling and dis-
                         position A substantial por-
                         tion of EPA's hazardous
                         substance research is de-
                         signed to develop methods
                         of identifying these proper-
                         ties. These programs are
                         conducted  at EPA's Environ-
                         mental Monitoring Systems
                         Laboratory  in  Las Vegas,
                         Nevada Major research ef-
                         forts there  include
                            • Evaluation  of proposed
                              sampling, analysis and
                              classification pro-
                              cedures;
                            • Improvement of
                              monitoring procedures
                              at disposal and
                              cleanup sites, and
                            • Development of a
                              quality assurance pro-
                              gram  to  guarantee the
                              reliability of data

                         EPA files document many
                         cases  of damage to life and
                         the environment from im-
                              proper disposal of hazard-
                              ous substances or acciden-
                              tal spills  Dangers also
                              develop from release of
                              such substances into rivers,
                              lakes and other surface
                              waters, from air pollution,
                              fire, explosions and  soil
                              contamination

                              Although the responsible
                              party may satisfactorily
                              clean  up the release of  a
                              hazardous substance,
                              Superfund and Section  311
                              of the Clean Water Act
                              now permit  the highest  de-
                              gree of  inter-governmental
                              coordination and effective-
                              ness whenever private in-
                              dustry  requests emergency
                              assistance.

                              This inter-governmental
                              coordination, together with
                              constantly improving tech-
                              nology and  a growing en-
                              vironmental  awareness by
                              industries which generate,
                              transport and dispose of
                              hazardous waste,  is being
                              translated daily into in-
                              creased environmental pro-
                              tection and  safety for the
                              American public.
US.  Environmi
Region V,  Li
aso  so-jt  _
Chicago,  ttttnols
                                                 Street
                                             60604
20

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EPA Regional
Emergency
Response
Offices
Region I
Chief,  Oil  and  Hazardous Materials
Section
Surveillance and Analysis Division
60 Westview Street
Lexington, MA 02173
(617) 861-6700

Region II
Chief,  Emergency Response Branch
Office of Emergency and Remedial
Response
Edison, NJ 08837
(201) 321-6657

Region III
Chief,  Superfund Branch
Curtis Building 3HW-20
6th and Walnut Streets
Philadelphia, PA  19106
(215) 597-9492

Region IV
Chief,  Emergency Remedial and
Response Branch
345 Courtland Street, N E
Atlanta, GA 30365
(404)  881-3931

Region V
Chief,  Spill Response Section
Environmental  Services  Division
5-SEES
536 South Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60605
(312) 353-2102
Region VI
Chief, Emergency Response Branch
6ES-E
1201 Elm Street
Interfirst-Two Building
Dallas, TX
(214) 767-2720

Region VII
Chief, Emergency Planning and
Response Branch
Environmental Services Division
25 Funston  Road
Kansas City, KS 66115
(913) 236-3888

Region VIII
Chief, Emergency Response Branch
Environmental Services Division
1860 Lincoln Street
Denver, CO  80295
(303) 234-6069

Region IX
Chief, Emergency Response Section
T 3-3.
Field Operations Branch
Toxic and Waste Management
Division
215 Fremont Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 974-7511

Region X
Chief, Environmental Emergency
Response Team
Environmental Services Division
1200 6th Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 442-1263

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Superfund/RCRA Hotline	(800) 424-9346
for information on programs                  or
                                    (202) 382-3000

National Response Center	(80CU 424-8802
to report oil and hazardous substance releases

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