Timely toxicological information and guidance is a critical component in managing responses to chemical spills in the environment. CTEH^®'s Toxicology Emergency Response Program (TERP) is composed of highly trained professionals that respond to incidents utilizing the latest technologies in air sampling and safety. Team members have diverse educational backgrounds in the environmental sciences and technology fields.

The CTEH^® TERP team is available 24 hours per day, every day, including weekends and holidays, and is able to mobilize from their home or office to the incident site. The team can be mobilized by contacting the CTEH^® Help Desk at 866-869-2834 (TOX-CTEH^®). The team is flexible in design and can be modified according to changing project requirements. Field personnel have completed all necessary training required in the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) HAZWOPER regulations found in 29 CFR 1910.120. Employees receive training in emergency procedures, hazard assessment and mitigation, respiratory protection, protective clothing, and first aid/CPR.

TERP Services

• Air monitoring
• Water and soil sampling and assessment
• Soil sampling
• Unknown chemical identification
• Known chemical quantification
• Toxicology support
• Assistance with public health issues
• Environmental assessment and technical support
• On-site safety support for hazardous waste site activities
• Assistance with regulatory issues
• Scientific and regulatory research
• Information documentation and databasing
• Project health and safety coordination

The CTEH^® TERP Team is qualified and equipped to address the most complex health and safety issues faced in chemical emergencies.

Experience

CTEH^® has provided emergency response services to many clients within the transportation and fixed chemical facility industries. At these incidents, CTEH^® evaluated worker and community exposure potential to the chemicals of interest, assisted in establishing hot zone boundaries, addressed community concerns and issues, and developed the necessary data and information to “stand down” the incidents. In addition, CTEH^® managed the environmental and human health concerns raised by regulators and the community. Other services provided during or following these incidents have included interaction with local and national media, interaction with local emergency response agencies and medical provider personnel, interaction with government regulatory personnel, and preparation for and presentation at community meetings.

CTEH^® is the only consulting company that holds active contracts with every Class I railroad in the United States. Our clients include Mediterranean Shipping Company (USA), Inc., Union Pacific Railroad, CSX Transportation, Conrail, BNSF Railway Company, Norfolk Southern, Canadian National/Illinois Central, Kansas City Southern, Canadian Pacific, Rail America, and Montana Rail Link. We have responded to approximately 200 emergencies involving the release or threat of release of hazardous materials since the year 2000.

TERP Personnel

The TERP team is highly flexible and members can be substituted depending on the project requirements. CTEH^® is currently staffed with ten Ph.D. toxicologists, a medical doctor board certified in occupational and preventative medicine, three registered nurses that are members of the Association of Legal Nurse Consultants, industrial hygienists, environmental scientists, chemical and environmental engineers, an information specialist and a senior Ph.D. chemist. Each person brings different experiences and core competencies, which make CTEH^® a stronger and more diversified company.

Equipment

CTEH^® maintains the state of the art in air monitoring and field analytical instruments and is capable of performing both real-time and integrated (laboratory) air sampling for a broad range of chemical compounds. Additionally, CTEH^® invests thousands of dollars each year in consumable air sampling media to insure that we are prepared for any chemical emergency.

• Portable gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer (GC/MS)
• Integrated air sampling pumps for collection of integrated laboratory analysis
• Photo-Ionization Detectors (PIDs) and Flame Ionization Detectors (FIDs) for monitoring volatile organic compounds
• Electrochemical sensors for monitoring lower explosive limit (LEL) and for chemical specific analysis
• Portable SAFER Star System^® for monitoring meteorological conditions and for immediate air dispersion and explosion modeling
• SapphIRe infrared detector for chemical specific analysis
• Piston pumps with a large stock and variety of colorimetric detector tubes
• Particulate monitors
• HazMat ID
• FTIR with Aldrich library
• Telemetry systems to monitor multiple locations from a single computer console
• Colorimetric detector tubes
• Single Point Monitors
• Soil and water screening, assessment, and sampling equipment
• Many other pieces of equipment are available to the TERP team all over the United States and Canada at any time day or night, if needed.

The CTEH^® TERP Team is trained with the latest technology in air monitoring and equipment to provide immediate and effective results. The toxicologists on the TERP team have years of experience in dealing with evacuations, community concerns, on-site health issues, public health issues, and litigation.

