Getting the community involved in the problem of hazardous substances is one of the priorities of EPA's Emergency Response Program. Involvement occurs in different forms, but is always geared to assisting the public to better understand how to deal with the presence of hazardous substances in their communities.

Basically, there are three main areas in which the program reaches out:

Community Right-to-Know. Perhaps the most important of the three, the Community Right-to-Know law has had a significant impact on protecting the safety of frontline emergency responders and has kept communities informed as to the local presence of and activities involving hazardous substances.

Community Relations. Good communication fosters greater cooperation and can save lives. Through the Superfund Emergency Response program, EPA places trained personnel in position to help local officials and citizens understand the circumstances of a release incident.

Recognizing Releases. Due to the prevalence of contaminants, EPA provides guidance to the general public on how to recognize when a hazardous substance might be present and what individuals can do to respond. EPA also provides training to local emergency responders to help them identify and respond to hazardous substances emergencies.

In addition, EPA has made information on specific release incidents available through the Emergency Response Site Locator and the ERNS database of reported releases.