$20.9 Million in Funds Announced for First Responders

Funds Will Be Used to Improve Hazardous Materials Planning and Training Washington, D.C. The U.S. Department of Transportation is awarding $20.9 million to states, territories and Native American tribes to improve the nations response to transportation incidents involving hazardous materials. The grants will help train first responders to react to incidents involving hazardous materials and to meet the safety challenges posed by new chemicals and alternative energy products such as ethanol. The grants from the U.S. Department of Transportations Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) are funded by user fees paid by shippers and carriers of certain hazardous materials. Since 1993, over 2.4 million emergency responders and others have received training assistance nationwide using Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness (HMEP) grants. Assistance was also given to approximately 1,700 local emergency planning committees each year in preparing and exercising hazardous materials emergency response plans, and in conducting commodity flow studies that identify transportation hazards. Effective in 2008, transportation legislation more than doubled the funding of the HMEP grants program. All 50 states, one territory, and seven North American tribes received HMEP grant funding this year. More information on the HMEP grants program can be found at: hazmat.dot.gov/training/state/hmep/hmep.htm. FY 2009 HMEP GRANTS GRANTEE GRANT Alabama $401,287.00 Alaska $139,696.00 Arizona $313,472.00 Arkansas $272,518.00 California $1,642,592.00 Colorado $311,566.00 Connecticut $247,214.00 Delaware $154,110.00 Florida $774,750.00 Georgia $514,736.00 Guam $113,550.00 Hawaii $150,450.00 Idaho $192,760.00 Illinois $1,033,415.00 Indiana $512,532.00 Iowa $348,679.00 Kansas $391,846.00 Kentucky $311,324.00 Louisiana $347,801.00 Maine $181,732.00 Maryland $318,230.00 Massachusetts $366,402.00 Michigan $567,223.00 Minnesota $446,495.00 Mississippi $302,226.00 Missouri $455,470.00 Montana $202,548.00 Nebraska $310,372.00 Nevada $210,193.00 New Hampshire $179,328.00 New Jersey $496,286.00 New Mexico $254,219.00 New York $807,514.00 North Carolina $538,901.00 North Dakota $233,004.00 Ohio $863,963.00 Oklahoma $321,755.00 Oregon $298,676.00 Pennsylvania $691,476.00 Rhode Island $156,680.00 South Carolina $325,439.00 South Dakota $216,267.00 Tennessee $425,870.00 Texas $1,146,929.00 Utah $247,772.00 Vermont $142,514.00 Virginia $414,279.00 Washington $353,784.00 West Virginia $237,696.00 Wisconsin $443,390.00 Wyoming $159,505.00 Subtotal $20,490,436.00 TRIBES GRANT San Manuel (CA) $34,400.00 Washoe (NV) $33,000.00 Inter Tribal Council of Arizona $216,000.00 Reno Sparks (NV) $13,432.00 Saint Regis (NY) $27,065.00 Poarch (AL) $13,760.00 Fallon (NV) $41,182.00 Subtotal $378,839.00 TOTAL GRANTS $20,869.275.00