Transportation

CTEH^® is often faced with the need to respond to a chemical emergency quickly while trying to keep operating costs low. To meet these requirements, CTEH^® purchased a Beech/Raytheon King Air B200 and hired two full-time pilots. The aircraft is well suited for CTEH^®’s travel needs with ample cargo space and seating for ten. It also has an excellent operating range for its class and is capable of operating in most weather conditions. The CTEH® plane allows for rapid response (often less than 1.5 hours) to emergency incidents at many locations surrounding Little Rock. The airplane is staged in Little Rock, Arkansas, at Adams Field and is maintained for immediate use. Adams Field is a 20 minute drive from CTEH^® headquarters where all equipment and information needed for a response is located.

CTEH^® has a contingency plan for a backup plane when the company plane is unavailable due to simultaneous responses or during regularly scheduled maintenance. CTEH^® has taken out a lease on a second plane with the same capabilities as our company plane. As a third line of defense, CTEH^® uses the contractual services of Central Flying Service, Premier Air Charter, and Corporate Air Charter to provide charter air service to and from Little Rock. Transportation is always arranged for the CTEH^® team upon arrival at a location either by vehicle rental, helicopter service, or through the use of local police or emergency response authorities.

In addition to charter aircraft, Little Rock has a full service commercial airport. Major airlines include Delta/Delta Connection, Southwest, American Eagle, Northwest/Northwest Link, Continental Airlines, Frontier Airlines, and US Airways. CTEH^® also has invested in four sport utility vehicles for responding to incidents within the region.

Air Dispersion Modeling

CTEH^® uses SAFER STAR^® to help manage an emergency and to provide early warning to those who may risk exposure to a potentially harmful substance. SAFER STAR^® accurately models the effects of chemical accidents (toxic releases, fires and explosions). The program includes the powerful SAFER algorithms for addressing atmospheric dispersion, thermal radiation and blast overpressure modeling. In addition, SAFER provides mapping and topographical databases for the region of interest. Once the release site is identified, SAFER STAR^® rapidly assembles appropriate maps and topographical data. Meteorology may be obtained from a mobile weather station or by interfacing to remote weather information (obtained from Internet sites or dedicated weather service providers).

Sophisticated Modeling Algorithms: SAFER STAR^® includes several powerful scientific calculations of release rates, source dynamics, vapor cloud dispersion, structural infiltration, fires, explosions, back calculation and special algorithms for unique situations. These complex equations quickly and accurately calculate the impact of potential fires, imminent explosions, and toxic releases on the surrounding community.

Flexible Interface: SAFER STAR^® provides the user with the options of working with English or Metric measurements, several different mapping programs, now including GIS formats, and many different languages such as French, Dutch, Portuguese, Spanish, German, and Chinese.

User-Friendly: Work in a familiar Windows NT environment that provides menus, list boxes, pull-down lists, notebook tabs, entry fields, push buttons, icons, and status bars. Data transmission through a network and an extensive on-line help facility are also available.

Additional applications may include: contingency back-up measure; disaster prevention training tool; legal and financial protective hedge; and community and media relations communications mechanism. SAFER STAR^® allows the user to quickly understand the magnitude and scope of the incident, as well as manage the event from thousands of miles away. This ability greatly reduces business downtime compensation due to evacuation, potentially saving an organization millions of dollars. It is also important to note that SAFER STAR can be used to educate and train employees, thereby greatly reducing the probability of having a major release event.

Portable Satellite Dish and Remote Web Camera

A state-of-the-art self-aligning satellite dish provides internet access for our field personnel. On-site internet access is the best way to access and provide up-to-date information needed during an emergency. Field personnel can now upload, in real-time, information including video, pictures, work permits, etc, during an incident to help corporate personnel make managerial decisions more effectively. Information can also be made available to public agencies so they can see the progress of the incident and be assured public safety is a top priority. On-site personnel can access information about chemicals involved, weather, and other relevant information.

Streaming video from the incident site brings our Emergency Response Portal to life. Users can view critical aspects of the incident without having to set foot near danger. The cameras provide a 340º range of lateral motion, at an image resolution of 680,000 pixels. The camera has a digital zoom to 300x. Analog and digital outputs are both available. Control of the camera is remote, and people can be set to have priority over control. Sixteen preset camera positions can be specified for ease of motion.