(August 16, 2011) Washington - The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), Ohio Clean Cities Coalition, and the Earth Day Coalition's Clean Transport Program will be co-hosting an Ethanol Safety Seminar in Cleveland and Painesville, OH on Monday, August 22nd. This seminar is free.  To accommodate schedules and reach as many participants as possible, the seminar will feature a morning session from 9:00am to 2:00pm in Cleveland (Cuyahoga Heights) at the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District and an evening session from 5:30pm to 10:00pm in Painesville at the Quail Hollow Resort. Lunch and dinner will be provided, sponsored by Norfolk Southern Corp.

Attendees will receive in depth information on proper training techniques that first responders and hazmat personnel need to effectively respond to an ethanol-related emergency.  While primarily targeting first responders, hazmat teams, safety managers, and local emergency planning committees, it is also open to the general public.

As ethanol production, transportation, and use are increasing year after year, safety continues to be a top priority for the ethanol industry.  This domestically grown fuel accounts for 10% of our country’s fuel supply and 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. 

“Cuyahoga County’s 60 vehicle fleet has been utilizing E85 fuel from a private access station on a daily basis since 2006. There are also three public E85 stations within the County that are available and used by the every day consumer,” said John McGovern, Earth Day Coalition Clean Transportation Coordinator. “While there have been no ethanol related incidents or injuries since 2004, it is still important for the first responders in our community to be prepared for response to an ethanol related emergency.”

The goal of this seminar 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.

“Ohio produces 424 million gallons of ethanol annually between the six biorefineries in the state,” said Robert White, RFA Director of Market Development. “As the product is increasing in use and transportation throughout the state, first responders need to be familiar with the fuel and how to effectively respond to an ethanol related incident. This program details the response information that is essential to these emergency situations. We are happy to provide this type of information to those that dedicate their lives to protect their communities.”

The Ethanol Safety Seminar focuses on numerous important areas of ethanol safety including an introduction to ethanol and ethanol blended fuels, chemical and physical characteristics of ethanol and hydrocarbon fuels, transportation of ethanol blended fuels, storage and dispensing locations, firefighting foam principles and ethanol, ethanol blended fuel emergencies, and incidents at tank farm and bulk storage locations.  Certificates of Attendance from the Ohio Fire Academy will be available through the Academy following the completion of the safety seminar.

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

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 nearly 100 coalitions nationwide 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/.