(August 1, 2013) WASHINGTON — The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and Pima County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) will co-host a free Ethanol Safety Seminar Aug. 8, 9 and 10 at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Ariz. Sessions will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Registration is limited to the first 100 people per seminar. Lunch will be provided. While primarily targeting first responders, hazmat teams, safety managers, and local emergency planning committees, it is also open to the general public.

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 and 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.

“The information from this seminar provides first responders with the knowledge to deal with existing and new ethanol-related situations facing their communities,” said John Wisner, program coordinator at the Pima County Office of Emergency Management. “This knowledge helps them to act safely and efficiently with the tools available to them.”

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 and transfer of ethanol-blended fuels, storage and dispensing locations, firefighting foam principles and ethanol-blended fuel, health and safety considerations for ethanol-blended fuel emergencies and tank farm and bulk storage fire incidents. Certificates will be awarded at the completion of the course.

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

The RFA has been co-hosting Ethanol Safety Seminars throughout 2013. There are four remaining Ethanol Safety Seminars scheduled for the year. They will take place on Sept. 16 in Boardman, Ore.; Oct. 23-24 in Tacoma, Wash.; Oct. 29 in Albuquerque, N.M.; and Nov. 14 in Pipestone, Minn.

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

About the Renewable Fuels Association
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 members are working to help America become cleaner, safer, more energy independent and economically secure. For more information, visit www.EthanolRFA.org.

About the Local Emergency Planning Committee
The Pima County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) was established in 1987 after the Federal Government enacted the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). The role and responsibility of the LEPC is to ensure a safe environment for the citizens of Pima County from a hazardous materials release, specifically for those areas near the use of or the transportation of harmful chemicals. This is managed by developing procedures for submitting reports, developing a county-wide plan to report and respond to a release, conducting and review of surveys, ensuring response capabilities are in place, and providing chemical release information to the citizens of Pima County. Visit www.pima.gov/lepc.