Clearing air on industrial chemicals

AS SPOKESWOMAN for CAI Inc., I want to clarify issues raised in the Dec. 4 letter "Danvers fallout: unease on oversight." The author asked, "If local, state, and federal agencies didn't even have a list of known used chemicals at CAI, then how can the general public become more informed?" The fact is state and local emergency response officials were routinely informed as to the chemicals in use at the CAI ink manufacturing plant. CAI submitted annual reports to the Local Emergency Planning Committee and the State Emergency Response Commission, including an inventory of chemicals used at the plant.

Additionally, in 2001 CAI participated in a joint planning exercise with Danvers first responders, the LEPC, and others, to help prepare the community in the event of an all-hazards emergency. The drill was designed to better understand the best ways to meet the emergency needs of the community in the event of a disaster. The amazing response of the first responders from Danvers and surrounding communities on Nov. 22 demonstrates the effectiveness of this planning and cooperation between CAI and public safety officials.

As we seek to understand the cause of the Danvers explosion, let's not lose sight of the broad efforts made to prevent an accident and to be prepared in the event one occurred.

CHERYL McLARNEY
Georgetown

THE NOV. 29 article "Oversight gap cited on waste at Danvers site" raises the issue that government agencies cannot affect small companies unless policies are in place.

Such is the case with the Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Act (TURA). Small companies fall under the radar screen for submitting reduction plans and reporting toxic chemical use.

Although it is not required, I urge smaller companies to take advantage of the knowledge gained throughout the 17-year history of the TURA program. Training classes, technical assistance, databases, and laboratory testing are just a few of the services available. Hundreds of Massachusetts companies have made the switch to safer and effective chemicals.

Massachusetts residents can access the Toxics Use Reduction Act database at turadata.turi.org to find out what companies in their neighborhood, among those required to report under TURA, may be using toxic chemicals.

MICHAEL ELLENBECKER
Lowell
The writer is director of the Toxics Use Reduction Institute at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell.