(February 9, 2011) Washington - The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and The Massachusetts Clean Cities Coalition will be hosting two Ethanol Safety Seminars in the Greater Boston Area, Wednesday, February 10th, 2011. These seminars are free. While primarily targeting first responders, hazmat teams, safety managers, and local emergency planning committees; they are also open to the general public.

Ethanol production, transportation and storage amounts continue to increase year after year. It is important that those responsible for the safety of their communities are well prepared and trained for responding to ethanol related emergencies. In order to accommodate schedules and reach as many participants as possible, the day will feature both a morning and evening session. The morning session will be held at the BNY Mellon in Everett, MA from 9:00am-2:00pm. The evening session will be held at the Hoagland-Pincus Conference Center in Shrewsbury, MA from 5:30pm-10:00pm. Certificates will be distributed following the completion of the Ethanol Safety Seminar. Participants seeking certification from the Massachusetts Fire Training Council may be able to utilize this program to fulfill prerequisite training requirements.

“Our nation is finding more and more ethanol being transported on the roadways and into our fuel service stations,” said Robert White, RFA Director of Market Development. “Educating emergency personnel on preparedness for ethanol emergencies is essential in keeping local communities safe and protected.”

The goal of these seminars is for attendees to gain a full ethanol emergency response training experience that they can put to use immediately in the field, as well as pass along to other first response teams. A majority of this training 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.

For more information and to register, visit www.rfa.traincaster.com.

About the RFA: Since 1981, the RFA has led the fight on behalf of American ethanol producers to open markets and create sound public policies allowing for the expanding production and use of fuel ethanol. As the largest ethanol producer trade association in the world, the RFA believes sound analysis, credible statistics, an understanding of the industry rooted in history, and a willingness to work with other groups is the key to effective advocacy. Visit www.EthanolRFA.org.

Clean Cities Program: Clean Cities was formed in 1993 in response to the Energy Policy Act of 1992. They are a government-industry partnership sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Vehicle Technologies Program. They have 87 local coalitions and more than 8,400 stakeholders, Clean Cities' mission is to reduce petroleum consumption in the transportation sector. For more information, visit www1.eere.energy.gov/cleancities/.