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.
    Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Prevention Office                                  ^> Printed on recycled paper

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