U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Region III	November 1998
IMIROKNtr PLANNING AND COMMUNITY RIGHT-TO-KNOW ACT
Jit
e We Ready for the Year 2000 Bug?
Have you ever thought about that nasty little
pest known in the computer world as the Year
2000 bug?
For many outside of the computer industry,
the problem seems remote or perhaps slighdy
irritating. But in fact, the bug, known as Y2K,
may have some important implications to the
first responders, many of which have been
overlooked in the past.
So what exacdy is the Y2K problem? To save
storage space, and perhaps reduce the amount
of keystrokes necessary to enter a year, most
information system groups have allocated
two digits to the year identified on your
computer. For example, "1993" is stored as "93"
in your data files, and 2000 will be stored as 00.
These two-digit dates exist on millions of data
files used as input to millions of applications.
This two-digit date affects data manipulation,
primarily subtractions, and comparisons. For
instance, if you are born in 1955 and ask die
computer to calculate how old you are today, it
will subtract 55 from 98 and announce diat you
are 43. In the year 2000, however, the computer
will subtract 55 from 00 and
will state that you are -55
years old. While this error
will have the added benefit
of making
us all considerable
younger, it will also affect all calculations that
produce or use time spans.
Now these problems may not seem terribly
significant until you look at the types of systems
that will be affected by what are known as "date
sensitive embedded systems." According to the
United Kingdom's Action 2000 website
embedded systems "control, protect, and monitor
tasks. In broad terms, embedded systems are
programmable devices or systems which are
generally used to control or monitor things like
processes, machinery, environments,
equipment, and communications." For
example, Emergency Information Systems
(EIS), used by emergency management and
response agencies throughout Region 111, are
considered embedded systems.
In an article written by Paula Gordon (see
www.year2000.com), it is estimated that there
may be from 10 to 25 billion embedded systems
in existence. It is known that a small percentage of
these are date sensitive and that a small (between
0.2% and 1%), but significant percentage are not
Year ^2000 compliant. This means that from 20
million to 250 million embedded system failures
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Charles Slewart, Long Time EPA Region III Planner, Dead at 68
We've lost a dedicated chemical emergency planner, knowledgeable environmentalist and, for many, a good and true friend, with the passing of Charles
"Charlie" Stewart, Sunday October 24. Charlie, long-time EPA Region III CEPP teammate and National Older Workers Career Center to EPA Region III
consultant, died peacefully after a hard-fought but protracted illness at Fitzgerald-Mercy Hospice in Delaware County Pennsylvania. He was 68 years old.
Charlie joined EPA Region III as an AARP senior executive employee in 1988 and was assigned to then Title III Section to help with regional LEPC
outreach and planning and technical assistance under die newly enacted Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act. He provided invaluable
research, insight and keen regulatory analysis to EPA Region III chemical emergency preparedness coordinators and planners as well as the Regional Response
Team for the past ten plus years. His sage advice and common sense approach to community outreach, risk communications and contingency planning
became integral and invaluable assets to what is now the Site Assessment and Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Prevention Section under Dave Wright.
He was a native of the Richmond, Va., area and a retired manager for the New York Life Insurance Company. For many years, he served his community
of Mill bourne Borough as Tax Collector. He is sadly and sorely missed by all he worked with and befriended. Rcquiescat In Pace.

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U.S. Environmental Protection Ag«n
"
Questions about the Accident Prevention
Subcommittee can be sent to Karen Shanahan at:
• E-mail - Shanahan.karen@epa.gov
•	Regular mail - 401 M Street, S W (5 104),
Washington, DC, 20460
•	Phone - 202-260-2711, Fax-202-260-1686.
Risk Management Guidance for POTWs Available
Wastewater treatment plant operators seeking help on how to estimate the distances to toxic endpoints
for chlorine, ammonia, and sulfur dioxide will want to tap into the Chemical Emergency Preparedness and
Prevention Offices (CEPPO) website.
EPA has developed a Risk Management Program guidance document, The RMP Guidance for POTWs,
which is geared specifically for the wastewater treatment industry. The guidance document includes tables
that are specific to three chemicals common to wastewater treatment: chlorine, ammonia, and sulfur dioxide.
