The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is issuing $20.4 million in Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness (HMEP) grants to states, territories, and Native American tribes. The HMEP grant program, a part of DOT’s approach to improving the safe transportation of hazardous material, allows recipients to design and implement planning and training programs according to their specific needs. The 2016 HMEP grant program allows up to 3-years for projects funded by the grants to be completed.
“The Department’s partnership with our States, Territories, and Tribes is an integral component of our strong national safety program,” stated U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “These grants are important tools for communities to plan and stay prepared for transportation incidents involving hazardous materials, including those involving high-hazard flammable trains.”
For this grant cycle, HMEP applicants were encouraged to allocate funding towards:
- developing or revising emergency plans and training activities to account for bulk transportation of energy product by rail and over the road;
- conducting commodity flow studies to determine the frequency and quantity of hazardous materials shipments being transported through local communities; and
- training emergency responders to respond appropriately to incidents involving hazardous materials.
“Our Nation’s emergency responders have an immensely challenging job, and this grant funding supports their efforts to protect our communities,” said PHMSA Administrator Marie Therese Dominguez. “PHMSA has taken a comprehensive approach to enhance the safe transportation of energy products that includes prevention, mitigation, and emergency preparedness and response. These grants are another critical element of our focus to improve safety.”
HMEP grants are funded by annual user registration fees paid by shippers and carriers of certain hazardous materials in commerce. All 50 states, five U.S. territories, and eight Native American Indian tribes received HMEP grant funding this year.