IA DNR: Ethanol Spill Emergency Training Coming to Iowa

The Iowa Transcaer Ethanol Training Tour is scheduled to begin in Burlington on April 12 and finish in Dubuque on May 10. The training tour will provide hands-on training using actual rail and truck equipment, focusing on ethanol.

"We are excited about bringing this training program to emergency responders across the state," said Rodney Tucker, Iowa Transcaer state coordinator and DNR environmental specialist. "With ethanol being a major commodity in Iowa, we feel it is important to be able to respond to environmental incidents including ethanol."

Online registration for the tour is available on the DNR's Web site at http://programs.iowadnr.gov/transcaer/

This will be the second recent training tour to come to Iowa to train emergency responders on transportation related incidents. Iowa hosted a training tour in October 2005 that stopped at seven Iowa cities. That tour was based on general rail and highway hazardous materials incidents, where the 2008 tour will focus on the ethanol transportation industry.

"This program will provide the information and guidance responders and community leaders need to manage and contain hazardous materials incidents and safely restore transportation and other essential services," Tucker said.

The tour schedule is as follows:

Burlington April 12
Creston April 15
Red Oak April 19
Sioux City April 23
Storm Lake April 26
Ft. Dodge April 29
Waterloo May 3 - 5
Dubuque May 8 - 10

For more information, visit the Transcaer Web site at www.transcaer.org or contact Rodney Tucker at (515) 725-0387 or rodney.tucker@dnr.iowa.gov.