The tables will yield shorter distances to toxic endpoints than the general lookup tables found in the newest
version of U.S. EPA Headquarters Offsite Consequence Analysis (OCA) Guidance.
The shorter distances are due to the use of air dispersion models that specifically model the behavior of
chlorine, ammonia, and sulfur dioxide. On the other hand, the models used to develop the tables in the
OCA guidance are more general. Because F.PAs chemical-specific models incorporate toxic endpoints into
the table, worst-case/alternative case scenario development will be streamlined.
Although the tables were designed for POTWs, any facility that uses, manufactures, or stores the three
chemicals in amounts that require reporting under Section 112(r) of the Clean Air Act will find the tables useful.
Log on to the CEPPO website at: http://www.epa.gov/swercepp. Or call EPCRA Hotline at
800-424-9346.

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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Region III
November 1998
Rutgers Studies Focus on Risk Communication
With the June 1, 1999 deadline for worst-case
scenarios rapidly approaching, industry officials
are still grappling with how to effectively
communicate risk information to the public.
Help may be in sight, through a series of studies
in various stages of completion at Rutgers
University.
Risk communication is new territory for
many facility managers. The Clean Air Act
112(r) requires industries to submit risk
management plans, including worst-case
scenarios, to the Environmental Protection
Agency, but not to the public. However, the
public will have access to the information and
may be ill-prepared to interpret it. As a result,
EPA's Risk Management Program, which is
geared toward local implementation and
industry groups, is encouraging facility
operators to establish risk communications
programs.
Finding out how to make these programs
effective is the goal of several studies at the Rutgers
Center for Environmental Communication
(CEC) in New Brunswick, New Jersey. These
studies focus on how industry can best
communicate hazard information to the public
and on how communities respond to
information about potential chemical accidents.
CEC Director Caron Chess, Ph.D., said the
studies include so many facets of risk
communication that they will provide useful
information to a variety of industry, government,
and public stakeholders.
Successfully Communicating Worst Case
Scenarios: Strategies for Industry, uses case
studies and focus group research to determine
what strategies have been used by companies to
successfully communicate risk information, such
as worst case risk analyses, accident histories and
risk management plans, to the public. The
report will be a practical guidance document
and should be available now.
Planning Risk Communication, a
videotaped training module and brochure for
government agencies about how to plan and
implement successful public participation in risk
communication, is already available. A similar
training module and brochure for industry are
expected to be completed soon.
Improving Environmental Communication:
Risk Comparisons and Obstacles to Good
Practice, a study in progress, addresses the need
for governmental agencies to communicate well
with constituents and the public at large. The
study examines what kind of risk comparisons
interest citizens and how they react to them, as
well as how managers perceive communication
with the public.
These studies are funded by Hazardous
Substance Management Research Center, a
consortium of private companies, the New Jersey
Institute of Technology, and/or the New Jersey
Department of Environmental Protection.
The studies that are already available may be
ordered through our website, said Chess. As soon
as the others are ready, they will be added to the
publications list, which is constantly updated.
To order a study report, visit the CEC website
at http://aesop.rutgers.edu/-cec or call the CEC
at 732-932-7815.
CEPP CONFERENCE itMZ
We're really excited about our upcoming 1999
Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Prevention
Conference next year in Washington, D.C. It's the
first time we've held our conference in the District
of Columbia, and we're getting great support and
creative ideas from Dr. Michele Penick and her staff
at the D.C. Office of Emergency Preparedness and
the LEPC. And we really lucked out with the dates,
September 20-23, and the accommodations are
none other than the Washington Hilton and
Towers.
Despite our enthusiasm, we are frankly also a
lircle concerned. You see, we have been out of
circulation for a year and are little worried that
some of our dedicated supporters and attendees wiU
have forgotten about us and the country's greatest
chemical emergency preparedness conference. How
does the saying go? "Out of sight; out of mind". So,
lucky for you, we're working that much harder to
absolutely and completely guarantee that our '99
conference will be absolutely and completely
marvelous. We've already made some important
headway.
