NASTTPO members include state, tribal, and local government employees with Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know (EPCRA) program responsibilities, such as health, occupational safety, first response, environmental, and emergency management agencies.

This year’s annual conference was held in late April in Covington, Kentucky, and there was also a virtual option for those attending remotely. More than 100 people attended this national conference, representing emergency planners from roughly 35 different states, tribes, and territories.

Brianne Connolly, the CAMEO program manager in OR&R's Emergency Response Division, provided participants with an overview of the CAMEO software suite, a set of tools to help emergency planners and responders with hazardous chemical releases. She also summarized changes in the suite from the past few years, including the CAMEO Chemicals 2.8.0 release that came out just a few days ahead of the conference. Her presentation concluded with highlights of future plans for the suite, and she was also able to collect valuable feedback from the stakeholders present at the event during the question-and-answer session.

Other topics at the multi-day conference included regulatory updates; grant requirements and reporting; facility security, inspections, and training options; risk assessment and liability for planners; case studies on several tribal emergency planning efforts; an example of Oregon’s emergency planning approach at the state level, and a strategic planning discussion on how to fill capability gaps for local emergency planners. 

In-person attendees were also able to participate in a live exercise simulating a hazardous material spill on the Ohio River, as well attend EPCRA training sessions and a class on how to successfully integrate multiple sources of hazardous materials information into local and state emergency planning.

For more information, contact Brianne.Connolly@noaa.gov.