Center Gives Help For Chemical Hazards 24/7

Oct. 15, 2001
Chemtrec offers round-the-clock resources for emergency responders who deal with spills, leaks, fires, and exposures\r\ninvolving hazardous chemicals.

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Those who fear that terrorists may strike next with hazardous chemical may take some solace from a communications center that provides round-the-clock resources for emergency responders.

The Chemical Transportation Emergency Center (Chemtrec), has operated as a public service of the American Chemistry Council since 1971, helping firefighters, emergency medical personnel and law enforcement officials deal with spills, leaks, fires, and exposures involving hazardous chemicals.

When it began Chemtrec handled 8,000 calls a year; last year the number of calls was ten times that number.

Although Chemtrec''s mission is focused primarily on the transportation of hazardous chemicals, the center answered calls from emergency responders at both the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

Transporting hazardous chemicals has always involved inherent risks, but the Sept. 11 catastrophe has heightened concerns among industry observers.

The center has four components:

  • Prevention - Chemtrec works with local emergency responders and shippers to make them aware of applicable regulations and safety procedures;
  • Preparedness - via outreach to emergency responders;
  • Emergency response - when an incident occurs, Chemtrec provides immediate information and assistance. The center maintains technical information and material safety data sheets on most of the known chemical agents.
  • Recovery - Chemtrec maintains a network of contractors for site clean up and remediation.

by James L. Nash

About the Author

EHS Today Staff

EHS Today's editorial staff includes:

Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeekEHS Today, Material Handling & LogisticsLogistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor:  Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.

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