We've got a great conference theme, "Make A
Difference" and will intensify our efforts to make
sure every speaker, every workshop teacher, and
every instructor has "walked the walk, not just
talked the talk."
We've lined up the RRT and the exciting
National Emergency Medical Counter-Terrorism
Organization, PRE-EMP T PRE-EMPT will hold
their third annual national convention in
conjunction with our '99 CEPP Conference as an
appetizer for our conference smorgasbord on
September 18-20. The RRT will join us as desert
on the 21st through 23rd.
In addition, we've lined up some terrific
nationally-known teachers like Gregg Noll, Phil
McArdle, Ettore CasteUante, Marian Sloanne, and
Jim Makris, to name but a few. We're working on
"Snakeman," Dr. Jerry Bromenshenk from the
University of Montana, Captain Sewer Club, and a
live, almost naked, mass decon exercise. We've got
Steve Hardman from the Kanawha Valley, the Fire
chief from Nitro, West Virginia, home of the
illustrious Fike-Artel Superfund Site, and his
challenging, almost-too-realistic, hands-on,
interactive tabletop scenario, "Stress City." We've
actuaUy arranged for Dr. Sadayoshi Ohbu from
Tokyo, Japan to journey to our conference and tell
you first hand what it was like in the ER ofTokyo's
St. Luke's Hospital when 500+ saran victims from
the terrorist subway incident descended on his
hospital. There's definitely more to follow.
We are a bit concerned that we only have 425
rooms reserved at the Hilton, considering the great
conference rate of $150 for the general public, and
only 135 rooms at whatever the 1999 federal
government rate will be. But if push comes to
shove, we may be able to get some more. In any
event, make sure to reserve early even if you're not
sure you can attend (you can always scalp your
reservation later). Call the DC Hilton at 202-483-
3000 and ask for the CEPP Conference and get
your room lined up now.
Our website will be up and running in about two
weeks, as will our conference hodine. Watch your
mail for an announcement.
If you have ideas, things you'd like to see, things
you don't ever want to see again, speakers we just
have to get, etc., call AJ Brown, Conference
Director, at 215-814-3302 and watch.

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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Region HI
November 1998
Around The Slates
News From Region III
Virginia
The Virginia Department of Environmental
Quality (VDEQ) is placing greater emphasis on
Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs) to
address community needs, enhance environmental
protection. Section 303 of SARA Title 111 requires
each LEPC to evaluate (he resources necessary to
develop and implement a Hazardous Materials
Response Plan. However, rnanv of these plans do not
address resource shortfalls, Therefore, the Virginia
Department of Emergency Services, Technical
Hazards Division (THD) requested that all
LEPCs conduct an emergency planning resource
assessment The assessment facilitates the review
and selection process by the VDEQ, who is
solely responsible for selecting a potential SER
Virginia LEPC Newsletter
The THD is in the process of developing a
quarterly newsletter for Local Emergency
Planning Committees. The newsletter will provide
a vehicle for LEPCs to exchange information and
keep abreast of state and federal initiatives.
New OES Director
John W Pack, Jr. was named Director of the
West Virginia Office of Emergency Services
(OES) August 1, 1998. Pack was with the U. S.
Army and the WV National Guard for25 years.
SERC/LEPC Conference Held
The 4th Annual West Virginia SERQLEPC
conference was held at l;altwoods, W. Va.,
September 14-15, 1998.
Conference attendees represented die SERC,
LEPCs, and other statewide emergency response
personnel. Topics included Hospital Emergency
Preparedness, Geographic Information Systems,
Risk Management, SERC/Hazardous Materials
Emergency Preparedness Grants, and a Railroad
Hazmat Incident. John W. Pack, Jr., OES and
SERC Chairman, hosted the conference.
Pennsylvania
On August 1, 1998, the. Pennsylvania
Emergency Management Agency sponsored a
training session (or PA Task Force I, orffc of 27
federally-certified urban search and rescue teams
that respond to structure collapses.
