xvEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Solid Waste
and Emergency Response
(5104)
EPA 550-F-005
March 2000
www.epa.gov/ceppo/
Hazardous Materials Education:
Carbon County, Pennsylvania LEPC
RMP Network is designed to share successful practices in RMP implementation, risk
communication, and use of the data. The projects detailed in RMP Network are easily
reproducible, low cost and promote partnership-building in the community. This factsheet
does not provide extensive information about a project. Rather, it is intended to help
stakeholders generate ideas, identify tools and pinpoint funding sources for accident
preparedness and prevention initiatives.
Purpose
The Carbon County, Pennsylvania, Local Emergency Planning Committee has
developed educational programs to involve area school students in hazardous
material issues.
LEPC members have a philosophy that if the children in the community are
continually learning about chemical accident prevention and emergency
preparedness, their parents will become involved as well. Led by a local
television anchor who is a member of the LEPC, the committee has worked
with the local school system to develop programs to educate students and
teacher on how to shelter in place and other emergency procedures.
Framing the Message
The LEPC realized that it was important to explain to teachers and students
why chemical release emergencies differ from natural hazard emergencies,
such as tornados and floods, and why safety procedures may differ. Equally
important was ensuring that students knew the proper safety procedures to
follow for evacuation and shelter-in place in the event of a chemical accident.
Knowing it was also important to educate students as to why shelter-in-place is
advantageous in some situations, during a classroom session, LEPC members
blew large soap bubbles over the students to show how the quickly the wind
can spread chemicals and why evacuation may not always be an option.
Students also learned that evacuation and shelter-in-place are not
interchangeable safety measures and when emergency management officials
determine appropriate action for the incident, they should follow those
directions implicity.
Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Prevention Office
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Next, families learned what they would need to do in their home if they got the
message to shelter-in place to keep contaminated air from entering doors and
windows and how to protect themselves during a chemical release.
The LEPC and 11 area companies sponsored a logo contest that culminated in
a calendar using the art work of students. The calendar contained emergency
contact telephone numbers, LEPC information and detailed instructions on
what steps to take should an accident occur. Students from throughout the
county were asked to draw pictures describing what people should do if a
chemical accident occurred. Twelve winners were chosen and their artwork
was featured in the calender.
Community residents received a free calendar and the calendar was shared with
other Pennsylvania LEPCs.
Funding
Each of the 11 companies paid $100 fee to place an advertisement in the
calender. The LEPC also used some of the funds garnered from annual fees
paid by companies that must comply with the state right-to-know law (Note:
The county requires facilities to pay annual fees that range from $35-75 per
chemical for filing Tier II reports and $100 from each facility for which
EPCRA requires an emergency response plan).
For more information, contact...
Name: Mr. Scott T. Forster
Organization: Carbon County Emergency Management Agency
Address: 1264 Emergency Lane
Nesquehoning, PA 18240
E-Mail: ccema@ptd.net
Telephone: (570) 325-3097
Additional copies of this and other pubications in the RMP Network series are available from:
National Service Center for Environmental Publications
Phone:(800)490-9198
Fax: (513)489-8695
E-mail: ncepi.mail@epamail.epa.gov
or you can download an electronic copy from the Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Prevention Office's
web site on the Internet athttp://www.epagov/ceppo.
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