GREENVILLE — In an ongoing effort to increase readiness for State and private coordination in the event of a rail accident, Maine Department of Environmental Protection, railroads, and Public Safety Agencies will participate in training and exercise to practice procedures and equipment used in response to an oil spill from rail tank cars. The training will take place in Greenville, June 15–25, 2015.

Participating in the training and exercise include representatives from: Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Maine Emergency Management Agency, Central Maine and Quebec Railway, Eastern Maine Railway, Maine Northern Railway, Federal Rail Administration, US Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Greenville Fire Dept. Milo Fire Dept.

The Classroom-style training will cover: Rail safety at rail facilities and at a wreck/derailment scene; the properties and hazards of crude oil; the use of mapped data for implementation of protection strategies for sensitive habitat for wildlife and fisheries; case studies of previous rail accidents involving oil; firefighting strategies for responding to crude oil fires; and Incident Command Structure and communications.

In addition to the classroom training, a two day exercise will be held each week with participants working together to coordinate resources to respond to a simulated oil spill along the railroad adjacent to Moosehead Lake. Boats, containment boom, oil recovery equipment, and shoreline cleanup strategies will be deployed and monitored.