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EPA honors leadership in emergency prevention and preparedness

Release Date: 11/23/2004
Contact Information: Wendy L. Chavez, (415) 947-4248, [email protected]

Hill Brothers Chemical Company's Phoenix branch wins award

SAN FRANCISCO -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last week announced the recipients of its second annual regional Emergency Prevention and Preparedness Leadership Awards during a ceremony at the HazMat Explo conference in Las Vegas.

Hills Brothers Chemical received special recognition for being an exemplary company for emergency preparedness. The company voluntarily provided technical training on ammonia and chlorine safety in Arizona earlier this year to EPA headquarters and regional staff as well as personnel from Arizona state agencies. Hill Brothers Chemical also provided, free of charge, hands-on ammonia and chlorine training to Arizona fire departments across the state.

"The EPA is pleased to honor regional leaders who have developed strong prevention and preparedness programs. We live in an era of shrinking budgets and the leaders we are recognizing have shown a true commitment to protect human health and the environment," said Daniel Meer, branch chief of the EPA regional emergency response and planning programs. "We recognize and appreciate the enormous efforts and creativity of our partners who exemplify the leadership qualities necessary to meet these ambitious objectives."

Kathryn Lawrence, the EPA's Pacific Southwest regional chief for emergency prevention and preparedness, honored program leadership and presented a plaque for Regional Emergency Preparedness 2004 to representatives of Hill Brothers Chemical Company headquartered in Orange, Calif.

Senior Vice President Matt Thorne, Branch Operations Manager Julie Tennyson and Health and Safety Manager Bob Roth accepted the award given to Hill Brothers Chemical Company's branch in Phoenix.

HazMat Explo in Las Vegas is an annual training conference for hazardous materials responders and planners in its eighth year. There were two other regional leadership award recipients announced during the EPA ceremony. The Regional Emergency Prevention Leadership Award 2004 was presented to Danielle Stefani, chair and representative for the California Certified Unified Program Agencies Forum Board. The Regional Lifetime Achievement Award 2004 for Emergency Prevention and Preparedness was presented to Dr. Fred Lercari of the California Office of Emergency Services.