United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of
Public Affnra (A-107)
Washington DC 20460
4>ERA Environmental News
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1985
Robin Woods (202) 382-4377
Dave Ryan (202) 382-2981
Chris Rice (202) 382-3324
EPA RELEASES
LIST OF 402
CHEMICALS FOR
RESPONSE
PLANNING
PROGRAM
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released
to the states additional information and guidance
materials in its program to help states and communities
respond to emergencies from the release of toxic chemicals
into the air.
Included in the new materials is a list of 402
acutely toxic chemicals, which, if released accidently
in sufficient quantities, could produce immediate (acute)
adverse health effects to nearby populations unless
appropriate emergency response action is taken. The
agency also is providing criteria for communities to
use to determine the potential danger of chemicals not
on the list. A chemical's potential danger may vary
with its use, handling, and circumstances of release.
The agency also is releasing guidance for states
and local communities to use in determining the presence
of the chemicals in their communities, and in developing
or improving local emergency response plans in the event
of an accidental release of any of those substances.
EPA is asking states and communities to work with
local industries and emergency response personnel to
determine the locations of these chemicals in the
communities, and to assess the adequacy of local
emergency response plans.
"Today's actions are designed to start a .communi-
cation process among citizens, their local and state
governments, and local industries. This process should
ensure that the communities are fully prepared, or soon
will be prepared, to adequately respond to chemical
accident emergencies," said EPA Administrator Lee M.
Thomas. "EPA and other federal agencies will be working
very closely with the states and their communities to
help them assess and improve emergency response planning."
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EPA will provide technical training to state and local officials
to help them identify potential chemical hazards and develop adequate
response plans. BPA has been working closely with the states government,
state and local associations, public interest and industry groups, and
other federal agencies over the the last several months to inform them of
the agency's new emergency planning program (called the Chemical Emergency
Prepardness Program (CEPP).
This unprecedented federal, state and local effort is designed to
help prevent tragedies similar to the one last year in Bhopal, India,"
said Thomas. "EPA is providing technical expertise through the states to
communities to ensure that each one of them will be able to take action
necessary to protect the public in the event of a chemical emergency.
"The primary responsibility for dealing with emergencies chemical
or otherwise .has always rested with local authorities," said Thomas.
"This program complements existing state and local emergency preparedness
programs."
In its guidance to states and communities, the agency recommends that
the chemical identification and response planning process begin with the
development of a work group to undertake the effort, led by the local
jurisdiction's chief executive (mayor, city manager, county executive or
other official). To be effective and representative of the community as a
whole, the work group should include local emergency response experts (such
as police and fire departments, civil defense agencies, medical community
representatives, Red Cross personnel), environmental control agencies,
technical experts (such as university or laboratory scientists), citizen
groups, local industry officials and workers (or their unions), and other
appropriate representatives.
The first step, the determination of locations of acutely toxic chemicals
in the community, can be undertaken by the work group through information
provided by local industries, local fire department and other public safety
agency records, nationwide industrial information directories which describe
major production sources of chemicals, and from federal and state agencies.
EPA has been working closely with industry and trade groups to ensure that
industries will be forthcoming with information concerning chemicals present
at their sites; some states have community and/or worker "right-to-know"
laws which may be invoked to aid in public access to this information.
Once sources of the chemicals in the community have been determined,
the work group should assess the adequacy of the current emergency response
program and modify or upgrade response plans as necessary. EPA's guidance
provides information on developing and ensuring adequate response plans.
At a minimum, an appropriate emergency response plan provides for immediate
notification of local response officials of an accidental release, notifica-
tion of the federal National Response Center .(operated by the Coast Guard),
information on name, type and quantity of chemical(s) released, notification
on whether significant amounts of the chemical appear to be entering the
atmosphere, direction of vapor clouds or plumes, and weather conditions, as
well as medical emergency information, including immediate action to be
taken by the public.
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EPA has emergency personnel available 24 hours a day who can be reached
through the National Response Center at 8004248802 to help states and
localities respond to chemical accidents. In addition, the Chemical
Manufacturers Association (CMA), an industry trade group, also provides
chemical and emergency response information and support through a separate
program called CHEMTREC (8004249300).
Other federal agencies involved in the planning process are the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). which has already established emergency
networks in states in the event of emergencies or natural disasters; the
occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which is responsible
for ensuring plant and worker safety; and the Department of Transportation
(DOT) which regulates the transportation of hazardous substances.
The agency has provided to the states profiles on each chemical,
describing their properties and characteristics.
EPA is seeking public comment on the guidance documents and its list of
acutely toxic chemicals. A Federal Register notice will be published in
December providing a 90day public comment period.
The public may receive more information about EPAs Chemical Emergency
Prepardness Program by contacting:
Region 1
(New England)
Region 2
(New York, New Jersey,
Puerto Rico, Virgin
Islands)
Region 3 841 Chestnut Street
(Pennsylvania, West Philadelphia, PA 19107
virginia, Virginia, Office of Public Affairs
Maryland, Delaware, 18004382474
District of Columbia)
Region 4
(North Carolina,
South Carolina,
Georgia, Florida,
Alabama, Mississippi,
Tennessee, Kentucky)
EPA/CEPP National Hotline
18005350202
John F. Kennedy Federal Building, Room 2203
Boston, MA 02203
Environmental Services Division
617/8616700, Ext. 221
26 Federal Plaza
New York, NY 10278
Superfund Technical Information Services
NJ: 1800/3465009; NY: 1800/7321223
R 214
345 Courtland Street, NW
Atlanta, GA 30365
Emergency Response & Control Section
404/8813931
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Region 5
(Ohio, Indiana,.
Illinois, Michigan,
Wisconsin, Minnesota)
Region 6
(Texas, Arkansas,
Oklahoma, New Mexico,
Louisiana)
Region 7
(Missouri, Kansas,
Nebraska, Iowa)
Region 8
(Colorado, Utah,
South Dakota,
North Dakota,
Wyoming, Montana)
230 South Dearborn Street
Chicago, IL 60604
Emergency Response Section
312/8861964
1201 Elm Street
Dallas, TX 75270
Regional Information Center
214/7677341
726 Minnesota Avenue
Kansas City, KS 66101
Emergency Planning & Response Branch
913/2363888
One Denver Place
Suite 1300
999 18th Street
Denver, CO 80202
303/2981761
Region 9
(California, Nevada,
Arizona, Hawaii, Guam,
American Samoa)
215 Fremont Street
San Francisco, CA
Chemical Emergency
18002313075
94105
Preparedness Program
Region 10
(Washington, Idaho
Oregon, Alaska)
1200 Sixth Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101
Hazardous Waste Division
Emergency Response Team
206/4421263
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