Hie team spent 17 hours finding and recovering
the simulated "victims." Due to asbestos and PCB
contamination concerns, team technicians checked
for hazardous materials not removed hv the
demolition contractor. Human volunteers
provided training for canine task force members.
Pennsylvania also embarked on a terrorism
response preparedness program. In addition lo the
training conducted under the auspices of the
Nunri-Lugar-Domenici legislation, the Common-
wealth lias conducted training programs for new
nuclear/biological/chemical officers (NBCOs).
Special briefings and exercises are being developed
for senior state and municipal elected officials.
Conference agendas now include terrorism
preparedness and response training. In addition, a
series of breakfast meetings has been instituted.
Delaware
Delaware first responders to get
decontamination trailers.
Delaware emergency service providers will
soon have final decontamination trailers to treat
injured and contaminated patients at accident
sites. The trailers will allow fire and paramedic
personnel to provide expanded service to patients
prior to transporting them to a medical facility.
The trailers will provide a protected environment
and the equipment to perform final
decontamination and life saving functions. To
address the need, the SERC formed a working
group composed of representatives from fire,
paramedics, LEPCs, Public Health, Natural
Resources and Environmental Control, and
Emergency Management Research included an
examination of an Army decontamination trailer
at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland; Cost
for each trailer is approximately $70,000. One
trailer will be located in each county, with
transportation and operation functions shared by
the paramedic and fire service community.
Delivery of the first trailer from the manufacturer
is expected mid-October.
For more information contact Joe Wessels at
(302) 326-6036.
Washington D.C.
Introducing the Mitigation Monitor
The District of Columbia Office of
Emergency Preparedness (OEP) developed a
newsletter on D.C. Project Impact, Eire and
Arson Mitigation Project. The newsletter
includes information on Fire and Emergency
Medical Services and other OEP District
Hazard Planning initiatives.
According to Patrice N. Strapp-White, Hazard
Mitigation Coordinator at OEP, the response
from public and private partners affiliated with
die IEPC and the Project Impact Steering and
Event Coordination Committee has been very
encouraging. Members contribute articles
describing activities and/or projects undertaken
to reduce or eliminate Iwzard risks. Appropriate
topics include installation of equipment to reduce
risk, structural retrofit of facilities, awareness and
education activities; and innovative mitigation
concepts. The D.C, Mitigation Monitor will fie
produced bi-monthly or quarterly, depending on
information availability.
For more information contact Patrice N.
Strapp-White at 202-727-6161.
Maryland
Mutual Assistance Plan and
Nuclear Readiness Tested
Maryland tested tts mutual assistance plan
and readiness for a nuclear accident in two
exercises held this Fall. The South Baltimore
Mutual Assistance Wan was tested in a full scale
exercise October 28, 1998. Drums containing
simulated hazardous materials were dumped off
a ship in Baltimore Harbor, into the water and
onto the dock for a combined response by the
State, Baltimore County, City of Baltimore and
local industry. In November, the Maryland
Department of the Environment will participate
in the biennial exercise for Peach Bottom
Nuclear Power Plant. Though located in
Pennsylvania, a nuclear incident at Peach
Bottom could impact portions of Maryland.
For more information, contact Quentin
Banks at 410-486-4422.

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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Region III
November 1998
National Fire Academy Oilers Self-Study on Emergency Response to Terrorism
The National Fire Academy (NFA) is offering a
self-study course that is a sclf-paced and paper-based
document. The course provides the basic awareness
training needed to prepare first
responders to respond to incidents of
terrorism safely and effectively-
After completing the course,
students who successfully
fulfill the evaluation
requirements will be
eligible for a Federal
Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA)/BJA
certificate of training. Target audiences include fire,
emergency medical, hazmat, incident command, and
law enforcement responders.
•	An understanding of the role of the first
responder in terrorist emergencies.
•	The ability to identify additional resources.
•	The ability to self-protect.
To master the basics of first responder
awareness at the scene of a potential
terrorist incident, NFA recommends
that interested parties complete a
corresponding 16-hour course entitled
Emergency Response To Terrorism:
Basic Concepts.
