CLEVELAND, July 30 — BLET members are encouraged to attend a two-day Department of Energy (DOE)-sponsored radiological transportation training workshop at the George Meany Center from September 8-10, 2008.
The 16-hour DOE-sponsored Modular Emergency Response Radiological Transportation Training (MERRTT) “Train The Trainer” course will be conducted on the George Meany Campus of the National Labor College in Silver Spring, Md. The program will begin on Monday, September 8 at 7:00 p.m., and end by 2 p.m. on Wednesday, September 10.
“This is a valuable opportunity for union advocates at all levels to acquire the knowledge of the risks and concerns of these shipments,” said Brenda Cantrell, Adjunct Professor/Training Consultant for the Rail Workers Hazmat Training Program at the National Labor College. “Participants will receive training materials provided in a CD format, which will allow you to share this information at union meetings and gatherings of your membership.”
The BLET Education & Training Department also encourages all BLET members to take advantage of this important training, especially considering the increase in radioactive rail shipments slated for years to come.
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has shipped large amounts and a variety of radioactive material by rail for years. The number of rail shipments that began in 2007 is expected to increase in coming years, due to a 38-year DOE project to transport Spent Nuclear Fuel and High Level Radioactive Waste from DOE sites to storage and disposal facilities. With the increase in rail shipments comes the increased risk for rail incidents involving radioactive material.
The Rail Workers Hazardous Materials Training Program provides this training through funding from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and also sponsored in part by funding from the North American Railway Foundation (NARF). Funding for this course will cover travel costs, overnight room accommodations and three meals a day at NLC. No stipends are offered for this training.
Space for this course is limited. Completed registration forms should be faxed, mailed or e-mailed to the Hazmat office no later than August 8, 2008. Interested rail workers may also register online: http://www.hazmatgmc.org.
For more details, contact:
Rail Workers Hazardous Materials Training Program
10000 New Hampshire Avenue
Silver Spring, Maryland 20903
(301) 439-2440
(301) 628-0165 -fax
hjajuga@nlc.edu
Registration form (PDF):
https://www.ble-t.org/pr/pdf/HazmatNLC.pdf