(July 30, 2012) Washington - The Renewable Fuels Association, TRANSCAER®, the Federal Railroad Association, and Eastern Idaho Railroad are co-sponsoring two Ethanol Safety Seminars in Idaho on August 7th and 9th. The first seminar will be in Twin Falls, ID on August 7th at the College of Southern Idaho in the Taylor Building. The second seminar will be in Idaho Falls, ID on August 9th at the Eastern Idaho Technical College in the Alex D. Creek Building.

Both seminars are free and feature a morning session from 9:00am to 2:00pm and an evening session from 5:30pm to 10:00pm. Lunch and dinner will be provided.

Ethanol production, transportation, and use are increasing year after year.  As this domestically grown fuel accounts for 10% of our country’s fuel supply, many first responders will be tasked with preparing for potential ethanol-related incidents for the first time.  It is important that those responsible for safety in their communities are well-prepared and trained for responding to ethanol-related emergencies.  Attendees will receive in-depth information on proper training techniques that first responders and hazmat personnel need to effectively respond to an ethanol incident.  While primarily targeting first responders, hazmat teams, safety managers, and local emergency planning committees, it is also open to the general public.

“Effective emergency response begins with planning and preparation,” said Rollie Shook, Chair of the National TRANSCAER® Task Group and Global Associate Director of Emergency Services for The Dow Chemical Company. “Since ethanol is increasingly playing a larger role in our transportation distribution system, emergency responders need the appropriate knowledge and skills to ensure protection of public health and the environment in the case of an accidental release incident.”

“Safety is a top priority and a core value for all Eastern Idaho Railroad Team Members,” said Bill Goldsberry, General Manager for Eastern Idaho Railroad. “This emphasis on safety also extends to public safety so sponsoring the Ethanol Safety Seminar is a perfect complement for the Eastern Idaho Railroad. The seminar is an excellent way to educate our community about ethanol safety.”

The goal of these seminars is for attendees to gain 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.

Certificates of attendance and Continuing Educational Credits (CEU’s) from the Idaho Emergency Services Training will be handed out at the completion of the seminars.

To register for this seminar, go to www.rfa.traincaster.com.

The RFA has partnered with several railroads to co-host Ethanol Safety Seminars throughout 2012. These partnerships are shared with Norfolk Southern Railroad, CN Railway, and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF). The next Ethanol Safety Seminar will be held in Decatur, IL on August 22nd, co-hosted with Norfolk Southern, CN Railway and Archer Daniels Midland (ADM).

For more information on ethanol emergency response, visit the EERC website at www.EthanolResponse.com.

About the RFA: The Renewable Fuels Association is the leading trade association for America’s ethanol industry. Its mission is to advance the development, production, and use of ethanol fuel by strengthening America’s ethanol industry and raising awareness about the benefits of renewable fuels. RFA’s 200 members are working to help America become cleaner, safer, more energy independent and economically secure. Visit www.EthanolRFA.org.

About TRANSCAER®: TRANSCAER® (Transportation Community Awareness and Emergency Response) is a voluntary national outreach effort that focuses on assisting communities to prepare for and to respond to a possible hazardous material transportation incident.  TRANSCAER® members consist of volunteer representatives from the chemical manufacturing, transportation, distributor, and emergency response industries, as well as the government. Visit www.transcaer.com.

About Eastern Idaho Railroad: With nearly 270 mainline miles, the Eastern Idaho Railroad is one of the largest single shortline spin offs in U.P. history. Serving the agriculturally diverse areas of Idaho Falls and the Snake River (from Buhl/Wendell to Minidoka), the EIRR carries a wide variety of products in its near 35,000 annual car load capacity.