The self-study course, which includes five
modules, can be downloaded from your computer
at www.usfa.fema.gov/nfa/tr_ertss.htm. You can
also order the course by calling 1-800-238-3358
and requesting ERTSS, Q534. Good Luck!
The course offers training in the following areas:
• An understanding of what terrorism is and
associated risks.
•	An understanding of potential outcomes.
•	The ability to recognize criminal activity or
terrorism in an emergency.
Responsible Care® Program Expanded
The Chemical Manufacturers Association
(CMA) has expanded its Responsible Care®
Program to include chemical-related, non-CMA
ompanies and associations in its new Responsible
Care® Partnership Program. To date, 51
companies and 26 associations are participating.
Started in 1986, Responsible Care® is CMA's
initiative to promote continuous health, safety
and environmental improvement in the
manufacture, use, formulation, distribution,
transportation, storage, treatment, or disposal of
chemicals. To be eligible for partnership,
companies and associations must demonstrate a
sincere interest and commitment to
implementing the tenets of Responsible Care®.
Partners gain full access to all the program's
resources, including resource guides, manuals,
videos, and on-line information. Partners may
also participate in industry workshops,
conferences, and the regional Responsible Care®
mutual assistance network.
In addition to extending the 106 Responsible
Care® management practices to non-CMA
partners, it is hoped the Partnership Program
will benefit the entire chemical community in
the following ways:
•	Creating a "ripple effect" of industry-wide
improved performance as it becomes a source
of new ideas to help the chemical industry
conduct business more safely
•	Open alternative channels for discussion about
what's happening within the chemical industry
¦ Provide a set of core competencies and
expertise that will provide consistency in
environment, health and safety activities
• Increase support for TRANSCAER®, CMA's
chemical transportation safety initiative
' Provide training and understanding to emergency
responders and other key stakeholders
¦ For more information on the Responsible
Care® Partnership Program, contact CMA
at 703-741-5303 or visit the website at
http://www.cmaresponsiblecare.com

Internet Services
The Disaster Preparedness and
Emergency Response Association
(DERA)
www.disasters.org/dera.htmi
DERA is a non-profit, international service
and professional association that offers a
website providing dozens of links to emergency
response websites and organizations around the
world. Information includes emergency alerts,
events, and conferences, and emergency
management information sources.
The Disaster Preparedness and Emergency
Response Association, International (DERA)
was founded in 1962 to assist communities
worldwide in disaster preparedness, response
and recovery, and to serve as a link for
professionals, volunteers, and organizations
active in all phases of emergency preparedness
and management. DERA currendy has active
members around the world, representing
national governments, non-profit associations,
official agencies, educational institutions,
corporations, small business concerns,
emergency management professionals,
researchers, and volunteers.
The ChemAlliance Website
www.chemalliance.org
This website, developed by the Center for
Clean Industrial and Treatment Technologies
at Michigan Technological University,
provides compliance assistance to the chemical
industry. The site helps users navigate
through available sources of compliance
information at federal, state, and local levels
and helps users find the most appropriate
solutions for their needs. The site offers a toll-
free hotline and fax-back service.

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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Region HI
November 1998
Risk Communication: Getting the Community Involved
By Corey R. Stein
Getting the community involved in chemical
emergency preparedness planning is one of the
biggest challenges facing Local Emergency
Planning Committees (LEPCs).
People know hazardous chemicals could be
released into their community. Trucks could spill
hazardous chemicals on the roadway. A raging
fire could send up clouds of toxic smoke from a
nearby manufacturing plant. Still, they would
rather not deal with such issues. Acknowledging
these potential problems means facing upsetting
things people would prefer to ignore. These
problems might even lower property values.
The goal of risk communications is to get
residents to truly support and be involved in
planning and public education, much as they do
for natural disasters. Floods, earthquakes,
tornadoes and hurricanes are very predictable,
frequent occurrences. Good records have been
kept for the past 200 years. People know and
understand the dangers, risks and costs. They
know they must be active participants in
protecting themselves, their families and their
property. They make an effort to be prepared.
