Presentation at the 2019 Massachusetts Sustainable Communities and Campuses Conference on March 29, 2019 in Cambridge, MA

1. CHEMICAL SAFETY AND
CLIMATE CHANGE
PREPAREDNESS
MAIA RODRIGUEZ-SEMP
MASSACHUSETTS OFFICE OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE (OTA)
TOXICS USE REDUCTION ACT (TURA) PROGRAM

2. MASSACHUSETTS OFFICE OFTECHNICAL ASSISTANCE (OTA)
Works closely with the other agencies that handle TURA
implementation:
Toxics Use Reduction Institute
(TURI) at UMass Lowell
Massachusetts Department of
Environmental Protection (MassDEP)
Created by the 1989Toxics Use Reduction Act (TURA)

3. OTA
TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE
No cost and confidential
Help MA “toxics users”
Receive referrals from local government agencies
Environmental compliance
Reduce or eliminate use of hazardous chemicals
Energy efficiency and renewables
Water conservation
Proven results

4. OTA
ENVIRONMENTAL
AND CLIMATE
IMPACT
2007 - 2017
 Helped companies
prevent 375,000 metric
tons of CO2 emissions
 Helped companies
reduce the use of at
least 1.9 million pounds
of hazardous chemicals

5. WHY CHEMICAL SAFETY AND CLIMATE CHANGE?Floods Extreme Heat
Extreme Cold Storms
Climate
Change
Equipment Failure
Chemical Spill Spread
HVAC Failure
Explosion Risks
Power Outages
HVAC Failure
Power Outages
Equipment Failure
Infrastructure Failure
Hazardous
Chemicals
Chemical Releases Chemical Releases
Chemical ReleasesChemical Releases

6. WHY CHEMICAL SAFETY AND CLIMATE CHANGE?Floods Extreme Heat
Extreme Cold Storms
Climate
Change
Equipment Failure
Chemical Spill Spread
HVAC Failure
Explosion Risks
Power Outages
HVAC Failure
Power Outages
Equipment Failure
Infrastructure Failure
Hazardous
Chemicals
Chemical Releases Chemical Releases
Chemical ReleasesChemical ReleasesIncreased Threat to Workers, Communities, and First Responders
Increased Threat to Workers, Communities, and First Responders

7. OTA CHEMICAL SAFETY AND CLIMATE CHANGE PROJECT
(EPA GRANT 2015-2018)
 Partnered with and funded 7 Regional
Planning Agencies
 7 workshops for first responders,
municipalities, community groups
 7 workshops for facility personnel
 428 individuals trained on emergency
preparedness regulations and pollution
prevention techniques
 54 companies visited in relation to the
grant

8. TOOLS AND
RESOURCES
DEVELOPED
 www.mass.gov/eea/ota-
climate
 GIS map ofToxics
Users and Climate
Vulnerability Factors
 Emergency planning
tools for facilities
 Video

9. ANTICIPATING
WORST CASE
SCENARIOS
FEMA FLOOD AND
HURRICANE ZONES

10. MORE OUTCOMES AND CONTINUED WORK
 Direct assistance to facilities that use
hazardous chemicals
 Referrals from with local agencies
 Assisting MunicipalVulnerability
Preparedness (MVP) Communities
 Encouraging facility-first responder
partnership and relationship building

11. RESOURCES
 Refer companies to OTA: (617) 626-1060
 Massachusetts Chemical Safety and Climate
Change Program: www.mass.gov/eea/ota-
climate
 Tools for first responders
 Grants for municipalities and regions
 Mapping tools
 2017 workshop presentations
 http://resilientma.org/ Resource
Clearinghouse
 TURA Data https://turadata.turi.org/

12. CONTACT:
Maia Rodriguez-Semp
Massachusetts Office Of Technical Assistance
Maia.Rodriguez-Semp@Mass.Gov
Tiffany Skogstrom
Massachusetts Office Of Technical Assistance
Tiffany.Skogstrom@Mass.Gov