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EPA Region 7 Responders to Conduct Oil Spill Training in Iowa

Release Date: 05/13/2008
Contact Information: Dianna Whitaker, (913) 551-7598, whitaker.dianna@epa.gov

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Environmental News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Kansas City, Kan., May 13, 2008) - A group of emergency response coordinators from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will conduct oil spill training for state and local agencies in the Quad Cities area of Iowa on May 14-15. The training will focus on response and recovery techniques in fast and slow currents along the Mississippi River.

EPA leads the Quad Cities Sub Area Committee and is a member of the Upper Mississippi River Spills Response Group. These organizations plan for rapid responses to large oil and chemical spills along the Upper Mississippi River and the Quad Cities.

A large spill from a riverside oil storage facility or petroleum pipeline could threaten drinking water sources, recreation and fishing activities, river commerce, and sensitive species along the river. Large spill response resources and expertise are scarce along the Upper Mississippi River so EPA's training and resources provide a valuable service to the Quad Cities area.

EPA Region 7 employees participating in the exercise include five on-scene coordinators. These staff will provide hands-on training with oil collection booms, skimmers, and response boats to demonstrate several techniques for recovering oil on the river. The course will provide local responders with the skills and knowledge needed to protect drinking water, property and sensitive species from the damaging effects of oil spills.

Exercises such as this one in the Quad Cities help ensure that EPA's emergency responders and their state and local counterparts have the necessary skills when most needed. The top priorities of EPA's emergency response program are:

• Readiness to respond 24 hours a day to a release;
• Response with whatever resources are required to eliminate immediate dangers; and
• Community relations to inform the public about releases, response activities and the substances involved.