Other disasters, such as chemical spills and
radiation releases, are just beginning to be
identified and quantified. Planning for safe,
coordinated response to chemical emergencies
and communicating the risk is A relatively new
charge for emergency planners, responders and
the community. Local residents are perhaps the
largest stakeholders in these disasters, and must
be part of the planning team. But, everybody is
still learning how planning must be done.
LEPCs must find creative ways to reach out to
local community groups, especially those with a
mission that coincides with that of the LEPC —
making the community a better, safer place to live.
They must be as inclusive as possible, rewarding
positive outcomes and making it fun. Sounds
simple. Yet these elements are often ignored.
As a Boy Scout, I enjoyed skills competitions
between troops. To avoid losing, we had to be
prepared. We tried to anticipate which skills
would be tested and we prepared aggressively,
delegating responsibilities according to each
member's areas of expertise. If we didn't have an
expert, we trained one.
As we practiced, my worth to the group effort
increased. 1 was elevated to a higher level of
responsibility and respect within the troop. It
made me proud, and I liked it. The esteem of
my fellow Scouts eased competition pressures,
making success more likely. The joy of success
was compounded by the recognition of my
peers. These were indisputably attractive awards.
This lesson has served me well.
In 14 years as a risk manager for the City of
Harrisburg, PA, and member of its emergency
response team, I repeatedly saw simple human
dynamics determining the success or failure of
emergency response plans. The same problems
kept occurring- poor communications, weak
delegation patterns, poor understanding of the
expertise of individuals and community groups,
and an overall lack of creative vision coupled
with a weak understanding of the purpose,
urgency, and rewards.
The key is ro recognize these elements when
planning begins, then test the process against
them. As in my Boy Scout days, there has to be
a clear understanding of the purpose and
rewards. Especially the rewards.
Emergency team members must understand
the importance of their roles, both as part of the
whole and as individual contributors, as well as
understanding the roles of other team members.
If there is not a clear understanding of the worth
of the emergency planning and response team
among its; members, with measured recognition
of individual and team efforts, the chance of
communicating its message clearly to the public
and encouraging community partnerships is
dramatically lowered.
The public will be much more receptive to
directions if they understand what the
emergency planning team does. The confidence
that comes with sharpening the team's skills will
help in communicating this message to the
public and helping them understand that what
the team is doing has worth to the entire
community.
Finally, there must be rewards, including
recognition for good performance and
acknowledgment of the sacrifices participants
make. When disaster occurs, the emergency
team is asked to help the community, even
though it means leaving their families and
sacrificing opportunities to help save their own
possessions. The community must recognize the
depth of commitment it takes to build such
loyalty and develop very strong community
support systems.
A supportive community reaps the largest
benefit. When an emergency strikes, it has a
well-prepared emergency response team poised
for action
Corey Stein, Director of I'ublic Risk
Management Services at Co regis Insurance
Company, served as Risk Manager for the City of
Harrisburg, PA, for 14 years. He is the former
National Vice-President of the Public Risk
Management Association, for which he is a
frequent speaker and writer* Air. Stem mill be
presenting at the CEPP Conference. See related
article on page 3.
New OSHA Standards For Hazmat Safety
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has implemented new safeguards to
protect first responders during hazardous materials releases, explosions and fires.
OSHA inspectors at private sector facilities must now determine compliance with hazardous waste and
emergency response regulations, Inspectors will review emergency response plans and evaluate the
facility's ability to contain, control and clean up hazmats in an emergency. Facility employees responding
to hazmat emergencies must have specific training to ensure they are properly trained and equipped.
Emergency response plans must meet the elements of 29 CFR 1910.120 (q)(2). Inspectors must
ensure local emergency responders have been informed about facility emergency response plans and the
conditions under which they, as outside responders, will be called upon to provide emergency response
to the facility. Additionally, inspectors will ascertain whether EPA reportable quantities of hazardous
materials have been reported to the LEPC.
