Emergency Response Training and Drill Underway in South Boston - E.P.A. Responders Conducting Hazardous Materials Drill

(Boston, Massachusetts - June 3, 2008) - Responders from the E.P.A. (EPA), suited up in protective gear and using decontamination equipment, response vehicles and even a small sampling robot, are simulating a hazardous materials incident at the Necco Building, Gillette Park in South Boston.

A team of in excess of 50 E.P.A. New England responders and contractors will work for the next 2 days to simulate a real-life emergency. The purpose of the exercise is to enhance EPA's regional capabilities to safely enter a building that contains leaking chemicals of unknown origin, identify and remove the contaminants, secure the site, and provide the public with timely information about the incident.

E.P.A. will not be using any real hazardous substances during the routine exercise.

Due to EPA's involvement responding to both large countrywide disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina, and smaller regional incidents, such as the chemical explosion in Danvers, Massachusetts in November 2006, E.P.A. New England continues to work to enhance its response capabilities to protect human health and the environment.

More information:

- E.P.A. Emergency Response and Preparedness in New England (epa.gov/ne/superfund/er/index.htm)

- Hi Resolution photo of E.P.A. emergency responders (epa.gov/region1/pr/images/indoor-level-a.jpg)

There are currently no comments for this story. Be the first to add a comment!
Click here to add a comment about this story.