In Washington, the Renewable Fuels Association is teaming with the DOE’s Clean Cities Coalitions to host nine ethanol safety training seminars across the country. While primarily targeting first responders, hazmat teams, safety managers, and local emergency planning committees, the free seminars are also open to the general public.
A majority of this training, funded through a $1.6 million DOE grant, is based on the Complete Training Guide to Ethanol Emergency Response, a training package created by the Ethanol Emergency Response Coalition (EERC) that has been distributed throughout the United States and to several countries worldwide.
Ethanol Safety Seminars have been held in Harrisburg, PA and will be held at eight more locations in 2011 including Boston Metropolitan area, MA; Charlotte, NC; Houston and Beaumont, TX; Portland, OR; Stockton, CA; Indianapolis, IN and in Northeastern, OH.
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The training announcement arrives just as, in Ohio, residents were evacuated from their homes after a train carrying ethanol derailed and exploded into flames near Arcadia. Local authorities estimated about 18 cars carrying 320,000 gallons of ethanol – exploded and caught fire early Sunday. It was expected to take a day or two before the ethanol burned itself out.