The directive also calls for a revised training course on emergency response to hazardous substance
releases to explain the directive. The course is available to federal and state officials. Course information
is available from the OSHA Training Institute, 847-297-4810.
Inspection Procedures for Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response, 29 CFR
1910.120 (Paragraph Q) is available from OSHA, 202-219-4667, or as Directive CPL 2-2.59A under
Compliance Directives on the OSHA website at http://www.osha.gov

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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Region HI
November 1»98
Importing Tier II Data Into CAMEO
By Joe Albert
The most frequently asked questions when
teaching the Introduction to CAMEO
(Computer Aided Management of Emergency
Operations) course are: Does CAMEO manage
this information? Is it necessary to input all that
information? Does it have to be input every
year? What are some of the methods of getting
this information into the program? Is this all
that is necessary to use the system?
Most LEPCs do not currently use some form of
electronic information management system to deal
with Tier II information. However, this is changing
rapidly. The two most commonly used systems are
the Info-Book by Essential Technologies, Inc.
(formerly Emergency Information Systems (PUS)
International) and die EPA/NOAA CAMEO Suite.
Tier II data may be entered on a local level by
paid personnel or volunteers. Some state agencies
enter the data and share it with die counties via
electronic or hard copy reports. Another method
of receiving and inputting information is
electronically submitting and importing data
into one or more programs, including the U. S.
ivironmcntal Protection Agency's Tier II for
indows reporting program. To be of value
during a response, information reported using
this program must be imported into some other
information management system. The infor-
mation can, however, be imported into the
CAMEO system directly.
Information entered into the EIS/Info-Book
system cannot, at this time be directly imported
into the CAMEO system. EIS/Info-Book
information can be utilized by various database
programs. One of the most common is Microsoft
ACCESS. EIS can export in diis format and is
easily imported into ACCESS. Manipulation of
data from this point requires an adept database
manager. It can be formatted into Foxpro to be
imported into CAMEO from this point.
To import information entered into the Tier
II Win 2.1 program, you need a data backup of
your county's Tier II information on disk. You
also need the Tier II Win software, which can be
downloaded and installed from the Internet at
http://www.epa.gov/cepp.
Select TIER II 5.0. NOTE! If you are importing
new data, select DELETE current data. If you
are importing additional data, for example data
for a combined planning district, do not select
DELETE current data. This will allow the
current data to be appended to the existing data.
Typical import time is approximately 6 hours,
so I suggest doing this at the close of business.The
information is imported by the next day.
CAMEO puts the data from the Tier II Win
program into the correct modules, i.e., Facilities,
Chemical Inventory, Locations, and Contacts.
Follow the steps listed below to import your
county data into this program:
•	Go to ACCESSORIES.
•	Select the IMPORT module and follow the
prompts.
•	Go to ACCESSORIES again.
•	Select the EXPORT function.
•	Choose CAMEO.
•	Direct the computer to the CAMEO program,
showing the path and the executable file.
•	Choose RUN to start the CAMEO Program.
•	Go to UTILITIES.
•	Choose IMPORT.
•	Select RUN.
•	Leave the office.
You will still have to enter other related
information inro the program, but this is a good
starting place for information management.
For more information, contact Alan Brown,
EPA CAMEO Training Coordinator, at 215-
814-3302.
Joe Albert is an instructor for Region Ill's
two-day Introduction to CAMEO course.
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Pocket Plans
By Bill White
Way back in 1985, I began what I call a
revolutionary way of doing Community
Emergency Response Plans. As Kanawha County
Emergency Services Director, I found the usual,
cumbersome plans an attempt at literary genius,
but not usable out on the street. So, I developed
a check list "Pocket Plan."
A Pocket Plan folds up like a road map to fit
into the glove compartment of a truck or into
one's back pocket. When opened, it contains an
A-to-Z approach to a community-wide emergency.
Planning has been done based on specific
hazards in each community, from big
-rporations like Dupont, to a local bulk plant
,e Baker Oil. The plans contain a lot of useful
information, complete with a reminder check
list to handling a community emergency.
