The Industrial Technology Research Institute's (ITRI) Energy and Environment Research Laboratories (EEL) has drawn up this plan to provide technical support services for emergency response to accidents involving chemicals and toxic substances. The EEL's plan was designed to mainly serve government environmental protection agencies, while also provide services to other government agencies and businesses. EERL drafted the plan based on its long-term implementation experience with related plans, as well as the operations of chemical emergency response centers both in Taiwan and abroad. On April 1, 2008, this plan was received and carried on. Thanks to the oversight and guidance by the Environmental Protection Administration, Executive Yuan (EPA), and with the full effort and cooperation of our colleagues, 100% progress has been achieved. Promotion of Monitoring, Training, and Joint Prevention of Environmental Disasters: A total of 730 monitors were assigned to carry out a total of 365 telephone line and fax communication tests., video link tests were added and a total of 730 tests completed. Regarding environmental toxic disaster emergency response, a total of 69 trainings on environmental toxic disaster response were held, involving 3848.4 hours of training, and the production of 76 bulletins, 69 site audit reports and one press release. Six educational trainings on toxic disaster control were held, respectively, with a total of 333 participants. Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) conference participation included the Fourth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties of the Stockholm Convention (POP 4) of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants held by the United Nations in Geneva May 4-8 and completion of report on overseas trip. Four technical training courses for domestic toxic disaster prevention agencies were successively completed. As for the inception of drills at the Central Toxic Disaster Response Center, a tabletop exercise was held at the EPA Emergency Response Center on July 1 and drills at the Central Toxic Disaster Response Center. An update was completed of basic information on staff assigned to the Central Toxic Disaster Response Center by all cabinet agencies. Formation of an organization for joint industry prevention of toxic disasters: An industry support agreement for the said organization was completed and accepted after being checked in three unannounced tests. In order to strengthen the management of domestic toxic chemical substance transport, an “Assessment of SQAS system on Toxic Chemical Substance Transport Management Mechanisms” was completed in May and submitted to the EPA for reference. Promotion of expert consulting: video monitoring, expert consulting services and disaster reporting regarding toxic chemical substances disasters, chemical product accidents and terrorist chemical weapons attacks were provided round the clock 365 days a year. As of the end of November, a total of 761 emergency consulting cases were reported (including domestic and abroad monitoring via electronic media). In 69 out of 215 cases of disaster consulting, the emergency response team was asked to provide on-site assistance. A total of 534 cases of general consulting (including by telephone, fax, in written form, via press release, e-mail or the Internet) were carried out with responses being made within three days in all cases. Integrating disaster prevention systems, coordinating with the integrated response of the National Defense Mobilization System and the Anti-Terrorism Mechanism, strengthening technical rescue capabilities: Studies and analyses regarding the toxic disaster system for the EPA for internal reference will continue to be submitted for the coming four years. Two updates were completed of toxicity information regarding 259 toxic chemical substances (including Bisphenol A). The Review of Toxic Chemical Substance Disaster was held on Oct. 19-20. A total of 60 people attended the symposium. The 2009 National Symposium on Toxic Chemical Substance Emergency Response was held on Nov. 3-4. A total of 560 people attended the symposium. Telephone interviews were conducted to update the national list of expert teams, 13 experts from industry and academia were invited to retrieve their resumes. Seven issues of the Environmental Toxic Chemical Substance e-Newsletter were published; twenty articles and bulletins were provided for posting on the EPA’s English website.

Emergency Response, Toxic Chemical Substances, Mutual Aid