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U.S. EPA, Federal, State and Local Agencies to participate in a Counter-Terrorism Drill in Louisville, Kentucky

Release Date: 10/30/2003
Contact Information: Sherryl Carbonaro, EPA Public Affairs Specialist, at 678-575-7355

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), along with other federal, state and local agencies, will participate in "Operation River City," a mock terrorism exercise to be held November 4-6 2003 in Louisville, Kentucky. EPA Region 4 Emergency Response and Removal Branch is sponsoring the event, which is designed to improve response readiness in the event of a terrorist attack involving weapons of mass destruction (WMD). This drill will play a key role in assuring the success of the National Response Team. Some of the participants in the exercise include the Federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, EPA, Centers for Disease Control, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Department of Homeland Security-FEMA, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Federal Protective Service, U.S. Coast Guard, Louisville Metro Police Department, Louisville Fire and Rescue, 41st Army National Guard Civil Support Team, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. Local agencies participating in the exercise under the direction of the Louisville Metro WMD Crisis Group include the Louisville Emergency Management Agency, Jefferson County Health Departments, Louisville Metro Transit Authority, and Jefferson County hospitals. More than 550 participants from throughout the nation will be involved in this exercise. The three-day exercise will focus on interagency cooperation, communications, deployment of equipment, data management, and the roles and responsibilities of various entities. As part of the Homeland Security Presidential Directive, HSPD-5, participants will be using the National Incident Management System (NIMS ICS), an incident command system designed to manage emergencies. The goal is to increase overall readiness and collaborative efforts to prepare for a possible WMD event.