Each community was assigned an area
number. A risk assessment was done
and included in the plan. Population special
needs were identified. Schools, evacuation
centers, bus pick up
points, staging areas,
traffic diversion and
security points were
pre-designated in the plan. Around these
components I designed a "road map" to guide
emergency responders from the beginning to the
end.
Future planning needs can easily be met. The
actual plans take only a few days to complete
and can be tailored to a whole community or a
specific site. I have a master blank to fill out with
emergency officials, then the completed form
goes to a local blue print company for as many
copies as we need.
I also have a completed computer rendition of
the Pocket Plan Blank in my lap top. I can take
"I found the usual, cumbersome plans an attempt
at literary genius, but not usable out on the street."
— Bill White
it out into the field and generate a paper copy or
a CD for the local emergency responders.
Even with the new risk management plan
rules, I feel we can have better, more meaningful
planning if plans are
convenient to develop
and easy to use. These
plans have been
accepted by the Local Emergency Planning
Committee and are included in their plan as an annex.
Have Pocket Plans been used in actual
emergencies? Yes. Several times. And, they have
worked. But, most importantly, Pocket Plans
have been accepted as a useful tool by the
emergency responders.
Bill White is the Director of Emergency Services
for Kanawha County, West Virginia. For more
information on Pocket Plans, call White at 304-
357-0111 or attend his Pocket Plan presentation
at the 1999 CEPP Conference. See related story
on page 3.

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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Region lil
November 1998
Innovations from EPA's Region III
:: Airport/Airline HAZMAT Seminar - A one day session featuring BiU Puckhaver of the Pan American Training Institute, the EPA, NTSB, FAA and various
| response community guest speakers. Course offers airport HAZMAT procedures, pitfalls, and protocols; carrier and shippers' responsibilities; enforcement .
| considerations; LEPC and EMA contingency planning for communities adjacent to and within flight padis; and case studies. A certificate of attendance is awarded
| for successful completion of a written exam. Next seminar is planned for mid-January in Hampton-Roads, VA Contact George Roarty at 804-897-6574.
j! HAZMAT and the Maritime Industry Course - Emphasizes basic hazardous materials awareness, pollution prevention, contingency planning, EPA
| enforcement considerations, incident command systems, and introduces attendees to various EPA regulatory programs such as OPA, CAA, FIFRA, RCRA,
I and EPCRA. The program is aimed at second-line managers and supervisors but can be tailored for specific audiences. The course was developed jointly by
j: EPA Reeion m- R°y E Weston, Inc., and SEA, Inc. For more information, contact A1 Brown, EPA Region III at 215-814-3302,e-mail; brown.alan@epa.gov
| LEPC Audio Tapes - The first three tapes are designed for elected officials (e.g. mayors, commissioners), LEPC chairpersons, and LEPC members. Each tape
j] will run approximately 13-15 m.nutes and attempt to make two or three key points in a humorous, entertaining fashion. The tapes are professionally written
jj and produced by Buzzy Productions. Initial distribution to all LEPC chairs is targeted for January. For more information about any of these programs, contact
s; Alan Brown at 215-814-3302.
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EPCRA Update is published periodically on an irregular basis by the Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Prevention (CEPP) folks at EPA
Region III. Al Brown is editor/publisher. Our goal is to provide interesting, informative, helpful, and often timely EPCRA and CEPP
information to hazardous materials emergency planners, responders, and stakeholders across EPA III Region and beyond. If you have a story
you would like to tell, a point you'd like to make, or simply want to have your very own copy o(EPCRA Update just fill out this form and
marl it to; Al Brown, EPA Region III (3HS33),1650 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103-2029. You may also fax this form to 215-814-3254
or e-mail it to brown.alan@ep.i.gov.
Name
Address
City 	
State
Zip_
Please identify your affiliations:
~	Federal	~ Medical
~	Military	~ Local Government/
~	State government/EMA Responders/LEPC
~	Industry	~ General
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U.S. EPA Region III (3HS33)
1650 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103-2029
BULK RATE
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
Permit # 04517
Philadelphia, PA
\ J
See story page 3.

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